Paddington Basin
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Paddington Basin is the name given to a long canal basin, and its surrounding area, in Paddington, London.
The basin commences 500 m south of the junction known as Little Venice, of the Regent's Canal and the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal and runs for a similar length east–west. It was opened in 1801, with Paddington being chosen as the site of the basin because of its position on the New Road which led to the east, providing for onward transport. In its heyday, the basin was a major transshipment facility, and a hive of activity.
Since 2000, the basin has been the centre of a major redevelopment as part of the wider Paddington Waterside scheme and is surrounded by modern buildings.
Redevelopment
The contractors of a developers' consortium in partnership with the Canal and River Trust (and its predecessor British Waterways) in 2000 drained, cleaned and repaired the basin. In the latter half of the 20th century the basin attracted small and medium-sized commercial offices and is in part lined by specialist and private healthcare wings of St Mary's Hospital. The basin has become home to a wide range of companies, such as Marks & Spencer, the head office of which moved from Baker Street in 2004.
Most of the land north of the canal basin forms the 2010s development Merchant Square, North Wharf Road. Its main developer European Land and Property is a joint venture of Simon and David Reuben (the Reuben brothers) and the Jarvis family. In all, the development around Paddington Basin is creating Template:Convert of offices, homes, shops and leisure facilities.<ref name=Basin>Template:Cite web</ref> Its western buildings were mainly complete and occupied by 2018.
- Completed building
- Paddington Walk is a block of 232 flats designed by Munkenbeck & Marshall that completed in August 2005.<ref name=Basin />
- The Point (224,000 sq ft) and Waterside (240,000 sq ft) are office blocks designed by Terry Farrell and Partners and the Richard Rogers Partnership respectively.<ref name=Basin />
The original plan for the eastern end envisaged a commercial development focused around the Grand Union Basin and included the Winding building and the Grand Union building.<ref name=Basin /> The Richard Rogers Partnership originally designed the latter as three towers of 24, 32 and 40 floors rising to 164m, but the planners imposed a height limit of Template:Convert.<ref name=Rogers>Template:Cite web</ref> The revised scheme comprised six linked blocks of 30 storeys totalling Template:Convert of mixed-use space,<ref name=Rogers /> but the project was discarded when it looked like the site would be needed by the Health Campus (see below).<ref name=merchant>Template:Cite news (Subscription required for access)</ref>
The Health Campus scheme collapsed in 2005 and in February 2006 the Paddington Development Corporation – which became European Land and Property Ltd – submitted a new planning application.<ref name=merchant /> Branded as Merchant Square, this proposed Template:Convert of mixed-use space spanning six buildings, including 554 residential units and 58% commercial space.<ref name=factsheet>Template:Cite web</ref> Planning permission was granted on 1 March 2007.<ref name=factsheet /> A revised planning application was subsequently submitted and was approved on 19 May 2011.<ref name=Reuben>Template:Cite web</ref> 4 Merchant Square, a 16-storey block of 196 flats, designed by Tryfon Kalyvides Partnership, completed in 2013;<ref name=CoStar>Template:Cite web</ref> 5 Merchant Square (formerly Carmine) is a 14-storey office block of Template:Convert designed by Mossessian and Partners<ref name=waterside>Template:Cite web</ref> which became fully let by 2015.<ref name=costar>Template:Cite web</ref> Part of the building is occupied by Marks & Spencer, which also occupies the Waterside Building.<ref name=Partners>Template:Cite web</ref>
In late 2021, Premier Inn constructed their largest, non-airport, hotel in Greater London on the north bank of the basin. The development was completed in March 2022.
3 Merchant Square, a 21-storey development of 159 luxury apartments and 42 standard apartments, was completed in summer 2014.<ref name=EG>Template:Cite news</ref> 1 Merchant Square is a residential tower of 42 storeys designed by Robin Partington Architects, currently under construction as of 2015, which will be the tallest building in the City of Westminster, containing just over 200 residential units, a 90-room boutique hotel and a sky bar.<ref name=Standard>Template:Cite news</ref> 2 Merchant Square will be a 16-storey office building providing Template:Convert of Grade A space with Template:Convert of retail space.<ref name=Merchant>Template:Cite web (Official website)</ref> 6 Merchant Square will offer 119 apartments over 15 floors.<ref name=MerchantSq>Template:Cite web</ref>
Merchant Square surrounds a central square. A life-size sculpture in memory of Sir Simon Milton was unveiled in September 2014 by [[Eric Pickles|Template:Abbreviation Eric Pickles MP]], Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The sculpture, designed by Bruce Denny, follows Sir Simon's pivotal role in facilitating the regeneration of Paddington Basin.<ref name=GetWestLondon>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pedestrian bridges
The basin has creatively designed pedestrian bridges:
The Fan Bridge opened in autumn 2014 and moves with the motion of a Japanese hand fan.<ref name=Telegraph>Template:Cite news</ref>
Transport
The nearest London Underground stations are Edgware Road and Paddington, the latter also being served by National Rail.
See also
- Canals of the United Kingdom
- History of the British canal system
- List of canal basins in the United Kingdom
References
External links
- Paddington Basin YouTube
- Paddington Basin - Canal and River Trust
- Paddington Central
- Merchant Square, Paddington