Carpenters Wharf by Studio Egret West

Carpenters Wharf sits within Fish Island, on the edge of Hackney Wick. It occupies a strategic position between established communities in Tower Hamlets and the exciting new developments of the Olympic Park. Carpenters Wharf gets its name from the furniture makers who once occupied the site that sits adjacent to the Lee Navigation Canal. The design of both building and landscape aims to capture the characterful qualities of Hackney Wick created by the combination of its industrial past and the verdant nature of its canals.

The scheme is broken into a clustered family of three distinct forms, with 45 homes over five storeys, organised around a light-filled central atrium. At the roof level, a generous terrace allows space for residents to relax and socialise with views over the Olympic Park. The materials used on Carpenters Wharf reflect the industrial past of the site with a strong emphasis on defining large volumes along the canal side that make a visual link to the existing warehouses. A bespoke oak timber frame provides further interest alongside the canal and frames the ground-floor exhibition space as well as the upper-level roof terrace. These industrial materials are contrasted by a naturalistic planting palette inspired by the pioneer plant species and wild character of the Lee Navigation Canal. The intensity of roof-level planting aims to create a constant connection between the roof terrace and the wider views of the Olympic Park.