First Image Of Wilkinson Eyres Blackfriars Road

First Image Of Wilkinson Eyres Blackfriars Road

The Commission for Architecture and Built Environment have reviewed the last attempt by Land Securities, and architect, Wilkinson Eyre, at getting a major project at 20 Blackfriars Road on the South Bank of the Thames in London through the planning process.

The twin tower scheme consists of a 140 metre tall AOD residential tower and a 105 metre tall AOD office tower which CABE have "welcomed" although they did criticise the residential tower for having a flat roof feeling it should emphasise the difference between it and the office tower, and that the height of the office tower could be increased further.

Height-wise, the present design has been planned to relate to the buildings around it more and fit in well with the emerging cluster that could well appear in this area if everything goes ahead, something that has played a role in the current heights.

The previous design for the plot was a cut-glass 200 metre tall tower also designed by Wilkinon Eyre. Small parts of that design remain in the canopy that links the two buildings together in the current scheme and in the basic appearance of the residential tower that CABE describe as "crystalline".

With no public access planned for the buildings themselves much of the CABE response has hinged on the public realm around the tower and the importance of a well planned public space in relation to the busyness and overwhelmingly urban setting of Blackfriars Road.

Despite having floated around the planning system for months, no images of Land Securities latest project in London, a development at 20 Blackfriars Road, have been published until now.

Beetham however have had a hard time getting their planned tower just down the road through the planning system whilst Land Securities have also had difficulties with their proposal for 20 Fenchurch Street in the City of London so a defensive PR approach is understandable.

But, if first impressions count in winning over those living in Southwark who are against tall buildings, and they are a contentious issue for some in the Borough, then the developer and architect are hardly likely to win much public support in an era where we are used to glossy and high resolution images showing a project at it's very best - something particularly unfortunate when dealing with a practise that has a quality record of output like Wilkinson Eyre.

Kjoler
the group theory