Art-Invest Real Estate announces that on September 13, 2023, Southwark Borough Council granted planning permission for the first two buildings of the major Canada Water Dockside project. In addition, the dockside design plans have also been approved. Art-Invest Real Estate plans to use the project to create modern and sustainable working environments for around 10,000 new jobs.
The development, comprising a total of three buildings with around 140,000 sq m of leasable space, was designed as an overall project by the internationally renowned architectural firm BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. Canada Water Dockside impresses with its incomparable location in the midst of open green and water areas as well as good public transport connections. With direct Jubilee Line and Overground Line access at its doorstep, Canada Water Dockside is an ideal location for employers and employees who value workplace health and wellness, as well as the opportunity to spend their work and leisure time surrounded by green space and close to the water.
The planning permission granted by Southwark Borough Council includes two of the three proposed buildings – A1 and A2 – designed by internationally renowned architects BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and HWKN Architecture (HWKN), as well as plans to create new public spaces by Townshend Landscape Architects.
A2, designed by HWKN, will be the first building to be realized. With approximately 22,000 sq. ft. of leasable space spread over 11 floors, the building will set new standards for modern offices for London. It has been designed to meet ambitious sustainability standards, including BREEAM Outstanding, one of the UK’s oldest and most widely used sustainability certificates. The building is a prime example of HWKN’s signature design principles: the use of contextual materials, the creation of exciting spaces, and the design of unique spatial qualities.
Designed by BIG, the master planner for the overall project, the waterfront A1 building will become a Canada Water landmark with its 24 stories and distinctive staggered form. With its unusual design, the building focuses on views over the harbor basin on the lower floors and offers views across London on the upper floors. Furthermore, it offers highly flexible workspaces for tenants with a wide range of requirements and access to open garden terraces on each floor.
Most importantly, the planned activation of the first floors of the two buildings will provide offerings for sports, fitness and wellness, as well as a diverse dining selection. Fully permeable and open to the public, the first floor will be designed to intentionally blur the lines between inside and outside to invite visitors and create a strong sense of community among users and tenants.
The design by renowned landscape architect and Chelsea Gold Medalist Andy Sturgeon also includes an avant-garde redesign of the waterfront, connecting the public directly to the water for the first time and creating waterfront spaces that will be an important new public amenity.
Ali Abbas, Managing Director of Art-Invest Real Estate UK, comments, “Canada Water Dockside is a very special project for us. Our vision for the project has always gone beyond just building world-class office buildings: we wanted to create a place rooted in health, wellness and community that would add a new urban center to the Canada Water site. So we’re very pleased to have received approval for our project along with the designs for the redevelopment of the dock.”
Andy Young, Partner, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, comments, “The proposed design of Building A1 was conceived as a counter to the traditional notion of air-conditioned glass boxes as a workspace. Natural ventilation, garden terraces and a spectacular first floor that invites cyclists and pedestrians alike are integrated into a building that evokes the form of five sustainable buildings stacked on top of each other with a twist.”
Matthias Hollwich, founder of HWKN, added, “We felt inspired to create a memorable contribution to London’s famous architectural heritage and its future ambitions as a city. We intentionally designed our building not to look like a standard office, but to create a place that suggests a resort atmosphere that promotes well-being and connectivity, as well as focused productivity. A2 is an attractive workspace that offers an enticing and inspiring environment full of light, air and nature, as well as access to state-of-the-art technology and maximum activation of the first floor for tenants, neighbors and visitors.”
Andy Surgeon, principal of Andy Sturgeon Design, comments, “We are very excited about this new public space that incorporates so many of the most important aspects that define our work. People, ecology and biodiversity are at the heart of this special waterfront project.”
The Canada Water Dockside project development represents Art-Invest Real Estate’s largest investment to date in the United Kingdom, following the development of the 101 on Cleveland project and the acquisition of Sackville House.
