Welcome to our Community Hub to display an overview of our proposals for the former Gasworks site on the Old Kent Road.
We look forward to receiving your feedback and sharing further details throughout the process.
The development site is the South Metropolitan Gas Company (SGN) Southwark Gasworks at 709 Old Kent Road, which lies within the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan. This is an area designated by the Mayor of London, which focuses on the delivery of housing, employment, open space, and community facilities.
The site was originally home to three gasholders and only Gasholder Number 13 remains. It is a grade II listed structure, and the frame will be retained, restored, and incorporated into the emerging development proposals.
To the Northwest of the site are our previously approved One Old Kent Road and Ruby Triangle schemes. To the east of the site lies the Veolia recycling centre.
The Gasworks Site with the draft LBS Area Action Plan
The site within the wider local context
The current Gasholder and site
The proposals seek to retain the site’s industrial heritage, whilst opening the Listed Gasholder to the public. The new development will have to negotiate existing gas and water pipes. The wider site and the Gasholder will have to be decontaminated after many years of industrial use. The Gasholder itself presents a number of challenges, and as it stands there are risks to its current integrity.
Unique Opportunity Areas Include:
Unique Constraints Include:
Livesey Conservation Area
Treasure House (Former Livesey Museum for Children)
Existing layout of underground pipe network
Historic image of South Metropolitan Gasworks, Old Kent Road
Historic Map of the Site
Gasworks from Surrey Canal
The site formed part of the extensive South Metropolitan Gas Company which was established in the 1830s and extended across the land from the Surrey Canal to the north to Old Kent Road to the south. The Gasworks grew under the pioneering engineer GeorgeLivesey to 36 acres containing 8 gasholders, a cricket ground, cycle track and allotments. The Gasworks ceased production in 1953 and the buildings were gradually replaced by new developments. The Grade II Listed gasholder is the only remaining gasholder on the site.
Current Gasholder
The Listed Gasholder No. 13 is the most prominent remaining feature of the South Metropolitan Gas Company and is a landmark for the wider area. It is listed at Grade II for the following due to its historic interest as the world’s largest gasholder when built, it was a pioneering structure and a highly significant achievement in civil engineering. It proved to be a greatly influential examplethat was emulated throughout the country. The gasholder is 66.5m diameter and 50m in height. Currently due to safety reasons and the contamination present on this previously heavy industrial land, the Gasholder is inaccessible to local residents with metal fences andsecurity personnel.These proposals seek to sensitively renovate the existing Gasholder and convert the land within and around into high quality accessible public space for the community.
LIVESEY PARK | ACTIVE LEISURE
Active Leisure is a key principle within our Livesey Park proposal, focusing on physical activity and play/exercise, set within a park landscape.
Emerging landscape masterplan
LIDO / NATURAL POOL
Potential for a Lido or natural swimming pool area with integrated cafe pavilion and changing shower facilities is at the core of our design due to its rare and unique experience in London.
Option 1
Option 2
The Old Kent Road Gasworks project is a unique opportunity to celebrate the industrial heritage of this landmark site by restoring the Gasholder, decontaminating the land and providing a new Park, a new connection with the Old Kent Road, high quality play space for the children of the local community, a publicly accessible lido for the people of the Southwark, and much needed high-quality housing for local people.
The proposals for the Gasholder Structure within the heart of Livesey Park will be focused around a playable landscape destination. By removing the surrounding platform to the Gasholder Structure, we can expose the concrete structure and create openings to the Gasholder for level access. This would provide opportunity for the public to access and experience being within the gasholder structure. Utilising the Gasholder Structure as a play space will allow us to congregate almost the entire play provisions within one area and create an exciting destination for both residents and the wider public.
Elevated View of the Gasholder
Gasholder Walkway
Gasholder Experience
Gasholder Approach
Gasholder Central Green
STEP UP FROM OLD KENT ROAD
Massing is arranged in a carefully considered cluster that builds to the north from Old Kent Road.
DISAGGREGATE MASS IN FORM & HEIGHT
Massing is stepped in plan to disaggregate form with the elements and dropped/lifted to provide articulation on the skyline.
DESTINATION
A taller building cluster and new park provide a destination from the new Bakerloo Line station.
ORTHOGONAL EXTERNAL & ANGULAR INTERNAL
The buildings are arranged north / south to avoid any single aspect north facing units.
The courtyard facing facades are angled to open in both directions to improve daylight and aspect and reduce overlooking. The Building mass is broken with an informal internal facade adding playfulness with orientiation and balcony design.
GASHOLDER MEMORY
Building mass grows from Gasholder – a set made of 4 elements in 2 pairs with stepped + lifting heights
1. Base case
2. Breaking down each building into two volumes to reduce the mass and emphasise the verticality and elegance
3. Stepping the buildings in height to divide the mass and articulate the skyline
4. Colour the facade to correspond with the
gradation of colours of the original gasholder tank
Typical Residential Floor Plan
New High Quality Homes
New High Quality Facilities to Support Community Growth
New High Quality Public Realm
The design of the buildings has considered much of the surrounding context to ensure high quality, site specific and innovative sustainable housing.
The design has been guided by:
Colour palette study using Livesey Heritage from the Treasure House (Former Livesey Museum for Children)
OPEN METAL FRAME
METAL + MASONRY PANELS
MASONRY COLONNADE
TOP
Middle
Base
SA 3.4 – Sub Area 2 Servicing and Road Network Plan from the AAP Dec 2020
The AAP proposes a new service road, Livesey Street, connecting Ruby Street to Verney Road. This will provide access to the planned standalone industrial units to the south of Verney Road and on the old gas works site, as well as the mixed use developments on the Gasworks.
Proposed Ground Floor Plan
Vehicular access to the site will be via the new Livesey Street proposed within the AAP. Servicing will be focused to the north west corner thus opening up the remaining façades for active frontages facing the park and public realm. Each building will have its own entrance foyer which will animate the ground floor. High quality public realm is proposed adjacent to the building to all sides and connects the building to the wider park.
1. Energy Strategy
Connection to local community heat and power system: SELCHP, to take advantage of future district wide green energy initiatives. Photovoltaic panels to all available roofs to generate renewable energy.
2. Water Strategy
Aspirations to incorporate
sustainable urban drainage to work across the building and park including green roofs
providing ecological benefits and reduce rainwater run off
3. Water Management
Water efficient fixtures and fittings will be selected to reduce water and energy usage
4. Encourage Active Lifestyle
Public park that is open to all providing a range of leisure facilities promoting an active lifestyle including park space, cycling, play space and a community lido
5. Blurring landscape & building
Green walls to colonnade and to connect to the podium providing habitats, biodiversity, solar shading and promotes the well-being of users
6. Natural Ventilation
Aim to maximise passive ventilation with large opening areas and cross ventilation to improve user comfort and reduce energy usage for mechanical cooling
7. Renewable energy
Car free development with parking for blue badge holders only. Usable and inviting cycle storage to encourage residents and visitors to cycle
8. Brownfield Site
Industrial site decontaminated and converted to a new park providing habitats for biodiversity, trees for wind shielding and cleaner air thus reducing the heat island effect
