In the second installment of their new three-part micro documentary series on architecture and water (see the first part here), Ellis Woodman and a team at the Architectural Review (AR) have collaborated with architects, developers, urbanists and thinkers to examine the latent connections between water infrastructure and our built environment. Taking a journey by narrowboat through London, the film explores the radical ideas which may offer the keys to unlocking the potential of the urban waterway. When London has an ever-increasing overwhelming need for growth, how does the densification and gentrification of the city relate to the rivers and canals?
As London grows ever denser and its property prices climb beyond the reach of many would-be homeowners, there has been a significant resurgence of interest in opportunities to inhabit the Thames and its associated waterways. Meanwhile a ribbon of development is creeping along the banks of the river often displacing those who lived there previously. Is the water a force that will unlock an increasingly unaffordable city or one that will fuel a trend of gentrification and displacement?
See the first part of the three-part series here:
Architecture & Water: Exploring Radical Ideas To Unlock The Potential of Urban Waterways
The AR are also hosting a number of associated debates at the Old Royal Naval College in London. Find out more and book tickets here.
