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Baltic Quay is a large residential development, located in Surrey Quays in the London Borough of Southwark. Completed in 1989 during the London Docklands Development Corporation, [1] it is largely known for its unique architecture, which won it awards from the London Docklands Development Corporation. As a result, it is considered to be a landmark development in the area.
Surrey Docks is a largely residential area of Rotherhithe in south-east London, occupied until 1970 by the Surrey Commercial Docks. The precise boundaries of the area are somewhat amorphous, but it is generally considered to comprise the southern half of the Rotherhithe peninsula from Canada Water to South Dock; electorally, Surrey Docks is the eastern half of the peninsula. The area is served by Surrey Quays railway station. The Docks are called Surrey Docks because until 1900 the borders of Surrey and Kent met in this area.
The London Borough of Southwark in South London, England forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. All districts of the area are within the London postal district. It is governed by Southwark London Borough Council.
The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was a quango agency set up by the UK Government in 1981 to regenerate the depressed Docklands area of east London. During its seventeen-year existence it was responsible for regenerating an area of 8.5 square miles (22 km2) in the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark. LDDC helped to create Canary Wharf, Surrey Quays shopping centre, London City Airport, ExCeL Exhibition Centre, London Arena and the Docklands Light Railway, bringing more than 120,000 new jobs to the Docklands and making the area highly sought after for housing. Although initially fiercely resisted by local councils and residents, today it is generally regarded as having been a success and is now used as an exemplar of large-scale regeneration, although tensions between older and more recent residents remain.
Situated between South Dock and Greenland Dock, [2] the building was originally intended for mixed use; the ground floors as commercial outlets, the 1st and 2nd floors as office space and the remaining floors as residential apartments. Notable features of the development include is its vaulted roofs, circular windows and 14-storey tower. In particular the building was known locally for its initial colour scheme of blue and yellow, leading some to dub it as the "Ikea building".
South Dock is one of two surviving docks in the former Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe, London, England. It was built in 1807–1811 just south of the larger Greenland Dock, to which it is connected by a channel now known as Greenland Cut; it also has a lock giving access to the River Thames. Originally named the East Country Dock, it was renamed in 1850 when the Surrey Commercial Dock Company purchased and enlarged it. Timber and grain were the main produce imported and exported in the dock.
Greenland Dock is the oldest of London's riverside wet docks, located in Rotherhithe in the area of the city now known as Docklands. It used to be part of the Surrey Commercial Docks, most of which have by now been filled in. Greenland Dock is now used purely for recreational purposes; it is one of only two functioning enclosed docks on the south bank of the River Thames.
In 1995 Barlow Henley Architects were involved in the conversion of the building's office space into residential apartments. The ground floor soon followed suit as there was a lack of commercial uptake. Currently, the building is exclusively residential, [3] and is rumoured to house a High Court Judge, a Chief of Police, and retired servicemen of varying rank, most notably Admiral Henry Cuthbertson.
In April 2008, the building began phase 1 of its complete external redecoration (all elevations apart from the tower, which started and finished in 2009). This is in accordance with the lease supplied by the freeholder, which stipulates that external redecoration occurs every 10 years. This is the second external redecoration since the building's erection.
Interior Aspect and Tower
Inner Courtyard and Walkways
Main Entrance and Car Park Ramps
South Dock Marina Aspect
Greenland Dock Aspect
External Redecoration
