At the same time, two landmark recent additions to Barking Central - the Lemonade Building and the Barking Bath House are both set to feature in a major new exhibition at the Aram Gallery in Covent Garden to commemorate the Bauhaus Movement of architecture.
The designs for William Street Quarter (Phase 2) have been short-listed for the Housing Design Awards 2012. Developed by Barking and Dagenham Council and Laing O’Rourke, the site has been featured as a leading example of a good quality, well designed housing scheme. Designed by two firms of architects - Maccreanor Lavington and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris - the scheme will find out later in the summer whether it has been successful.
Meanwhile, the Anne Mews scheme - also known as William Street Quarter (Phase 1) has been short-listed in the London Regional category by the Royal Institute of British Architects, probably the most important and prominent judges of design and architecture anywhere in the UK.
Councillor Cameron Geddes, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Barking and Dagenham Council comments: “Despite the tough economic circumstances, Barking Town Centre is very much on the up.
“The two-phase William Street Quarter projects are gaining more national recognition as leading-edge examples of good architecture which will deliver high-quality and much-needed homes for local people. The two projects have helped put Barking on the map and contributed to a marked reinvigoration of Barking.
“We are equally proud as a council to learn that the Barking Bath House and the Lemonade Building are also receiving further recognition. Both are superb examples of excellent projects that deliver attractive housing in the borough. Through the Aram Gallery’s collaboration with the Barbican Centre’s exhibition on the pioneering Bauhaus Movement, both buildings will find themselves on a wider national stage yet again.”
Barking Central’s accolades come as preparations for a summer like no other get well underway. As one of the six Host Boroughs for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Council is working with a number of organisations to make sure that Barking and Dagenham is the place to be over the summer months. An exciting programme of events has been planned for the coming weeks, all of which combine to make the borough one of the most exciting destinations anywhere outside the Olympic Park itself.
Cllr. Geddes concludes: “Barking and Dagenham is where the momentum is right now. We are proud to be a borough where people are increasingly choosing to live, work and play. We have a thriving town centre in Barking, beautiful parks across the borough and an exciting programme of events over the warmer months which is second to none.”