Sheppard Robson gets green light for more housing at Clarendon Gasworks

Above: CGI of Clarendon Gasworks development for St. William (courtesy Sheppard Robson)

Sheppard Robson is working on multiple phases of the regeneration of a former industrial estate at Clarendon Gasworks, Hornsey, transforming the London site into a mixed-use neighbourhood of over 1,700 homes.

For St William Homes (part of the Berkeley Group), Phase 4 will consist of 377 new homes alongside a range of flexible office and commercial spaces, a new public square, and landscaped rooftop terraces. The practice's work on the scheme also includes the design and delivery of Phase 3b.

The focal point of the latest phase is a 27-storey tower, which will be the tallest point of the new neighbourhood, providing a marker for the ambitious regeneration.

A gridded façade inset with recessed balconies and a double-height colonnade provide a strong civic address to the new public square. The environmentally responsive design is configured to optimise natural light and passive solar shading. The 10th floor steps back with a shared roof terrace, providing views of central London and creating a more slender silhouette for the tower.

Two further blocks run adjacent to the tower, framing the civic square and creating a pedestrian arcade between the two buildings. The blocks step back with connecting roof terraces at the second and fourteenth floors, while taller volumes articulate the corners. The corner facing the new square is marked by the tallest part of the block, reaching up to 20 storeys.

Located in the ‘Urban Quarter’ of the masterplan, Phase 4 is intended to be the most dense and commercially vibrant of all the masterplan phases. The new public square, designed by MRG Studio, will provide a gathering space for residents of the whole neighbourhood, supporting local businesses and facilities for residents. Covered by an illuminated canopy to form part of a future artist commission, the arcade running between the blocks connects the square to the surrounding neighbourhood and will help stitch the development into its wider context.