London City Island

London City Island is a new housing development for EcoWorld Ballymore in East London. Designed by Glenn Howell Architects the project is located in a tight loop of the river Lea close to the River Thames and although still under construction it has already won numerous awards for its place making.

The scheme has a distinct language of simple building forms ranging in height up to 26 storeys. The design of the regularly punctuated façades is influenced by the industrial heritage of the site and surrounding area.

‘Making’ was a key concept in the architect’s design, with creative and cultural industries incorporated into the masterplan, along with other amenities.

The 1706 new homes are being delivered using cast-in-situ concrete structural frames, with prefabricated brick-faced concrete panels, a different coloured brick used for each of the 11 buildings.

The use of full bricks permitted recessed windows, which were preinstalled off-site, along with thermally broken stub connections to receive external balconies. The installation of each floor was completed in a seven-day cycle.