Heathwall Pumping Station

The new riverside public space at Heathwall Quay reopens a continuous and improved riverside walkway in a location where previously pedestrians were directed away from the Thames to get around the pumping station building. The space allows people to enjoy expansive views up and down the river - reconnecting London with the Thames.

There is level access and timber benches face the river, giving panoramic views upstream towards Battersea and downstream to Vauxhall. The design allows for views out from all sides of the site and includes space provision at the end of benches to allow wheelchair users to sit alongside. The granite paving provides a consistent smooth surface across the space.

Other improvements include enhancements to the safeguarded Middle Wharf and the boundary treatment to the pumping station compound with high quality architectural fencing.

An artwork by Isamu Noguchi titled Play Sculpture, takes centre stage on the site. It is both an artwork and a piece of public furniture, inviting visitors to sit, recline and enjoy views of the River Thames. The artwork references the site's heritage of market gardening, which during the 17th century utilised night soil to make heated beds. The artwork, fabricated from American sewer pipes, references this organic waste and growth.