Low Line Commons wins 'Future Public Realm' Award

Team London Bridge and partners including London Bridge-based businesses Macfarlane + Associates and Greengage are proud to win a Pineapple Award for the Low Line Commons, in the ‘Future Public Realm’ category.

The Pineapple Awards celebrate the very best in placemaking, recognising projects that make a positive social, environmental and economic impact. They are awarded by the Festival of Place and supported by the Design Council. A pineapple is the symbol of hospitality – something we do very well in London Bridge!

The Low Line is a new walking destination for London along the length of the mighty Victorian rail viaducts spanning Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey. It connects diverse neighbourhoods and communities in south London, linking existing and new hubs of creativity, entertainment, and industry along its course. The Low Line celebrates the heritage of the railway arches which have been a part of the area for over 150 years, shaping places of interest along the way and unlocking their potential.

The Low Line Commons sets out a bold vision for incorporating more greening, more space for wildlife and more opportunities for people and nature to connect along the Low Line.  

The study was completed last year by a collaborative partnership of Studio PDP, Macfarlane + Associates, Greengage and Studio 425 – building a multi-dimensional perspective in terms of architecture, public realm, landscaping and sustainability. It was commissioned on behalf of Low Line partnership following funding from the Lund Trust and Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund. Partners include ourselves and our neighbouring BIDs Better Bankside and Blue Bermondsey, as well as Southwark Council and The Arch Company.

Hopefully you can already see some of the results of this strategy, with the stunning cascading green roof of the Holyrood kiosk and garden (Low Line Louie café/bar), which won its own award recently, the Civic Trust Award for architecture (join us here for a tour on Weds 14th June). And also the planters around the Shipwright Arms, or the wildflower planting along Druid Street. We look forward to more and more – to make the ‘future public realm’ a reality.