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Katja Hasenauer: London City Park

Folio

Estuary in an airport

Closing London City Airport creates the capacity for over 2000 new homes as it is possible to build taller and on previously unusable land.
By using natural materials for the architecture, the buildings will change seasonally and react to the landscape, charting changes over time.
The concept is all about creating contrast: one side is closed, solid and sculpted, with a hard edge to the street. The other side is open and filigree; its balconies are carved and shaped by the functions within the flats.
The carved-out courtyards contain a shifting landscape of water and green space. The shared balconies provide views over the landscape, creating a strong relationship with the nature that lies outside the flat’s front doors.
In contrast to the solid, sculpted thatch facade facing the runway, the facade facing the park is open to allow for panoramic views and provides a framework for nature to inhabit.
The floating housing is surrounded by water, a cluster of small islands hidden among the reedbeds. Pockets of shared space are formed in the centre.
A concrete plinth accounts for future flood levels, lifting the thick thatch coat above the high-water mark. A living reed crown tops the facade, forming part of the greywater reed system on the roof.
Interwoven within the various habitat areas of the park is a hierarchy of routes and crossings that provide access to the park and link with existing streets. Connected directly to the greenway, the project will have a borough level impact on health and wellbeing.Interwoven within the various habitat areas of the park is a hierarchy of routes and crossings that provide access to the park and link with existing streets. Connected directly to the greenway, the project will have a borough level impact on health and wellbeing.
The housing is arranged around the retained airport runway which acts as an ordering device. It forms a central spine for the runway blocks in the centre of the development, and then transitions into different forms such as a bridge and a causeway.
Narrow-fronted terraces wind along the organic edge of the landscape, sharing the front of the water. This is where the masterplan reaches the city. Homes are carved out of the landscape, with a shared mews street for children to play while parents watch from kitchen windows.
Prefabricated thatch cassettes form the sculpted façades that extend along the runway. The thatch will need to be replaced every 50 to 60 years, so the surrounding landscape will be used to grow and process the thatch for the future of the scheme.
Adjustable louvres and folding furniture have been integrated into the timber entrance systems, allowing for balconies to be inhabited as extensions of the interior living spaces.
By using natural building materials that are grown, processed and harvested on site, the natural world is brought to the forefront of the design, promoting a closer relationship between the park inhabitants and the natural world.

Location
The Royal Docks in Newham, London

Objective
The project proposes closing London City Airport to create a large-scale tidal wetland in the Royal Docks in Newham.

Motivation
The project proposes closing London City Airport as it:

  • Adds to air pollution
  • Impacts wildlife and contributes to the biodiversity crisis
  • Restricts building heights and contributes to the housing crisis
  • Employs relatively few

Strategy
The project will instead:

  • Reduce pollution by closing the airport and create a green filter for contaminants in stormwater runoff
  • Increase biodiversity and access to nature by creating large-scale wetlands
  • Create a flooding zone, reducing London’s reliance on the Thames Barrier
  • Increase housing supply, while restoring humankind’s relationship with nature by building in the park
  • Use thatch to create a closed-loop, regenerative relationship between the landscape and architecture

Impact

London City ParkThis scheme marks a step towards a more sustainable future for both people and the planet, by integrating 21st Century urban living with an enhanced connection to nature.

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