Albert Road / Tate Road
North Woolwich / Silvertown
site
6
Location A corner site on the corner of Tate Road and Albert Road.
As existing The site is situated on a corner opposite the Tate and Lyle factory at the junction of Albert Road and Tate Road, on two sides it is bordered by a public house and the boundary walls of housing and gardens. Opposite and on the other side of the road is a bus stop. The site is close to Silvertown station. Its dimensions are 1000m2. The site is currently grassed over, with marginally more amenities than usual: bulbs, a path and a bench. At times the smell of burnt sugar from the factory is overwhelming. At the end of shifts large numbers of people pass along the street. The site has informal surveillance from the pub, the housing and the bus stop opposite and is therefore potentially suitable as a social space on the street.
Site with Tate and Lyle factory to the right.
Proposal We propose that this could be the site of a small scale but ambitious hard and soft landscaping scheme developed and designed through workshops with young people. The scheme could create a strip of hard surface with benches and the area behind planted with meadow grass and strongly scented fragrant planting to give a microclimate when the wind is blowing South-East. The project can be initiated with temporary events on the site and other events choreographed through the design process. The workshops could refer directly to the overwhelming presence of the factory, its cultural significance both past and present and memorable events, for example the wartime bombing of the factory when liquid sugar poured into the Thames and set like toffee. A team that includes a designer, artist and historian and can attract funding from the Arts council and/or the Heritage Lottery Fund can lead the project.
Cost Cost for a permanent project ÂŁ50,000 - ÂŁ100,000
Open spaces that are not parks (with an emphasis on youth) muf architecture/art April 2004
Part 2
page B11