Low Line wins in New London Architecture Awards

  • Date Tuesday, 30 November 2021

On 26 November, the Low Line Commons project was named winner of both the Award’s Planning and Overall categories.

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Emma Charter

Better Bankside is celebrating an exciting moment for the Low Line. Winning both the Planning and Overall categories at the New London Architecture Awards, the project was highly praised by the international team of assessors for its sustainable vision and strategy.

The New London Awards 2021, supported by the Mayor of London, celebrate projects that contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, civilised, and egalitarian London.

The Low Line project will create a 3.5km green corridor along the Victorian railway viaduct, stretching from Bankside, through London Bridge to Bermondsey. It aims to unlock the potential of the currently derelict or underused arches, connecting people, commerce, and communities, and inspiring sustainable growth. The proposal focuses on key, topical aspects, including:

  • Establishing biodiversity and ecological connectivity
  • Building climate resilience
  • Connecting people with communities and nature

Nature is also fundamental to the project; it will incorporate a variety of ecological interventions, helping to improve local air quality, create a healthier environment and encourage more people to visit the Low Line. Included in the proposal are:

  • 50,000sqm biodiverse roofs
  • 500 new trees
  • 30 sustainable drainage systems raingardens
  • 10,000 plants
  • 100 new wildlife habitats
  • 1,000sqm wildflower meadows
  • 500sqm ‘grey to green’ de-paving projects
  • 30 pocket spaces supporting social interaction
  • 3.5 km carriageway transformed to support green business and active travel
  • Additional elements include pocket parks, productive private green spaces, sensory play areas, pedestrian priority, lighting, canopies, seating, and pop-up uses

The Low Line Commons was conceived by PDP London architects, working with Macfarlane and Associates Landscape Architects, Greengage sustainability consultants and Studio 4215 environment consultants.

It was commissioned in 2019 through an international design competition to develop a green vision for the Low Line funded by Lund Trust, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.

For more information, visit The Low Line website.

Sign up to the Friends of the Low Line.