the rise of the creative district
REGENT’S CANAL RESEARCH Venacular. Community. Environment.
I lia na M itova I nt e r i o r d e s i g n ( B A ) H o ns
Regent’s Canal
Rubish Duck floating intallation. Camden Market 2012
The Granary building. Old and new meeting the future. 2012
Leasure and fun activities around the canal. 2012
History REGENT’S CANAL Over two hundred years ago the idea to build canal network around London, was driven by the need to transport goods and raw materials easier, cheaper and faster. Regent’s Canal was completed in 1820 and it was built as link between the River Thames and the industrial Midlands. Horses where used to tow the boats up the canals to the various wharves where boats loaded and unloaded their cargoes. Nowadays the canals have transformed from ruthlessly efficient arteries of the industrial revolution - unconcerned with notions of place or community - trough periods of neglect, closure and abandonment, to key sites of ‘regeneration’ - costly to maintain, but also potentially massive cash flows. In London this process can be seen in the huge quantities of new developments, principally residential, which have been built in the past ten or so years in direct relation to the canal - and with the canal cited as an important ‘amenity’ benefit to the development. While new buildings are popping up around the Regent’s Canal the boating community struggles with the growing problems of mooring, badly made laws and the neglect of the government and the residents around the canal. With the rising interest towards the canal as a regeneration area, a legacy of damaging social and ecological effects are now being witnessed. However an artistic district is forming quickly around, as an result of the redevelopment of some areas nearby the canal.
Floating community and Local residents share a common space. Kingsland Basin 2012
The Coffee Bardge 2012
Colours of the Canal 2012
Vernacular
St. Pancras Lock
Kings Cross with its critical mass, transport connections, historic buildings, impressive public realm and mix of uses is becoming one of the best known quarters of London.
British Library
the granary building
- University of the Arts
MacMillan Publishers and Kings Place
London Canal Museum
Greenery Business Buildings Residential Buildings Education, Culture and Leisure Rail Station Regent’s Canal
Kings Cross Station
Unique bardges with individuality float around the canal 2012
Wild Life 2012
Ecology Public green spaces are conected in the area. Thus people are drown to the canal towpath for recriational walks and to escape from the urban environment.
Camley Street Natural Park is a natural habitat for birds, butterflies, amphibians and a rich variety of plant life.
Duckweed and Waste floating from Camden
Areal typology
Private green space Public green space
King’s Cross and Battlebridge Basin
Battlebridge Basin 2012
Battlebridge Basin, was constructed around 1820. The wharves around it were used for a variety of industry such as sawmills, a øottling plant, jam making, and a flour mill. Nowadays the Basin is in the viscinity of a vivid and fast growing area of King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations. It is a secluded place around the bustling transport hubs with a mixed-use space of both business residential buildings. Permanent moorings in the basin area cost arounf £150 per week.
Adjacencies British Library
Gagosian Gallery
Scala
London Canal Museum
German Gymnasium
University of the Arts
Areal typology The Canal
King’s Place
Cultural Hotspots
Industrial past. The floating community in the past. Photo: London Canal Museum
The Floating community now. More and more people are attracted by the charm of living on a barge.
Community T h e R i s e o f t h e C r e a t i v e D i s t r i ct
Photo: MARTIN POPE, http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Emma Freemantle is a fashion stylist, who lives on a beautiful boat floating on Regent’s Canal for the past four years. She creates hand made decoratives and accessories from vintage finds and celebrates the freedom and calmness of living on a barge, instead of in the hectic built in urban space. “I’m here all through the seasons: the colours of autumn; the crisp blue skies of winter when everything freezes over and the woodburners puff out their heady smoke; spring when bird life and bats come out and summer when it feels like you are on holiday every day. There’s a wonderful community here and it’s so relaxing; it’s impossible to feel stressed living by the water.”
Jasper Rolfe, 22, is a student and he ejoiys his life on the canal. he owns a canal house boat for two years and thinks that living on the canal could be not only cheaper but less harmful for the environment. He says “ When you start living on a boat you learn how important is to reduce waste and garbidge and use alternative enrgy like solar panels.
Will, owner of The Floating Hats Shop - “Chapeau Bateau”. Will describes the sense of community among the narrow-boating residents and businesses, “The people on the canal in London are actually friendlier than those in the country.” The challenges of living and working on a canal boat are varied as Will explains, firstly bringing business into the boat isn’t always a straight forward feat, especially in the winter season when most of the shop is indoors – many people are hesitant to crossover from land to water, unsure of the social codes that apply to entering a narrowboat. The canal doesn’t get as much regular passing foot traffic as a shop in the street does, plus the nature of being on a boat itself means it can be a challenge for returning customers if the entire shop decides to move itself one day to the next. When it comes to actually living on the boat Will describes it as being “like camping, but fancier”, he uses a generator for power, wood fire for warmth and collects his water in his 1000 litre tank from one of the water points along the canal.