World-class walking route along viaducts boosts areas infrastructure
Two new developments opening this autumn in the rail viaducts are set to bring the Low Line a step closer to realisation in Bankside. Over the last two years, Better Bankside and its partners have been developing and advocating the Low Line, an ambitious long term project to open up a world-class walking route along the base of the rail viaduct in Bankside, linking together the neighbourhoods between London Bridge and Waterloo, Blackfriars and Elephant and Castle. The project, which will open in stages in the months and years to come, will help reinforce Bankside’s position as a key cultural destination in London.
Key highlights along the Low Line in Bankside in autumn 2016 include:
- Union Yard Arches – a new stretch of the north/south Low Line opened in Autumn 2016. The site, consisting of ten double height railway arches, will be home totwo theatres, restaurants, The Africa Centre, and an aerial fitness school, as well as bringing new office space to the area. ArtistRachel Wilberforce will deliver a landmark public artwork to feature in the yard.
- Flat Iron Square– a new food and music hub in London will establish itself on the stretch of the east/west Low Line.Opening on 20 October 2016 between Southwark Bridge Road and O’Meara Street, the new Flat Iron Square development covers 40,000sq ft. encompassing six railway arches and surrounding open spaces.It will host a variety of carefully selected restaurants and bars as well as new live music venue OMEARA – owned by Ben Lovett, of Mumford & Sons and co-founder of independent label Communion.
- Low Line Waymarking – Better Bankside has commissioned graphic design firm Polimekanos to design a creative waymarking strategy for the Low Line, to help raise the visibility of the Low Line and encourage greater exploration across its route. The waymarkers are set to be installed in late 2016.
The Low Line vision
The Low Line, evoking Manhattan’s High Line, focuses on the rail arches that have been part of Bankside for over 150 years. It aims to transform the public realm by opening up the mostly car-free walkway that runs along the base of the Victorian viaducts.
At the heart of the project is the regeneration of the area, unlocking the economic potential of the railway arches as flourishing business spaces that support a mix of small and medium size businesses in the heart of Bankside.
Over the decades, the Low Line route has become blocked through the planned and unplanned development of walls, fences and buildings. The Low Line project sets out to restore this important link across Bankside by encouraging commercial development including retail, culture, and food and drink opportunities, helping to open new connections along the route and reinforce Bankside’s unique and special character.
Commenting on the Low Line project, Peter Williams, CEO of Better Bankside said: “The project is not just about shaping a path, it is about creating places of interest along the way too, providing residents, local workers and visitors to Bankside with a different way to experience the neighbourhood and the surrounding area.
“This is just the start of delivering a range of inspiring, well-designed new public spaces where people choose to spend time and money, delivering a new focus for the neighbourhood. These standalone projects will support the wider aims of the Low Line – to create a continuous, linear route along the extent of the railway viaduct.”
Both the Union Yard Arches and Flat Iron Square projects launching this October continue the long tradition of Bankside as a cultural destination in the capital. It will open up pedestrian footfall along previously inaccessible stretches of the neighbourhood, it will give small, independent businesses the opportunity to thrive in a burgeoning neighbourhood, and cement the area as a cultural hub in south London.