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LONDON ROAD BARKING
A welcoming gateway to Barking town centre
Our vision reimagines a brownfield site as a high-quality architectural landmark and welcoming gateway to Barking town centre. Our proposal introduces a distinctive new building that celebrates Barking’s unique heritage and provides a striking arrival from Barking station, supported by generous public realm enhancements such as new street trees, a public garden, and wider, more connected pavements along the high street.
The development site is located along a stretch of London Road in Barking which was laid out in 1937 to connect North Street to Ripple Road. The area has experienced long-standing challenges arising from fragmented town planning and the decline of London Road, issues that were exacerbated following the opening of the nearby Vicarage Field Shopping Centre in the 1980s.
The development site is located along a stretch of London Road in Barking which was laid out in 1937 to connect North Street to Ripple Road. The area has experienced long-standing challenges arising from fragmented town planning and the decline of London Road, issues that were exacerbated following the opening of the nearby Vicarage Field Shopping Centre in the 1980s.
Our approach to this project extended the scope beyond the building itself to actively support the reactivation and repair of London Road and the surrounding townscape. Our design responds to the site’s narrow constraints to create a building that integrates sensitively with its immediate context while remaining legible from a distance.
The development delivers a wide mix of high-quality homes, including a generous proportion of family apartments, all with inset balconies and excellent natural light, as well as a range of communal amenities: gym, multipurpose rooms, club spaces and a series of iconic rooftops. The main tower features a publicly accessible rooftop garden with panoramic views, while the roof of the smaller building is completely dedicated play space – both indoor and outdoor – for families.
The project’s rooftop spaces are a defining feature. The main tower roof hosts a dramatic public rooftop garden with 360ºC panoramic views.
The tower is defined by its slender, vertical proportions and a palette of light, warm earthy tones, forming an elegant and refined backdrop to the lively street life of the town centre. In contrast, the wing building adopts a darker material tone, establishing a stronger connection with its surrounding context and introducing bolder architectural detailing that celebrates Barking’s distinctive character and quirkiness.
The ground floor has been thoroughly designed to maximise active frontages alongside two community-focused, commercial units: a lively pub/restaurant with live music and a smaller recording studio. These interventions support a safer, more active town centre, with a 24/7 concierge helping to revitalise James Street.
A pocket park: The setback introduced by the scheme has created a new public space which can connect London Road to the inner part of the urban block, creating shortcuts and safer routes towards the recently refurbished co-working building, MAKE IT.
Barking has a number of Modernist or Brutalist buildings of a high quality. Our proposals reference this local character and heritage. Most notably, the design of the cantilevered crown celebrates Barking station's canopy, with its strong angled profile and use of a concrete finish and also responds to the garden use of the roof terrace. This structure opens south, facing Barking Town Centre, allowing for shelter as well as excellent views towards the horizon.
Location:
14-34 London Road, Barking
Use:
Residential, Commercial, Public Realm
Status:
Consented
Size:
1,450 sqm
Client:
Barryvale
Project Date:
2022-2025
Collaborators:
Exterior Architecture
Awards:
