The Royal Street Masterplan offers a rare opportunity for the significant regeneration of a fragmented urban site that fails to connect with the surrounding neighbourhoods in north Lambeth. Located opposite St Thomas’ Hospital, the site currently lacks the cohesion necessary to create a successful piece of urban realm despite its close proximity to the cultural and social activity of the Southbank.
The development proposes an innovation cluster of companies, academic researchers and clinicians to create a new lively neighbourhood in central London, which will become an integral and hugely beneficial part of the existing local community. Four lab-enabled office buildings, a residential building offering 50% of its units as affordable housing and a co-working environment within the adjacent railway arches all form part of the AHMM led scheme. Rain gardens and boardwalk-like connections unite the public realm, referencing the site’s marshland history, and providing a unique sense of place.
Sitting within the Lambeth Palace conservation area adjacent to Waterloo Station and framing the backdrop to the Unesco World Heritage site of the Houses of Parliament the masterplan has key height and appearance sensitivities which have helped develop our approach to massing and materiality. A varied range of parapet levels help to articulate each building within the masterplan and prevents the silhouette becoming a barrier to wider views across the city.
A diverse mix of uses at ground level are arranged to respond to the neighbouring context. A new community space is located at the corner of the site, closest to the park’s eastern entrance. Smaller retail units lead from this to enliven a new extension to Lambeth’s Low Line route. New, affordable workspace within the railway arches will animate this route, encouraging its use.
A new pedestrian route, Archbishop’s Walk, will mark an acknowledged pathway north of Archbishop’s Park, lined with retail, cafes and a ‘town hall’ space fostering knowledge sharing across the campus. Punctuated by amenity and play space, the route will enjoy access and views towards the park.
AHMM are also the Architects for Plot A and Plot D within the masterplan. Plot A, part of the first phase of the masterplan, will deliver 200,229 square feet of office space over 7 levels, and 86,962 square feet of lab-enabled office space over the lower three floors. The ground floor will include flexible use accommodation, facilitating long-term adaptation to a wide variety of occupiers. This includes a town-hall/auditorium for both building and masterplan tenants and the local community. Plot D will contain a mix of office, wet and dry lab-enabled office space over 15 levels and ground floor retail, accessed mainly from the pedestrianised areas of the masterplan.
Royal Street’s unique location opposite St Thomas’ Hospital, will capitalise on the synergy between a world leading medical facility, delivered by Guys and St Thomas’ Healthcare Trust, the research being carried out by King’s College and product development for healthcare within the private sector.