Architect Asif Khan’s newest project with British Land celebrated its grand opening in Canada Water on 2 November.
Around 2,500 guests gathered for the party of south London’s giant, red boardwalk, spanning 170m across the area’s wetlands.
The event was nature-themed to support the boardwalk’s purpose in boosting biodiversity and protecting wildlife, and performers danced and marched along the bridge dressed as giants bees, swans, butterflies and ducks in celebration.
Khan said: “Crossing water can give us powerful sensations.
“This boardwalk immerses us in a few moments of colour, of nature and of beauty.”
British Land’s senior social impact manager Freddie Broadhurst, who grew up near Greenland Dock explained how he lived in the area when the company was first engaging the community on the project.
Residents were consulted and invited to attend various workshops ahead of the regeneration of the area.
Broadhurst explained ten people from the area were specifically contracted on the development of the boardwalk, and hundreds more were involved in the delivery of British Land projects around London.
He added the benefits of working with Canada Water locals was the abundance of lived experience they had brought to this huge undertaking.
The timber slats were originally placed horizontally, making the bridge inaccessible for wheelchair users; a design idea that has since been rectified with vertical slats now making up the entirety of the boardwalk.
Khan’s design references the dock’s rich history during the timber trade of the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Pedestrians are now able to walk along the grand timber structure, a homage to the area’s heritage, abundant wildlife and the floating rafters which once occupied the docks centuries ago.
For more information on the Canada Water’s projects, follow the CW social media channels on X and Instagram.
Image credit: Canada Water, Southwark government: press release, Tom Campbell.
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