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Hammersmith Pumping Station

Tideway's construction work at Hammersmith Pumping Station is now substantially complete.

Our work at Hammersmith is part of the London super sewer project, a 25km tunnel under the River Thames, designed to protect the river from sewage polluting.

At our Hammersmith Pumping Station we have:

• Excavated a 32m-deep shaft which will channel and direct sewage overflows into the new 300m tunnel.
• Built a 300m tunnel linking the pumping station to the main 25km sewer.
• Built new air treatment structures to draw air into the sewer and ensure that the air that is released is filtered, to minimise odour.
• Installed mechanical and electrical equipment to make everything run smoothly.

Construction work is now complete at this site however you may continue to see some Tideway or Thames Water presence as we work to bring the super sewer into operation. 

Sarah Staton

Smart queen caroline

The ‘cultural meander’ or heritage theme for the West section of the tunnel is ‘Recreation to Industry: Society in Transition.’ Within this concept, the artist considers the site-specific narrative for Hammersmith Pumping Station, which occupies part of the former riverside estate of Brandenburg House, where Queen Caroline of Brunswick, the controversial wife of George IV, died in 1821.  

In response to the Tideway’s historical Heritage Interpretation Strategy (HIS), Sarah has developed an artwork which presents a quote from Queen Caroline, as pertinent now as it was 200 years ago, and sets this in Doves Type, the whole is cast in bronze.

The artwork will enhance the public realm with the quote in a rich material, contrasting strongly with the Brutalist concrete surfaces of the pumping station. It will respect both the location and adjacent conservation area setting. The proposed text directly responds to the site and the River on a number of levels. Sarah hopes that it may inspire and engage the curiosity of local community, as it has inspired and broaden the local knowledge of the artist.

First public artwork unveiled