London City Island, London

Contractors: Ballymore Properties Ltd
Architect: Glenn Howells Architects
Groundworker: Ground Construction Ltd

‘Mini Manhattan’

London City Island is a vibrant, new, mixed-use development on the Leamouth Peninsula next to Canary Wharf and the O2 arena. The 12 acre site, nicknamed ‘Mini Manhattan’ is almost entirely surrounded by water and has been inspired by some of the world’s best cityscapes, including Tokyo and Chicago. Residents of this exciting new neighbourhood will enjoy a wealth of onsite facilities including a grocer, restaurants, a gym, two pools and a sauna and steam room.

A Cultural Community

This riverside community is made up of homes, offices, restaurants, boutique shops, pedestrian and cycle routes through landscaped waterside parks, and arts and cultural spaces. Encouraging creativity was at the heart of designing this scheme, with dedicated indoor and outdoor performance spaces, encouraging those with a passion for the arts to meet, discuss ideas and perform. The English National Ballet further bolstered the cultural credentials of this scheme by making London City Island its new home. Hayleigh O’Farrell, Head of Communications at developers Ballymore said at the time of construction, “We are creating 1,706 apartments across a series of 19-storey buildings. Residents will benefit from high design standards and City Island will become a cultural epicentre of the local area at the mouth of the River Lea.”

Up-and-Coming

The glazed-brick buildings in red, orange, blue, black and white are a reference to the area’s maritime past, with its lighthouses, containers, cranes and painted ship hulls. Historically, Canning Town has not been a particularly desirable district to live in but that all changed with the arrival of the Olympics. Now an up-and-coming locale where regeneration is rife, London City Island has become an alluring district for those wanting a slice of new London real estate.

PUDLO in the Plans

PUDLO waterproof concrete was chosen for constructing a plant room containing electrical equipment and a series of lift pits across the towers. As well as these, one of the stunning residents’ swimming pools has been made completely watertight by PUDLO modified concrete.