The new Cremorne Riverside Centre is designed to replace and existing facility that is currently operating out of two shipping containers. The aim of the new buildings is to improve the standard of facilities as well as improve access to them, permitting both able bodied and disabled pupils from the local area (including school groups) to use the centre.

The buildings are sited on the north bank of the River Thames in Chelsea, to one end of a public park known as Cremorne Gardens. The boating centre takes the form of two lozenge-shaped structures nudging up to the river defence wall. All the buildings are clad in Cor-Ten steel and are designed to resemble rusty upturned boats moored on the riverbank.

A raised platform made of galvanised steel grillework unites the buildings at the river edge. It allows level access to the pier which has a moving arm that drops to a floating pontoon on the river for launching canoes. A new landscape is made under this raised deck composed of huge rocks and boulders. Lighting poles project through the deck to illuminate the area at night.

We have worked closely with the Environment Agency to design a variety of landscapes aimed to preserve a fragile local habitat suited to riverside birds, insects and mammals.

Project details

* Project Name: Cremorne Riverside Centre
* Client: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
* Project Type: Boating Centre
* Principal Designer/s: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
* Design Team: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
* Contractor/s: Gilby Construction Ltd
* Date of commencement of project: 2003
* Date of completion of project: 2007
* Location of site: World’s End, Chelsea, USA
* Site Area: 400 sq. mt.
* Built-up Area: 159 sq. mt.
* Cost of Construction/Execution: £ 560000