Crowning glory: Peninsula Place heralds Santiago Calatrava’s first major UK project

Among Spain’s most renowned architects, Santiago Calatrava is to build a new complex overlooking the River Thames – his first significant project in the UK.
He is following up his Oculus transit hub in NYC’s World Trade Centre with Peninsula Place, a £1bn mixed-use development on southeast London’s Greenwich Peninsula that includes a tube and bus station.
The tapering design brings to mind the silhouette of a three-pointed crown, in deference, perhaps, to the eight masts rising out of Richard Rogers’ Millennium Dome (now the O2) nearby.
Peninsula Place in-situ on Greenwich Peninsula
Calatrava explains that his design is the fruit of 'ten different models, approaches and studies with the client [Knight Dragon]'.
As well as the two stations, the 1.4m sq ft complex will have space for a theatre, cinema and performance venue, bars, shops and a so-called well-being hub. Meanwhile, offices, flats and hotels will be housed in the trio of towers, and it will all connect to the river via a new Calatrava-designed ‘land bridge’ encased in out-sized latticing and attached with cables to a tall column – again reminiscent of the Dome’s design.
The Peninsula Place Winter Garden
This is familiar territory for the architect and engineer, who has put his name to 50 bridges, seven transportation hubs and myriad public spaces in his 35-year career. However, it is a more restrained structure than some of his extravagantly sculptural creations, such as the Oculus or his cultural complex in Valencia.
Before the Greenwich Peninsula started its regeneration journey with the arrival of the Dome, the area was barely on the map. Now, development is going strong, and Allies & Morrison’s masterplan for Knight Dragon promises a total of 15,720 homes with 48 acres of open green spaces, and 3.5m sq ft of hotels, schools and public facilities.
As well as two apartment blocks by A&M, other buildings are planned by UK architects Marks Barfield, DSDHA, Alison Brooks and Duggan Morris, and SOM from the US. At 200 acres, the real estate developer describes this as one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe. 'We want to create the heart of a new neighbourhood,' Calatrava adds, 'so the building has to be a little bit different.'
Peninsula Place's bridge
An aerial view of Greenwich Peninsula, with Peninsula Place situated near the O2
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Santiago Calatrava Architects & Engineers website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Clare Dowdy is a London-based freelance design and architecture journalist who has written for titles including Wallpaper*, BBC, Monocle and the Financial Times. She’s the author of ‘Made In London: From Workshops to Factories’ and co-author of ‘Made in Ibiza: A Journey into the Creative Heart of the White Island’.
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s Chelsea
Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Lucy Dacus on her Renaissance-inspired new album cover and intimate museum tour
Lucy Dacus' fourth album, 'Forever Is A Feeling', is an intimate exploration of love with visuals inspired by the romanticism of classical art
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
At Milan Design Week, 'Material Alchemists' marks the Wallpaper* Class of '25
Our own exhibition brings together 20 emerging designers from around the world giving matter form with magic
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright Published
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its garden
Architects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional space
A multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st Century
Thanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundings
Studioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The museum of the future: how architects are redefining cultural landmarks
What does the museum of the future look like? As art evolves, so do the spaces that house it – pushing architects to rethink form and function
By Katherine McGrath Published
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on site
This grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
By Tianna Williams Published
-
A Danish twist, compact architecture, and engineering magic: the Don’t Move, Improve 2025 winners are here
Don’t Move, Improve 2025 announces its winners, revealing the residential projects that are rethinking London living
By Ellie Stathaki Published