Ransome's Wharf

London

Hidden away on the edge of Battersea’s creative quarter (Foster and Partners, RCA and Vivienne Westwood are neighbours) is Ransome’s Dock. No longer a working wharf, this small but charming mooring area is severed from its hinterland and the redevelopment of this site presented a last chance for remedy and now opens up the dock for public enjoyment. The townscape move was to create a public plaza some 30 metres square contained on three sides by building, the fourth being the dock. Cafes, shops and small scale business units occupy plaza level and support a vibrant and sunny new focus for the area. The upper floors contain apartments overlooking the square and dock, and some north-lit artists studios, all within a complexity of building heights and geometries contrived to ensure daylight, sunlight and privacy to the neighbours. Topped by a green roof and communal terraces, a warm gold metal cladding surmounts a brick plinth.