Located in a diverdified borough within the outer areas of London, England, this project is the first phase of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’ re-development of Barking Central I for their client Redrow Regeneration & London Borough of Barking and Dagenham . The scheme comprises 246 one and two-bedroom flats in two new six storey blocks sitting above the two floors of a totally revitalised and extended library. 
The existing library gets the much wider function of a lifelong
learning centre (Barking Learning Centre) with 5,800 sq.m of
accommodation. The BLC was part funded and supported by the University
of East London, Barking College and Barking Libraries.
The new learning centre accommodation includes ICT suites, conference facilities, a one-stop-shop, café, art gallery and classrooms as well as the library facilities.
    
The elevation of the learning centre is clad in a large scale mosaic of glass and aluminum panels designed to retain views in and out of the building whilst responding to the insulation and ventilation requirements of the Building Regulations. This new skin wraps around the existing library creating new double height spaces for the entrance, gallery and library and forming two sides of a new Town Hall Square designed by Landscape architect muf architecture / art.
The north residential block, supported on a colonnade of V columns, is mainly one bedroom flats arranged on each floor either side of a linear corridor.
The south block has a similar plan, but with two bedroom apartments on the south expressed on the elevation by their longer balconies.
The north and south elevations of the blocks above have a smaller scale mosaic in a shimmering silver rainscreen cladding punctured by staggered balconies. The balconies are colored green at the east end of the elevation shading to yellow at the west.
 
Project Description and Credits:
Barking Central I
2, Town Square, Essex, Barking IG11 7NB
Contract Value: £35M
Completion Dates:
BLC Completion /Opening June 2007. Residential Sectional Completion (North Block) June 2007. Residential Sectional Completion (South Black) November 2007
Central I Areas:
Barking Learning Centre: 5800m² (gross external)
Residential: 14,000m² (gross external)
Barking Central I Project Team:
Client: Redrow Regeneration (Barking) Ltd & London Borough
of Barking and Dagenham
 Architect: Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects.
Team: Matthew Allen, Simon Allford, Sarah Baccarini, Polly Bansal, Kerstin Bedau, Ming Chung, Lisa Cholmondley, Paulo
Costa, Jonathan Hall, Jonathan Harris, Charlotte Harrison, Sarah Huneyball, Ross Hutchinson, Gareth Jones, Hazel
Joseph, Maya Koljonen, Susan le Good, Dan Marshall, Paul Monaghan, Peter Morris, Steve Morton, Gabriel Musat,
Glenn O’Loughlin, Andrew Paine, Jonathan Picardo, Mira Porstmann, Anna Radcliffe, Steve Ritchie, Peter Sargent,
Wade Scaramucci, Karen Scurlock, Ana Sa, Heidrun Schuhmann, Fiona Selmes and Georgia Tzika.
Project Manager: Gill Associates
Quantity Surveyor: Nigel Rose LLP
Structural / Civil Engineer: Buro Happold Ltd
Services Engineer: Faber Maunsell
Landscape Architect: Grant Associates
Public Realm Architect: muf architecture / art
Main Contractor: Ardmore Construction Ltd
Graphic Design Studio Myerscough
Article Text and Photographs courtesy of
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects.
Follow-up Article:
Barking Central II
This second phase of development around Barking Town Hall and its new
plaza completes an architectural ensemble grouped either side of a
compact urban woodland called the Arboretum.
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