Old Ford Pumping Station, London 

Sensitive to context and function

Sited in a protected woodland area not far from the south-west flank of the main Olympic stadium, the new installation houses a number of functions. The various pumps, control rooms, electrical sub-station, and sample testing etc. could have been installed in one large building. Instead these functions are housed in a scattered arrangement of cubes, all clad in Corten steel and topped with green roofs. The main well-head is enclosed in a laser cut perforated steel enclosure, with a pattern based on photographic silhouettes of young trees in the vicinity.

LBY’s design has become a subtle, almost hidden, visitor attraction to passers by on the Greenway and members of the London Wildlife Trust who look after the woodland.

A Functional Partner to Water Treatment

This new-build facility plays a critical role in the water recycling process, supporting operations managed on the same site. It accommodates:

• Pumping and filtration systems

• Operational control space

• A sub-station

• Well-head ensclosure

• Storage space

The result is a cluster of buildings that feel purposeful, legible, and robust – infrastructure that does its job without apology, and without neglecting the contribution it makes to its environment.