The Greenwich Peninsula has been at the centre of intense political debate over the years. Excessive expenditure, un-realistic expectations and plagued by financial problems the new vision of a ‘Thames Gateway’ has not been as forth coming as many hoped. After the internal redesign and brand rebirth of the Millennium Dome into the O2 Arena it has begun to draw substantially more visitors. The Dome architecturally designed by Richard Rogers and structurally engineered by Buro Happold has finally begun to engender a thriving local community. The masterplan for the peninsula incorporates a 5 million square feet development, including 20 hectares of parkland and open space, 10,000 new homes, and 2.5 kilometres of riverside walkway.
On a bleak winters day in February the peninsula still has a long way to go before it reaches the desirability scale for work and living that some attempt to portray. I however returned when that magical orb so rarely seen in London, the sun, transformed the location into a refined segment of contemporary urban design.
Sir Terry Farrell & Partners have created a practical structure that makes up with energy efficiency what it perhaps lacks in colour coordination! The structure stands as one of the most energy efficient commercial buildings in the UK with a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating of over 76%. What’s your verdict?
HUNDVEN-CLEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY 