A Piers Gough-designed apartment with a secluded balcony and spectacular views of the Thames
Unlike that of his postmodernist peers, Piers’ work was about control and wit rather than flourishes and whimsy. Having trained at the Architectural Association, he co-founded CZWG with Nick Campbell, Rex Wilkinson and Roger Zogolovich in 1975. The practice quickly became known for its characterful yet considered buildings, such as Cascades Tower, a spectacular 20-storey residential building on the Isle of Dogs, and China Wharf, a block of flats with a red scallop-shaped façade in Bermondsey – both built in the 1980s and now Grade II listed. By the time Piers came to design Bankside Lofts in the mid-1990s, his practice had already scooped up several awards.
Bankside Lofts stands on the site of an old Victorian cocoa factory, part of which has been converted and lies at the heart of the residential development. Like many of Piers’ buildings, one of the most extraordinary things about it is the intriguing façade. Those passing by will likely be struck by the expansive amounts of glazing and its curved yellow tower, which is topped with a series of stepped terraces. As Piers once said of its design, it makes “a dynamic counterpoint to the Bankside Power Station, now Tate Modern.”
Each apartment within Bankside Lofts has been designed to be different from the next – and we love the way that this one unfolds. A series of lateral living spaces contained within the gentle arc of the building, with floor-to-ceiling steel-framed windows, provide ample opportunity for flexible living. Other covetable credentials include a mezzanine level, which is currently in use as another sleeping space, and a large south-facing balcony. While residents also have the pleasure of an expansive communal garden, this private slice of outdoor space offers seclusion and an enviable spot to watch the sun set over the Thames.
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