(images courtesy SPPARC Studio London)
by Ron Bernthal
The $411 million mixed-use Borough Yards development, designed by the London-based SPPARC Studio, is due for completion in spring 2022. The high-quality public space In London’s Southwalk Borough will restore and reinvent the lost medieval street pattern of the District, restoring and rejuvenating an important part of south London’s Victorian railway heritage and re-purposing almost 100,000 square-feet of existing railway arches. The design weaves together historic fabric with contemporary architecture and new public spaces to open up the site to its Bankside context, and will bring new pedestrian flow and amenities to the area.
The once divisive Victorian brick railway viaducts have been opened up to allow for pedestrian lanes. The project’s design engages with the existing urban fabric and patterns of pedestrian movement to integrate new architecture and re-purposed structures into a complex urban context. The arches will be transformed to create raw-brick, cathedral-like spaces for a new retail environment, cultural spaces and gallery. A simple glass front, with an industrial scaled structure will be recessed between each arch to allow a visual appreciation of each impressive Victorian span.
The proposal also incorporates retained façades of forgotten warehouses which will be sensitively blended into the new Borough Yards district, providing elevations to two, six story office buildings.
Inspired by Victorian terraces bounding its Stoney Street site, the long elevation of the largest new building incorporates a series of folds that respond to the rhythm of the townscape while reaffirming the re-emergence of the location.
A strategic approach to design includes landscaping and street furniture for newly created public spaces and yards. Several historic local street names will be revived within Borough Yards, including Dirty Lane, Clink Yard and Soap Yard.
Borough Yards is a new dining, shopping and cultural destination in the heart of medieval London. Situated in the London Borough of Southwark, next to the vibrant Borough Market, Borough Yards is bringing new life to an area rich with history. Opening in stages through 2021 and 2022, it will feature five mixed-use buildings including workspace, retail, gallery, restaurants, cinema and creative spaces. The high-quality public space will restore and reinvent the lost medieval street pattern of the area that is adjacent to the popular food destination Borough Market
“Borough has been hugely under-served by retail, given the needs of the local community, commuters who arrive at London Bridge, and the number of people exploring its iconic sights in this part of the capital. We want to bring Borough Yards to life with retail and hospitality partners who share our vision,” said Marcus Meijer, CEO of MARK, the project’s pan-European real estate investor and owner of the property.
Restoring and rejuvenating an important part of south London’s Victorian railway heritage, the landmark scheme will also re-purpose about 92,000 square-feet of the existing railway arches, creating 50 units for retail, food & drink and leisure brands to use.
The first section Borough Yards opened its first section, Soap Yard, on 13th December, 2021, ahead of the development’s grand opening in spring 2022. Opening initially with Everyman Borough Yards, a series of further preview openings are scheduled in early 2022, building momentum towards its full launch in the Spring.
Borough Yards revives a lost medieval street pattern connecting Borough Market to Clink Street and the River Thames, transforming a series of formerly disused warehouses, arches, and viaducts into a series of new spaces. Designed by SPPARC, the project intertwines new building additions with the historic architecture of the site, using innovative brick-working to connect the old with the new. An arcade area connecting the two ends of the district will see a series of new restaurants and shops housed in the expansive double-height Victorian arches, with two new office buildings to be also located within the project.
At the gateway to Borough Yards sits a large Paul Smith store, on the corner of Stoney Street. Bold neon lighting will illuminate a new public square and will guide visitors from Everyman Borough Yards and Soap Yard to the arcade area to discover the full Borough Yards offerings. Expecting the return of visitors to movie theatres, Everyman Borough Yards is London Bridge’s first ever cinema, and will be home to two screens, both filled with plush sofas and armchairs, exclusively designed for maximum comfort to ensure a premium experience. The cinema opened in 13th December 2021 with a series of blockbuster new releases, as well as a mix of independent and classic films.
From early 2022, Borough Yard’s first bars and restaurants will open for business. Those announced to date include Barrafina, Parrillanand Bar Daskalfrom the Harts Group, alongside Butchies, Brother Marcus and Vinoteca. Shops, new public spaces and further bars and restaurants will follow in Spring 2022.
Barrafina Borough Yards will feature its archetypal marble bar seating 32 places, as well as a private dining room and additional tall tables. The menu, led by executive chef Angel Zapata-Martin, will serve classic Barrafina tapas dishes alongside some new plates created especially for the location and a daily rotating specials menu, devised by the chefs and using the best seasonal produce.
Parrillan Borough Yards will progress the successful first Parrillan that opened at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross in 2019. It will offer para picar and beautiful seafood, meat and vegetables, cooked by diners at their own tables over mini parrilla grills. The new Bar Daskal will be a Spanish wine and sherry bar, offering cold tapas. The bar is named after Sam, Eddie and James Hart’s grandfather Vladimir Daskalof, a Bauhaus artist and sculptor who worked under the name ‘Daskal.’ Daskalof and his wife Helen fell in love with and built a house in the beautiful Mallorcan village of Estellencs, and Bar Daskal will be inspired by the house and the area of Estellencs, as well as showing a rare permanent exhibition of Daskal’s artworks.
Vinoteca’s latest location on Stoney Street focuses on sustainability, serving a range of sustainably made wines and sourcing fresh ingredients from the neighboring Borough Market. The design of the space was inspired by the historic architecture of the area. Exposed brickwork from the heritage arches are contrasted with oak parquet flooring and dark ironworks, complemented by shelves filled with colorful wine bottles. Fried chicken hotspot Butchies completes the already open first wave of openings. .
The food and beverage Brother Marcus will move to Borough Yards in spring 2022. Known as one of the best brunch spots in London, Brother Marcus is bringing the flavors and recipes of the Eastern Mediterranean to Borough Yards with their fourth restaurant. Serving brunch in the mornings, and small plates in the evenings, diners will enjoy the restaurant’s classic dishes alongside signature cocktails.
