The Design District, London
Set on the Greenwich Peninsula, The Design District is a collection of 16 stunning creative buildings designed by eight different architects. The £56m development contains multi-workspaces for up to 1,800 designers and aims to build a community of artists who can connect with each other.
Sitting close to the O2 arena and tube station, the new Design District is a prime spot for artists alike to visit the colourful and vibrant environment to get their creative juices flowing. With workshops and creative workspaces to hire, the facility includes a canteen made up of independent stalls that serve global fare to tenants, visitors, and local residents.
With the masterplan for Peninsula Square requiring certain views of the O2 Dome to be preserved, the architects had to ensure the buildings were no higher than 4 storeys tall. The development was overseen by Knight Dragon, who gave each architect two plots to play with, of similar sizes and briefs. They were asked to draw up designs without having any insight into what their project neighbours were creating. Each plot was different, with David Kohn Architects designing a ‘miniature glowing palazzi’ inspired by Venice and American roadside structures.
WELLtec W-18/76, Light stained finished aluminium
Mole Architects paid homage to the site’s heritage and gas working history with one of their buildings clad in rusted CorTen reminiscent of an old gas holder, while the other has a dichroic skin that changes colour from green to blue when the light hits it.
Working alongside the contractor, The Ardmore Group, and 6a architects, we were asked to supply a suitable and hardwearing profiled metal for the external skin on the A2 and B2 buildings. Our wellTEC W-18/76 was chosen due to its inherent strength in the wave profile, which would add texture to the outside of the building. We supplied our wellTEC W-18/76 in a light stain finished Aluminium to Tuna Yapi, who was in charge of the installation.
The wellTEC cladding was installed around a large central diamond window, the idea was to create a building that was inspired by the sculptural graphics of Richard Artswager.
The metal theme is carried throughout A2 and B2 buildings and includes a playful catalogue of surfaces, some raw and rough and others smooth. With exaggerated metal gutters, drainpipes, air ducts, and vents, a metal industrial look was at the forefront of this design.
