Docklands tower approved after redesign to include second staircase

An east London council has approved a high-rise co-living development that will deliver 795 studio units in a 46-storey block after it was redesigned to include a second staircase.

The proposals by Rio Architects for 58 Marsh Wall, south of Canary Wharf, will feature homes ranging in size from 19.5 sq m to around 34 sq m for "accessible" studios. Each will have its own bathroom and cooking facilities but residents will also be able to use communal kitchens, dining areas and living areas clustered in three-floor groupings.

Rio Architects' original proposals for the tower were lodged in spring 2022 and did not include a second staircase for emergency use, which prompted concerns from the Health and Safety Executive.

The building's ground and first-floor levels will have a café, co-working space, lounges, gym, itness room and cinema room. Additional lounges for residents are proposed for its top three floors.

Developer Olympian Homes is not proposing to deliver any on-site affordable housing as part of the scheme but has committed to making a £47.9m contribution towards the provision of affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.

Members of Tower Hamlets Council's Strategic Development Committee gave their backing to the scheme at a meeting last week. The site in Marsh Wall currently houses a three-storey office building.

Source; Building