Our design is inspired by the fluidity of the surrounding docklands. The building’s 53 storeys of elegant residential accommodation are animated by a fin-clad facade that creates a moiré rippling effect, anchored with an angled peak and slender silhouette.
Our driving aim for Amory Tower (formerly The Madison), located on London’s Isle of Dogs, is to provide incoming and existing local residents better access to open space in this rapidly developing part of London.
Our design is inspired by the fluidity of the surrounding docklands. The building’s 53 storeys of elegant residential accommodation are animated by a fin-clad facade that creates a moiré rippling effect, anchored with an angled peak and slender silhouette.
A dramatic cut through the building creates an amenities floor as well as a contextual divide. The taller upper section references the towers of neighbouring Canary Wharf; the lower section references the low-rise docklands. By making Amory Tower as slender as possible, we were able to give 70% of the site back to the public, filling it with large gardens and a children’s play area.
This site isn’t just a home for hundreds of Londoners; it’s also a space for the public, significantly improving access to the waterside and Canary Wharf beyond. In its planning committee report, Tower Hamlets described the scheme as “an elegant tower which makes a positive contribution to the skyline.”
Amory Tower has been shortlisted in the 2022 Tall Buildings Awards.
The building is clad with an articulated series of fins that can be configured into different patterns. We selected aluminium as the fin material for its robustness. The variety of fins were minimised for cost and simplicity, with three constant depth types and two additional fin types chosen to transition between them. We developed software in-house to design and articulate a moiré effect on the facade.
Our design is inspired by the fluidity of the surrounding docklands and their beautiful reflection of light. The design aim was to replicate the effect of rippling water and appear to change from different perspectives. This movement effect is further emphasised as the sun passes around the structure, highlighting the fins and accentuating the moiré effect from different angles. The fins disappear into the rhythm of the facade when viewed face on due to the slim profile of the tower, but when viewed at an angle, the white fins in particular create a strong visual effect that appears to shimmer like water.
We worked with a contractor to integrate prefabrication during construction. This had various benefits, from significantly reducing construction waste and installation times to improving on-site health and safety. Among the prefabricated elements are utility cupboards that were manufactured off site before being installed as units, negating the need for multiple contactors to work in confined spaces simultaneously. We used modular construction techniques specifically for the bathroom pods, which enabled the project to maintain high-quality factory construction across all the bathroom units. We also incorporated a unitised curtain wall system that provided continuity from manufacture to installation and reduced the number of unique junctions, thereby minimising the risk of mistakes or imperfections during the installation. This had the added benefit of ensuring high-quality, consistent construction throughout the project.
During construction, we used a modular staircase system in the core to remove the need to crane in heavy and unwieldy precast concrete stairs or enable working with formwork to create stairs. We also installed large, prefabricated corridor service trays in the lift lobbies to reduce the amount of working at height and free up congested movement routes on site. These MEP units included cable trays and cables, plus pre-insulated pipework that removed the need for multiple trades to work on platforms at any given time.
We minimised the footprint of the building by positioning it at the western end of the site, taking up just 30% of the available space. Within this small building footprint, we maximised the floorplates to design dual-aspect apartments. This led to a hexagonal, stepped form with multiple corners, giving the tower its distinct shape. We created the final hexagonal shape by smoothing this form and softening the angles. By recessing the balconies into the facade, we were able to maintain simple, uncluttered elevations, provide shelter to balconies and mitigate noise pollution.
By positioning the building to one side, we opened up the site and devoted the remaining 70% to public realm. We included public gardens and a children’s play area that improve access and permeability, activating the area for both residents and the local community. The richly textured landscaping prioritises biodiversity, with large native evergreen species that provide shelter and mitigate wind, as well as fruit, seed and nectar-producing planting that provide food sources for birds and pollinating insect life.
“Amory Tower is a prime example of how tall buildings can optimise a site. By setting the building to one side and designing a slimline form, we were able to maximise the internal space with dual-aspect views, while dedicating 70% of the site to public parks and play spaces, boosting biodiversity and public amenity on the Isle of Dogs.”
Simon Robins, project architect, Make
The site is an integral part of the Marsh Wall masterplan study area, which together with other buildings is improving permeability, providing more open space and offering better access to the waterfront along South Quay.
