Mitre Wharf, Willesden

This prominent canalside site flanks the key Scrubs Lane entry point into the 650-hectare Old Oak Common and Park Royal Development Corporation area (OPDC). Although it sits in an already rapidly changing landscape it will further develop and take its place in sustainable neighbourhoods as major new infrastructure comes forward, with Old Oak Common Station the single point of interchange between HS2 and the Elizabeth line. Our proposals have successfully overcome an exceptionally intricate set of physical constraints, including below-ground assets, the listed canal wall, the change in levels between highway and canal path and the narrow proportions of the site itself, accessible only from the narrow boundary adjacent to Scrubs Lane and making buildability a challenge.

Our residentially-led, mixed use scheme will establish an influential presence within this evolving townscape. Rising from a web of road, rail and canal infrastructure, our building creates a elegant marker on Scrubs Lane while rehabilitating the Grand Union Canal frontage. It will provide 147 residential dwellings together with commercial and retail space, integrated by an inviting and generous public realm. The architectural language is defined by simplicity, regularity and well-considered proportions, expressed through a high-quality and tonally controlled palette of materials. Planning approval was granted in October 2023.