Fathom’s plans for terracotta-clad almshouse tower approved

Southwark councillors have unanimously approved Fathom Architects’ part 22-storey office and part 15-storey almshouse development near Blackfriars Bridge, to the south of central LondonThe new tower will be erected by Southwark Charities on the site of Edward Edwards’ House, a two-storey residential building which has been home to elderly people of limited means since opening in 1974.The 25-home Edward Edwards’ House was created after Victorian almshouses on the site were damaged by bombing during the war – with the site having been used for almshouses since the 1750s.Fathom’s building will almost triple the number of elderly people able to live on the site, while also providing 20,000m2 of office space. There would be 62 one-bed flats for elderly residents, plus three flats for visitors and one flat for an onsite caretaker.The new terracotta tile and glazed building would also provide a pub, replacing the existing Prince William Henry pub which would be demolished, as well as a 200m2 ‘village hall’ run by Southwark Charities.The 22-storey section of the building would be used as commercial office space and would have orange terracotta tile cladding, as well as glazing, while the 15-storey section would be used for almshouses and have a yellow terracotta tile finish.Justifying the demolition of the existing Edward Edwards’ building, the practice said that the structure had to be removed so that more almshouses could be fitted on the site, and because the block had outdated layouts, no disabled access and was energy inefficient.Work is expected to complete in 2025.