BLOCK H3, HENDON BROADWAY
A landmark to connect the urban with the water's edge
Lying at the heart of the Hendon Waterside development, building H3-H4 was created within phase 3 of the masterplan for this major regeneration project in north-west London. Occupying the highest position on the site, it plays a pivotal role in the formation of a new neighbourhood and the regeneration of the commercial strip. A distinctive block of 76 homes with ground-level shops and cafés, H3-H4 is located between the Broadway and the new public space: Broadway Place. It forms a crucial link between the main thoroughfare, the residential core and the Welsh Harp reservoir.
Simple and Solid
Building H3-H4 aims to work in harmony with its neighbouring Victorian brick buildings and its location as a gateway to the public spaces sloping down to the Welsh Harp. Its character is simple and solid with elements of distinction created through the use of striped buff and red palette brickwork.
The frontage to the Broadway – learning lessons from some of the 19th century buildings close by – has a fine grain and is made up of trabeated layers of brickwork, offset with white concrete cills. By contrast, the side facades are simpler while the Welsh Harp frontage is more flamboyant with deep-set, full-width balconies to enjoy the view and the sunny exposure to the maximum.
Concrete accents tie all the elevations together, with deep cills dotting the facades and with a solid-face balcony parapet contrasted by glazed sides to create a transparent, permeable connection with the waterside.
The building creates a deep backdrop as seen from the reservoir