Crossness Sludge Cake Building

Balancing functionality, heritage and innovation

An industrial facility that blends robust functionality with sensitive design, located beside the Grade I-listed Crossness Pumping Station.

Commissioned by Thames Water, the Crossness Sludge Cake Building is a purpose-built facility designed to support the processing of sewage sludge for agricultural reuse. Positioned on the banks of the River Thames and adjacent to the historically significant Crossness Victorian Pumping Station, the design had to meet stringent operational requirements while responding to the site's heritage and setting.

A Vital Part of London's Water Infrastructure

This £3 million facility plays a critical role in de-watering sewage sludge, transforming it into sludge ‘cake’ that is then stored and distributed to farms as sustainable fertiliser. Previously, the UK and other North European countries would dump the sewage sludge from barges into the sea, but no longer!

Working in close collaboration with engineers at Mott MacDonald, LBY developed a design that would support intensive industrial use and withstand a highly corrosive environment, while demonstrating architectural sensitivity on a prominent riverside site.

The project involved careful consultation with the local authority, the Greater London Authority, and English Heritage.

Modern industrial building with a high tower, metal siding, and large windows, set against a partly cloudy sky.

Industrial Integrity, Architectural Sensitivity

The building was delivered as part of an £80 million upgrade to the wider sewage treatment works. Its design incorporates:

  • Bright orange coloured metallic cladding atop robust concrete base panels, reinforcing its industrial function

  • Engraved concrete panels, embossed with historic engineering drawings from the nearby Abbey Mills Pumping Station, creating a subtle visual link between old and new

  • Exposed engineering elements, celebrating the building’s operational purpose rather than concealing it

The result is a structure that is unapologetically functional, yet visually compelling - a rare example of infrastructure architecture that is both purposeful and expressive.

A Landmark on the Thames

The ventilation tower creates a distinctive silhouette on the Thames riverscape and signals the building’s function while offering a subtle nod to the theatrical grandeur of its Victorian neighbour.

This project shows how infrastructure, when approached thoughtfully, can quietly contribute to placemaking, even in challenging or overlooked sites.

Industrial building with orange upper facade, black water tank, pipes, and a dark gray van parked in front.
Modern industrial building with a tall, narrow tower and mural art on the lower wall, set against a blue sky.
Industrial building with machinery and equipment outdoors under a partly cloudy sky.
A close up of one side area of the Crossness Sludge Cake Building showing the engraved concrete panels, embossed with historic engineering drawings from the nearby Abbey Mills Pumping Station, with a small amount of grass where they meet the ground.
The rear ground level view of the entire Crossness Sludge Cake Building with it's industrial setting near a river with a red upper section, grey lower section, and tall red chimney, along with black tanks and piping.

“Lyall turns muck into brass.”

Building Design magazine

Quote…

The details

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Client: Thames Water
Location: Crossness, London
Completion: 2015
Building Type: Industrial infrastructure facility
Contractor: Tamesis (Laing O’Rourke and Imtech)
Value: £3 million

Photographs: Morley von Sternberg

APPROACH & INFLUENCE

Project Type: Industrial architecture, infrastructure design

Design Approach: Functional honesty, heritage reference, riverside context integration

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Surface Design Award Winner 2016


PRESS COVERAGE

Architecture Today Supplement 2015

Building Design 2010

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