Tower Hamlets planning officers have approved a £250m scheme for a new residential tower just north of Marsh Wall in Canary Wharf.
The development, designed by architects Maccreanor Lavington, and backed by developer Far East Consortium (FEC), is the latest residential addition to the Isle of Dogs.
Art Deco influence
The 230m building, known as Ensign House, takes its inspiration from 1920s Art Deco architecture, especially the work of American architect, Wiliam Van Alen, famous for New York’s Chrysler Building.
And it’s easy to see the influence at Ensign House. The building will feature a 25m illuminated spire with a distinctive crown, which will light up the Docklands sky at night. The distinctive spire is seen as a key architectural feature and a welcome addition to the skyline, especially when it's viewed from the Grand Axis and Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site to the south.
In terms of height, Ensign House is comparable to the other buildings along Marsh Wall including Squire the 75-storey Landmark Pinnacle by Squire and Partners, the 68-storey South Quay Plaza by Foster & Partners’ and the 55-storey The Madison designed by Make Architects.
Mixed scheme
The 54,000sqft building will provide 500 apartments, including a single luxury penthouse, and according to FEC, the development will deliver 35% affordable housing, based on habitable rooms. So approximately 131 apartments.
As part of the scheme, the lower levels of Ensign House, will also feature three commercial units, with a total of 275sqm of floorspace. And there will also be a dedicated Clubhouse on the 38th floor, plus other residential amenities. FEC is also promising public realm improvements, including a pocket park under the elevated section of the DLR that crosses the site.
Prime location
Ensign House will be next to Aspen at Consort Place, which is FEC’s other Canary Wharf tower. The site is currently occupied by a vacant six storey office building built in the 1980s. Planning officers acknowledged the ‘policy conflict’ in land use terms because of the loss of office space. But decided the new Maccreanor Lavington scheme made better use of the 0.46ha site. Government heritage advisor Historic England did not object to the proposals.
“We have worked collaboratively with the planning team at Tower Hamlets to successfully celebrate the site location and its relationship with the Greenwich Grand Axis, achieved through the introduction of the lit spire and double crown. We look forward to this valuable addition of the Canary Wharf cluster moving forward.” Edward Allison, Development Manager FEC
Work on Ensign House could start before the end of the year. And with demolition and construction works expected to take four years, residents could be moving in before the end of 2026.
