Walthamstow Gateway
- Client: Solum Regeneration
- Contacts: Charles Graham, Thomas Futcher, Michał Affanasowicz
This is an extraordinary mixed-use scheme which delivers much needed homes around Walthamstow Central station, plus a hotel and retail spaces bringing new life into the area. A new public square is also adjacent to the new station entrance.
Exceptional public realm is key to this scheme due to its pivotal location in the centre of Walthamstow. The main line train station, Victoria line underground station and bus service are all located together.
The first phase of the scheme delivered 69 new homes, shops and a thirteen storey, 99 bedroom hotel, all arranged around the new landscaped square. It also includes a collection of 34 new, one and two-bedroom Metro-Pad lifestyle apartments, designed and located to achieve the best possible work/life balance.
Phase 1 began the process to re-establish a legible and accessible route between Queen’s Road Station and Walthamstow Central Station. The landscape improvements on the site reduces the dominance of cars and make the route more pedestrian friendly. This encourages the use of public transport, making it a sustainable car free development.
The second phase is an eleven-storey, brass wrapped residential building containing 79 one and two-bedroom apartments, conceived as a floating box on top of a car-park, bringing the majority of the apartments up to, and above, the level of the new tree canopy. Along the building the scheme delivers extensive landscaping and tree planting works to the existing commuter carpark.
The phase provides a much-needed viable use and activity to the existing station car park which was an unwelcoming dead end and a focus of crime and antisocial behaviour. This development further strengthens the pedestrian routes previously created through increased occupation, activity, natural surveillance, landscaping and improved lighting.
Design evolution of the brass wrapped residential building – from a simple box into elegant piece of architecture.
