Gauging Square is a thriving public square in the heart of London Dock 

08/04/2025

At London Dock, a former commercial trading hub and working dock has been transformed into a warm and welcoming place to live, work and visit. Architecture journalist Iain Aitch speaks to the architect Andrew Taylor and design director Mana Kashani behind this stunning new neighbourhood.

The site of London Dock has been a home to East London commercial history for over 200 years, with locals handling the import of spices, tobacco and wines, as well as witnessing the 1980s arrival of the headquarters of News International. Throughout that time, the dock remained closed to the public, but its redevelopment has unlocked the area, providing new routeways and making it very much a part of the local community. Coffee shops, restaurants, Gauging Square – a public square with fountains and leisure pursuits – are all now on offer.

“We opened up Gauging Square for the London Marathon in 2018 and that’s effectively the first time the site had been publicly accessible since 1805,” says Andrew Taylor, Co-founder of Patel Taylor, the architectural practice chosen by St George, a proud member of the Berkeley Group, to design the 6.2 hectare site. “Phase one opened up the footpath through the middle of the site, so a new connection was being made straight away.”

Creative Links with the Past 

Before being the place that printed The Sun and The Times, the site was more likely to feature in photographic newspaper stories itself, with its visually stunning vaults and warehouses then full of imported rice, brandy and cocoa. The Grade II Listed Pennington Street Warehouse – which has been sensitively restored – remains as a marker of that history, as well as providing inspiration for London Dock’s scale and colour palette. It now houses offices, art studios and commercial space.

The history of the site is also marked in the names of the buildings and squares containing the 2,038 high-quality homes that will eventually make up the development. Jade Wharf, Saffron Wharf and Cashmere Wharf reflect the valuable imported goods that historic ledgers from the docks revealed. The ledgers also provided the inspiration for artist Gordon Young’s striking Trading Words text trail, which wends its way through the 7.5 acres of open space across the development of one, two- and three-bedroom apartments, where nearly 1,000 people already live.

Community Matters

Such touches provide an inspirational feel to London Dock and help to draw in the local community, who were key to integrating a large development into an existing population, with residents old and new gaining places to eat and sit, as well as walk. The build is currently around halfway to completion, with strong bonds being formed by the residents already enjoying life by the River Thames.

“The project team worked closely with the local community and Tower Hamlets Council to understand and implement their needs into design and planning,” says St George’s Design Director Mana Kashani. “The way people get around is important in that too, and we have two main axes, west to east and from the northern side to the southern side, with routes crossing those.”

A new school, Mulberry Academy London Dock, for over 1,200 pupils is the cornerstone of the community and the on-site pharmacy provides much-needed convenience, but it is the planting and new routes across the site that offer daily rewards. There are sunny spots to discover and fresh herbs to pick on your way back to the kitchen.

Green Roots and Green Routes

The sheer amount of greenery across London Dock gives it the feel of an urban oasis, with over 170 new trees planted. But there are more green features, too, such as green roofs as well as bat, bird and insect boxes across the development.

Its location makes commuting or travelling to shops, restaurants and theatres nearby both simple and convenient. Wapping and Shadwell stations are just five minutes’ walk away, with Aldgate East, Tower Hill and Tower Gateway less than 10 minutes on foot. St Katharine Docks, the only marina in central London, is just a stone’s throw from the development, along with the scenic walks by the River Thames. Cycle routes take you quickly to or from the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Bermondsey, as well as to attractions such as Borough Market and the Southbank Centre. With 2,300 secure cycle spaces across the site, you don’t have trouble finding somewhere to park when you get home.

New Street Squares 

All of these aspects come together to create a place that has a soul as well as all the bells and whistles one might expect from a quality redevelopment project with regeneration at its heart. Yes, jobs (1,500 of them) have come into the area with the arrival of the new homes, but what is most marked is that this is a space that looks and feels both fresh and timeless.

Architects Patel Taylor were inspired by the language of Georgian squares, where good design also means design that is easy on the eye. It’s easy to see why London Dock has garnered so many awards, from NHBC Quality Awards to the What House? Best Starter Home Scheme and Best Apartment Scheme awards.

“Georgians were very good at a good series of manners of architecture and buildings, which was more civic,” says Andrew. “Simple at pavement level and above, they defined street squares, and that is why those parts of the city are still successful. We have created a very simple network of streets, squares and gardens that are aligned. You can see from one end to the other. We’ve created a safe walk home, but one that is beautiful as well.”

Places Designed for Play and Relaxation

Patel Taylor has managed to create a lot of new homes without the weight of some new developments, with the mix of heights and styles modelled on surrounding buildings and to maximise sunlight as the site drops from the north to the south, towards the river. Protected views of Tower Bridge and sightlines upriver bring space for body and mind alike. Their clever delineation of the environment means that there is a place for play, for quiet contemplation, aimless wandering and even celebration.

“If you come here in the summer, Gauging Square is fantastic, because it’s full of families and kids running around in the fountains,” says Mana. “It’s a buzz that you can’t replicate – the beauty of hearing that laughter. People are at the heart of it. We do things like celebrating the Chinese New Year and summer events with the local community, and the same with Christmas carols. We’re creating homes, not just buildings.”

Find your dream new home at London Dock