Designer jiawei tang
DesignerVerdant Commons
HM of London Urban Retreat: Haggerston Public Baths
+ HONOURABLE MENTION
London Urban Retreat: Haggerston Public Baths
[19663]
Verdant Commons: New Life into Heritage for Community and Biodiversity
Team
Name: Jiawei Tang
Instagram: @chuckttttt
Nationality: Chinese
Institution / Company: Architectural Designer/Sustainability Consultant
Name: Xu (Sue) Zhang
Instagram: @sueorxu
Nationality: Chinese
Institution / Company: Freelance Architectural Designer/Researcher
Name: Jan (Zixuan) Zhou
Instagram: @janzhou
Nationality: Chinese
Institution / Company: Freelance Illustrator
Haggerston Baths (HB) remained a cornerstone of local life until 1999. Since then, it has been “abandoned” for 25 years. However, in an ecological perspective, HB have actually been a remarkable process of “urban rewilding.” The site has quietly woven itself into a tight-knit ecological network with the nearby canal and city farm.
The Verdant Commons, seeks to bridge the human and biological perspectives. Rather than over-intervening with HB’s naturalised facade, to respect its current state and extend that wild vitality into the interior to create a series of multi-functional public spaces. For instance, by opening up the decayed skylight structures, we transform the once-enclosed “swimming pool” into a sun-drenched, plant-filled water garden.
While renovating for humans, we didn’t forget to “rehouse” the old residents. For the swifts nesting in the brickwork crevices, the wild bees, and the small bats foraging along the canal at night, we designed habitat boxes tailored to their specific ecological habits.
The project connects species by aligning animal survival with human well-being. While wildlife finds habitat within the ruins, residents find restorative joy. This synergy allows the community to reconnect with urban ecology through daily observation, transforming the ruin into a shared living sanctuary.
Jury Comments
– Josefine Fokdal
Great integration into the context and a strong focus on biodiversity – biophilia – which is highly relevant in todas cities. In a way this contribution show how an old building that had a strong focus on services and relevance for the community can become very relevant again for various living creatures.
Responses