New designs have been unveiled for Battersea’s planned design and tech quarter, a site which is eventually expected to house 10,800 jobs at the western end of the major development taking place at Nine Elms.
The images, drawn up by architecture firm We Made That, illustrate the urban framework for development in south west London, SW8.
These include proposals for where offices, workshops, and retail space will be housed, as well as public areas and green spaces.
Housed in the borough of Wandsworth, the development is hoped to deliver nearly 2.5m sq ft of employment floorspace. It will build on existing plans for the area such as a new headquarters for tech giant Apple as well as the Royal College of Art.
Holly Lewis, partner at We Made That, said: “Hidden in plain sight in a surprisingly central location, this dynamic hub of employment holds enormous potential to grow and support a wide range of businesses.
“Through their commitment to protection of employment uses, alongside a bold vision for the evolution of the area, Wandsworth are kick-starting a process of ambitious change to be delivered hand-in-hand with landowners and developers.”
As well as focusing on employment space, industrial areas and public spaces, the plans detail a series of improvements to walking and cycling routes within the area (pictured).
They also include so-called hub spaces, envisaged as designated “focal points for collaboration and public engagement”. These will house areas for “culture, socialising, networking and marketing”.
Councillor Jonathan Cook, Wandsworth cabinet member for economic development, skills and employment, said the council had identified the area as “a key location for growth in the creative design”.
“The council commissioned We Made That to undertake an economic and commercial appraisal of the Battersea design and technology quarter concept together with a physical development framework, setting out a long-term development scenario that delivers a scale and mix of floorspace that would support the ambition for [the] quarter.
“This has greatly assisted us in defining the exciting potential of this unique and complex part of the opportunity area, building on its industrial heritage but adapting to the evolution of the surrounding area.”
