Brief / Downriver

It is clear that the coronavirus will alter society. The way we, work, socialise, invest, relax and travel, are, among other things, all currently ‘under review’. Many activities will be different post pandemic, how do we as designers respond? The Thames ‘is liquid history’¹, ever moving, always changing – a positive metaphor to think about re-generation. Many economists believe that post pandemic, greener, more sustainable businesses will come to prominence, as people think more carefully about how they spend their money and the effect it will have on the planet. A more cautious, informed customer may emerge.

‘The river in its infancy is undefiled, innocent and clear. By the time it is closely pent in by the city, it has become dank and foul, defiled by greed and speculation. In this regress it is the paradigm of human life and of human history. Yet the river has one great advantage over its metaphoric companions. It returns to its source, and its corruption can be reversed. The Thames has been an emblem of redemption and of renewal, of the hope of escaping from time itself.’

This quote demonstrates the use of the Thames as a metaphor for renewal and positive change. During the Covid pandemic the focus has, perhaps understandably, been drawn away from sustainability and the climate crisis. The lockdown provided us with an opportunity, as a design community, to think about our responsibilities when we do emerge from under the shadow of coronavirus. Which businesses will we support and how do we want the world to be? Will things be ‘back to normal’ or can the Thames provide valuable clues about reuse and renewal, to create more sustainable designed environments?

The first semester design projects will look at creating interior spaces which question our need for ‘new stuff’ and examines how we as designers can employ strategies to promote creative, responsible interiors.

350 meters of Thames separates Greenwich from the Isle of Dogs. This relatively small stretch of water has been sufficient barrier to allow the two shores to develop distinct and diverse characters. Greenwich has been linked with royalty since Edward I built a house there. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were both born in Greenwich. Today it trades heavily in on its historic, naval and scientific past being a major attraction for tourists. It is a World Heritage Site and proudly boasts that it is where time begins, being at 0°0’0” longitude.

On the opposite bank of the Thames is the Isle of Dogs, in many ways the more commercial and brash neighbour to the refined Greenwich. Now a major economic centre, it once formed the heart of the docks of London, loading goods from around the world at the time of Empire. Prior to the docks being built, the peninsular (not at all an island) was largely forest. Today the area which looks immediately towards Greenwich is mainly residential, but as the high-rise developments of Canary Wharf grow ever southwards, how will this change the nature of the area?

Rivers are often a boundary, often used as a metaphor and often the deciding factor in the generation of cities, Madrid for example is the only major European city not built on a river. However the Thames also has a darker side. On average one dead body per week is dragged from the water. At Woolwich the Thames Barrier, due to global warming, protects the city from what otherwise might be catastrophic flooding. If the tide rises what does this mean for the way we traverse the city?

Is the Thames an asset that we should be exploiting in a time of increased population and demand on existing services and infrastructure? Is it a welcome gap in the city which should be preserved for its ability to calm us during stressful times?

We will be using the river location of the existing buildings to think about the physical surroundings, using the Thames as the dominant element in the site context. How does the location help us think about an approach and design direction? How can it generate ideas and how can it add value to our overall process?