Bermondsey Bike Store is located at Bermondsey Square which is in South London, not far from Tower Bridge
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| Location |
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| Antiquity Market sketch |
The Bike Store, contrasting with the Market, gives to the area a connection with the 20th century.
The Market is open every Friday from 4AM to 1PM, rain or shine
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| Bermondsey Antiquity Market |
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| Bermondsey Antiquity Market |
One of the Square's building is the Bermondsey Bike Store, which is a storage place for 76 bicycles designed and constructed for people living in the residential building just next to the Bike Store
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| Bermondsey Bike Store and the residential building behind it |
Bermondsey Bike Store provides secure storage for the local residents. Located behind the glass-reinforced plastic cover there are light sensors, which ensure the bike store is well lit at night. This was purposefully included in the design to act as a deterrent from any criminal activity. The lighting provides the immediate area with an uplifting glow that is visible for passers-by on London Bridge
By using glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) as an interior shell, bikes stored inside benefit from the material’s weather resistant properties. The properties of GRP can be manipulated to suite its purpose. Due to the woven glass fiber structure, GRP is extremely hard to break, as it does not shatter. Wire mesh has also been combined with the thermosetting resin to provide additional strength.
By using glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) as an interior shell, bikes stored inside benefit from the material’s weather resistant properties. The properties of GRP can be manipulated to suite its purpose. Due to the woven glass fiber structure, GRP is extremely hard to break, as it does not shatter. Wire mesh has also been combined with the thermosetting resin to provide additional strength.
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| Sketch of the Bike Store's shsapes |
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| A double decker system devised by Josta was installed into the Bike store for holding bicycles |
The building encourages people inhabiting the area to their bikes, promoting eco-friendly transportation, increasing the prospects of a healthy lifestyle.
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| Bermondsey Bike Store |
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| Entrance into the residential building next to the Bike Store (day) |
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| Entrance into the residential building next to the Bike Store (night) |
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| Model of the front part of the building, view 1 |
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| Model of the front part of the building, view 2 |
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| Model of the front part of the building, view 3 |
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| Model of the front part of the building, view 4 |
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| Model of the front part of the building, view 5 |
Sarah Wigglesworth Architects was the architectural practice which was commissioned to design the Bike Store
Sarah Wigglesworth Architects practice was founded in 1994 and is led by Sarah Wigglesworth – architect with an international recognition and working experience in the USA and UK
The team’s philosophy might be summarize in their own words: ‘We enjoy making buildings using readily available materials that are ecological and energy efficient yet also robust and long lasting. We explore highly inventive ways to employ these material in order to achieve unexpected results’ [official web-site of the practice: http://www.swarch.co.uk/].
By now the practice has completed near 25 projects of different size (from £20K to £10M) and various fields: urban, social, residential, etc. One of the most awarded projects is Cremorne Riverside Centre in Chelsea
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| Sarah Wigglesworth (Source: www.architecture-page.com/.../ |
Signature of the practice you may recognise in other projects
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| Set of examples |
Links to example projects
Being a part of the whole Bermondsey Square, Bike Store has become a result of Antiquity Market inspiration - inspiration by antique jewelry
Actually, the Bike Store project was a part of a larger project for Bermondsey Square for the sustainable developer igloo. Nearby buildings were being designed and constructed in the same period of time, but by different architects (Munkenbeck, Marshal and East).
Representatives of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects commented the indea of the building in the following way:
Representatives of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects commented the indea of the building in the following way:
'The concept was taken from the antiques Market that has happened in this area for many years and the items in the landscape are intended to read like treasures or jewels. This was the starting point for the development of the cladding whose triangular module also reflects that of the traffic bollards which I think are icosahedron’s and have triangular facets.'
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| One of the possible ways of abstracting the inspiring motifs behind the design |
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| Possible way back - from abstraction to materiality (step 1) |
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| Possible way back - from abstraction to materiality (step 2) |
The overall size of the building is relatively small: 11m (L) x 7m (W) x 5 m (H)
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| Our team in work |
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| Elevations of the building and some details |
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Front facade elevation |
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| Building's details |
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| Triangular pattern |
