Above?The?Tide?- Upper Riverside

What's better than living beside a new high-concept 5km linear park? How about having a state-of-the-art spa and wellness center right above it? Here’s how to find indoor and outdoor wellbeing, thanks to Renew.

Occupying the uppermost floors of No 2 Upper Riverside, the second block in this new five-tower neighbourhood, Renew isn’t just one of the more impressive spots for fitness and relaxation in the capital; it also has one of the best views across London’s skyline.

There are two state-of-the art gymnasiums, a steam room, a hot tub, a swimming pool, and a splendid terrace for open-air exercise, meditation and perhaps a bit of socialising. You can get fit here, of course, but the gym, pool, spa and terrace have really been designed with the residents’ ultimate sense of wellbeing as their guiding principle.  

Simply from an aesthetic perspective, it’s hard not to feel a little bit better about yourself after looking down from Renew’s vantage point. There’s the soft sheen of the O2 dome; the Emirates Air Line, London’s one and only cable car, running through the foreground’s upper reaches; London’s high-rise buildings prick the horizon; down below, the River Thames; and of course, the latest landmark, The Tide, the new five-kilometre elevated garden walkway inspired by New York’s High Line, which offers both visitors and residents another chance to raise their heart rate. From walking, running, meditating, cycling and picnicking, The Tide allows for a temporary escape from the city, and a dive into nature – and art: there’s plenty of world-class public sculptures along the linear park, as well as a tasty trail of eclectic cafés, bars and restaurants for anyone looking for a post-sprint treat.

Kent Jackson, the architects behind Upper Riverside

Kent Jackson, design director at Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), the architects behind Upper Riverside, understands that in a place like the Peninsula, the only way is up.

“Building tall is the best way to make the most of the amazing views, and to really take advantage of the air, the feeling of space and the light,” he explains. “It’s a very different offer from what I think you might see in the rest of London, where things might be a bit more tightly packed, where building tends to focus more on efficiencies rather than the experience of the people who live there.”

Tom Dixon

British designer Tom Dixon, OBE, who oversaw Renew, adopts the same lifestyle-led approach. His designs embrace the panorama throughout, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, encouraging the visitor’s eye to wander outwards. Portholes in the pool area recall the area’s maritime past, while the stepped structure on the ceiling, walls and floors work symbiotically with the buildings’ emblematic stepped design, creating a sense of terraced, multi-levelled space, to suggest the ebb and flow of the river, below. Despite this being a place to unwind, Renew’s materials evoke the peninsula’s hard-grafting past, as well as Dixon’s lifelong passion for local industry. Look out for the passivated metal reception desk – a kind of anti-corrosion treatment more commonly seen in factory components – that makes for an impressive entrance. It might seem like a small point, but this dip into the area's past is very important to the acclaimed designer. “Even when I was a boy,” Dixon comments, “I used to jump on the motorbike and drive to Greenwich to get things cast and machined, because that whole part of south London remained a good place for getting things made – and I still do that now.” 

In contrast to this industrial look, the use of warm woods and textured stone surfaces bring a more contemporary aesthetic to the place, as well as a sense of calm, which extends to the outdoor terrace embedded with plants, sun decks and couches.

This is intentional, says Dixon. “With a growing emphasis on wellness, I wanted to create a space that would enhance residents’ day-to-day lifestyle and motivate them to achieve their goals and feel their best,” he explains. “Renew is a relaxed space where residents can meet like-minded people, creating a wellness community within the neighbourhood.”

Motiv8, the fitness company that serves the space, explains that residents can expect all manner of classes, personal training and other resident-tailored services to fill up their timetables, including the best morning treat to wake up to – yoga classes on the terrace.

“We see Greenwich Peninsula as an active and sociable community, so it was important that we thought about residents’ lifestyles with the Renew floor,” says Richard Margree, CEO of Knight Dragon, Greenwich Peninsula’s developer. “We believe we have created an exceptional wellness club for them to enjoy.” He describes Dixon’s Renew as “visionary in the way that residents’ wellbeing acts as a binding principle; bringing them outside of their home and into a space where they can relax and ‘renew’ themselves together.” 

So, don’t worry too much about reps or BMI, or for how long you can hold the plank or the crab. Renew is really a treat for all senses, a haven for the ambitious, and a space to feel inspired, with a panorama that is hard to beat. 

It also forms part of the wider Upper Riverside Club exclusive to residents, which provides exceptional amenities such as cinemas, roof terraces, and event spaces. The complex promises to redefine urban living and turn the neighbourhood into a major waterfront destination.

Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula is a new London. An almost-island of opportunity evolving into London’s most boldly modern landscape. A place to imagine, create and build, all wrapped by the River Thames.

From the green Sunday strolls of Parkside, complete with an original Georgian pub, the Design District packed with entrepreneurial creativity, to the buzz of Peninsula Central with its shops, hotels and entertainment and the 5km garden walkway that connects it all – the Peninsula presents an inspiring new way to live in the city. A stretch of Zone 2 wrapped by the river and only one stop from Canary Wharf. This is the setting for Upper Riverside,?one of Greenwich Peninsula’s seven new neighbourhoods.

Upper Riverside

On the north-east side of the Peninsula, five towers point towards the water’s edge. Here crisp modern architecture, meets a vast sweep of urban nature – the industrious River Thames. Elevated landscaped public spaces change the way we live and relax; riverfront cafes and bars stimulate the senses; events, music and?art offer more to see and do. A new London destination is emerging.

Upper Riverside is the latest addition to London’s world-famous skyline. Its design nods to the shifting surfaces of the River Thames, roof terraces cascading down to the water’s edge, sheltering greenery high above. This family of buildings will deliver 1007 new homes; all are united by comfort, light and space.

Designed by SOM Architects, renowned for their modernism and creation of tall buildings, exceptional views are the backdrop to Upper Riverside life: there’s the River Thames, London’s only cable car, The O2 Arena and Antony Gormley’s celebrated Quantum Cloud sculpture with its 30-metre form towering over the reed banks.

The emerging talent of the neighbouring Design District, Ravensbourne Digital College?and the Marks Barfield designed NOW gallery, sit comfortably alongside the calibre of Upper Riverside’s creators. Globally renowned architects SOM, inspired landscaping by the award-winning GROSS MAX, eclectic interiors by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio, State of Craft and Studio Ashby – the polarity of styles here is intentional, to be celebrated.

Greenwich Peninsula is not just one thing, so neither are its homes. Each of the five Upper Riverside towers has its own interior design, drawing on the elemental river and its surrounding urban landscape.

Unique interiors design

Innovative and bespoke design is at the heart of the peninsula’s aesthetic

This extends to the interiors of each of the five upper riverside towers that have their own design. At no.5 knight dragon have drawn on the elemental river and its surrounding urban landscape.

The Club and Location

Rich community environment and lifestyle

An atmosphere of expression and exchange travels throughout Greenwich Peninsula’s seven neighbourhoods.

All seven peninsula neighbourhoods are distinctive yet complimentary. From the green space and sunday strolls of parkside, complete with a wonderful old pub, to the buzz of peninsula central with its shops, hotels and entertainment.

Contact EMWC:

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 020 8638 8380

Address: 23 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2QP

Website: https://www.eastmeetswestclub.com/

Contact Greenwich Peninsula:

Wing Chan Dean - International Sales Manager

Address: Gateway Pavilion, Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10 0SQ

T: +44 (0) 203 770 2243

M: +44 (0) 7436 265 707

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk