Reservoir Roofs Walthamstow, London
View of Maynard Reservoir with proposals
Section through reservoir and proosed pair of pavillion structures
View along Forest Road, the reservoirs and pavillion structure to the right
Reservoir Roofs Walthamstow, London
Gort Scott’s proposal for Walthamstow Reservoirs was the winning entry in the first of RIBA’s Forgotten Spaces competitions for innovative ideas for underused areas in London.
2010
Client: Qatari Diar
Project Status: Competition: Winner
The project aims to celebrate the vast, semi-industrial forgotten spaces of the tranquil reservoirs of the Upper Lea Valley, and make them more accessible to a much wider range of users.
The scheme centres around two over-scaled, low-lidded, clay-tiled roofs: one dipping down towards the water and one rising to meet a view down the Lea Valley. These roofs, inspired by local Arts and Crafts designer and socialist William Morris, have a gold tiled exterior pattern and carefully painted interior battens, hover protectively over steel plate ramps.
Our proposal respects the working infrastructure of the reservoirs, and their quiet monumentality with modest interventions that will allow local people, groups of school children and day-trippers to connect with the sublime environment.
The proposal has since been included as part of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the creation of Walthamstow Wetlands.
