Vicarage Fields Expands Barking Reg

by Mr007 December 22nd 2010, 8:36 pm

Vicarage Fields Expands Barking Regeneration

PRP Architects has been working on this redevelopment of the Vicarage Fields Shopping Centre in the London borough of Dagenham and Barking.

The scheme which sits only a couple of minutes walk from Barking Station takes in the regeneration of the 250,000 square metre shopping centre and parking above, plus a modest new retail extension of 5,000 square metres with a landmark residential tower.

It also includes new homes built along the edge of the retail scheme that are a modest five storeys with a modernist twist to the traditional London brick terraces. Facing on to a green roof on their upper levels and aimed at families, these will fit into a newly planned street that should help the development slot into the existing streets.

With the tower running to 23 floors including the retail element, what PRP has designed is externally an essentially modernist look that with different materials would not appear out of place on a sixties housing estate. A few contemporary touches however mark it out as something more recent with coloured projecting balconies, perhaps riffing off the nearby riot of colour that is Barking Central, whilst all apartments will also have large amounts of floor-to-ceiling glazing.

At the same time they have tried to arrange the flats to maximise daylight, with a mere one apartment on each floor north-facing and thus not getting the direct benefit of the morning sun. Topping it out will be a façade overrun enclosing the roof area that can serve as high-rise amenity space for residents.

Unfortunately for the local council who have objected to the scheme, and made clear their complaints, the planning application is specifically handled by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation which has approved it meaning developer LagMAR Holdings can now progress with the project further

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