Final shortlist for Arch 42 revamp competition at Nine Elms is announced
Last year, The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) and Wandsworth Council launched a design competition to transform a historic and abandoned railway arch - Arch 42 - into a new public walkway. The aim is to connect the two new Northern Line extension stations, Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, due to open later in 2021, and the two halves of the Nine Elms district which are currently separated by the railway line.
Over 90 entries were received for the Arch 42 Gateways project, from architects and landscape architects to designers and artists and the six finalists have now been announced, with each team receiving £500 to develop their concepts.
About Arch 42
Arch 42 is a light industrial space beneath the 170-year old Victorian railway viaduct which carries South Western mainline trains into Waterloo station. The opening of Arch 42 as a walkway will provide a much-needed route between Nine Elms station, Nine Elms Lane and the River Thames, and will link up with pedestrian and cycle routes running through Nine Elms. The new scheme will also include pavements, tree planting, increased cycle parking, and new seating.
Meet the finalists
The six team on the shortlist include:
The Spectacularly Marvellous Arch designed by Bamidele Awoyemi, Farouk Agoro and Livia Wang, a collective of south London designers and artists, who have a background in architecture, and collaborate with different communities on their projects. Their entry is influenced by the steel of the railway and the in situ traffic signs, and incorporates a joyful and bright colour palette.
Echoes by Peckham visual artist Katrina Russell Adams and Walthamstow-based BAT Studio architects consists of bold, sculptural free-standing shapes, some of which offer seating and lighting, and is influenced by the rich railway history of the Nine Elms area. The colours are a nod to the nearby Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
The Story Walk is by DS.twelve, a group of architects and designers with a background working on heritage buildings and sites. Their entry celebrates the stories of the people who have lived and worked in Nine Elms through a series of colourful lanterns made from recycled acrylic.
Tunnel Visions is by Daltson-based Projects Office, who are known for projects that involve, celebrate, sustain and empower communities. Their design also acknowledges Nine Elms’ railway heritage and uses the shapes of railway station dagger boards for its intricately cut timber façades made from sustainably sourced timber.
Two Halves Made Whole by The Klassnik Corporation in Islington is a design with a technicolour entrance to the arch made from architectural columns. The scheme also includes two gabion mesh half arches which re-purpose the brick and rubble from local construction sites and are lit up at night.
And finally Grotto 42 is a collaboration between landscape architects FFLO, Local Works Studio, structural engineers Allt Engineering and Anna Reading. Their magical scheme takes its inspiration from shell grottos of Rococo English gardens and uses Oystercrete, a sustainably sourced material made from Oyster shells.
What happens next
The Arch 42 competition will be judged by Yinka Ilori; LFA director Tamsie Thomson; David Bickle of Hawkins\Brown; Network Rail chartered engineer Christopher Mansfield; and Alex Rinsler, Nine Elms strategic lead for culture at Wandsworth Council in January, and the winning design team will develop and deliver the project and install it ahead of the scheduled opening of the Northern Line extension in autumn 2021.
The £165,000 budget includes a £40,000 fee for the winning team.
Rosa Rogina, head of programme at the London Festival of Architecture, said: “We were delighted to receive such a large response to our Arch 42 Gateways competition call for entries. It’s clear that many talented practices and teams were struck by this brilliant opportunity to transform an unloved and overlooked railway arch into something quite special that can benefit thousands of people…We’re really looking forward to studying their proposals before we select a winner.”
