Carpenters Wharf is a new mixed-use scheme alongside the canal in Hackney Wick. The building’s mass has been divided into smaller elements to address the historical scale of the canal side setting, whilst contributing to a vibrant public realm that integrates with the local artistic community.

Located between Victoria Park and the new Olympic Park, the character of Fish Island is one of transformation. For fifty years the site of Carpenters Wharf was home to the furniture makers A. Younger who shipped timber down the canal to this location and crafted sideboards, tables and chairs. Today, Carpenters Wharf sits within a growing business and residential community where many of the old factories and warehouses have been gradually re-purposed into bars, breweries, restaurants, galleries and workspace.

Our aim was to preserve the well-established artistic community of the area by providing artists’ studios and a double height gallery space at ground level. We also enhanced the enjoyment of the canal by providing a waterside cafe and restaurant. Here, floor to ceiling glazing with large sliding doors line a generous open-plan space that spills out onto a double-height framed colonnade overlooking the canal. Publicly accessible, this frontage supports the activities of the neighbouring Stour Space – a multifunctional creative venue and café.

Designed for developer Anderson Group, the massing of Carpenters Wharf provides a high quality transitional building between the neighbouring low rise sheds and the more recent larger residential projects. An exposed wooden frame, darkened timber cladding and a pitched roof echo the character of the traditional canal side warehouses of the past – while the red and black brickwork to the side complements the surrounding utilitarian industrial buildings.

In order to address the rhythm and scale of the canal buildings, the scheme is broken into a clustered family of 3 distinct forms, with 44 homes over five storeys organised around a central atrium. The ground level hosts a generous residential lobby, the flexible exhibition/affordable workspace and cafe, as well as a garage.

The highest point of Carpenters Wharf is defined by an un-clad pitched frame enclosing a rooftop communal garden, with open views over the canal and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park beyond.

The garage - accessed directly from Roach Road - provides disabled car parking and a back of house entrance to the exhibition/workspace. This area also creates an important connection between Roach Road and the canal.