New post pandemic spaces for Bankside and the Low Line as Better Bankside appoints JA Projects

  • Date Friday, 21 May 2021
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Key stretches along the mighty Victorian railway viaduct in Bankside will be transformed this summer as Better Bankside appoints leading next generation architectural practice, JA Projects, to co-design areas along the Low Line with local communities.

As cities begin a process of renewal in the wake of the pandemic, welcoming and imaginative pockets of public space have never been more necessary.

Better Bankside is driving the transformation of key spaces along the Low Line through the appointment of JA Projects, an innovative ‘40 Under 40’ architectural practice. Both will work alongside the people of Bankside to make new places for fun, work, relaxation and exercise in post-lockdown London.

The project is another step in the ambitious Low Line scheme, which is creating a green corridor and connecting a string of neighbourhoods along the path of the mighty railway viaduct that cuts through the area, from Bankside to Bermondsey via London Bridge.

The innovative new proposal by JA Projects for Wardens Grove, America Street and Ewer Street is locally rooted – powered by, and created for, the people of Bankside. Welcoming and inclusive new public spaces will be designed with post-pandemic living in mind, while protecting and complementing the myriad current uses of the immense Victorian infrastructure. Horticulture planters, seating, cycle facilities, new entrance designs, street furniture and signage will improve accessibility and encourage businesses to spill out on to the street, providing places to gather and helping to build an atmosphere that will attract visitors. JA Projects will also partner with landscape and ecology consultants BBUK to deliver the project.

Since inception, Better Bankside has played a leading role in cultivating Bankside’s ecosystem and driving urban renewal, as part of its Bankside Urban Forest strategy. The Low Line is a key part of this, celebrating the diverse communities and spaces it spans. Through multi agency partnership with local stakeholders – Team London Bridge, Blue Bermondsey, Southwark Council and the Arch Company –  the Low Line is opening disused and inaccessible areas in and around the viaduct and showcasing innovative models of development that lead with a sustainable and people centred approach.