Stunning New Towers to be Built on the Banks of the Thames in London

The Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, with its stunning views of the Thames and the vast Greenwich Park surrounding the Royal Observatory, has fast become a residential hot spot, and the most recent addition to the skyline—the newly announced No. 2 Upper Riverside by SOM, which includes a special collaboration with Tom Dixon—only underscores the trend.

SOM’s five light-filled towers on the banks of the Thames will include a mix of 35 studios, lofts, and penthouses outfitted by Design Research Studio—the interior design and architecture arm of Tom Dixon’s firm—when they open for occupancy in fall 2018.

The flats have been equipped with Tom Dixon kitchens, which feature custom enamel backsplashes made by the same craftsmen who create the London Underground signage. Indeed, Dixon reinforced the Britishness of the spaces with bathroom tiles that reference London’s traditional glazed brick, and copper and ironmongery details crafted by British makers. DRS is also behind the buildings’ private roof terrace, which includes gym facilities, a landscaped roof garden, and the city's highest residential swimming pool.

“We started by thinking about what we could do that went beyond what an interior design company might do,” says Dixon. “Our approach with the apartments, as with these other elements, was to try to create something individual and unlike what you’d normally expect in those kinds of environments. The idea was to make them a bit grittier, a bit more ‘British’ in a way—to try to bring in some warmth and realness.”