A new industrial typology at Albert Island

This thesis explores the decay and subsequent regeneration process of London’s Royal Docks. Focusing on Albert Island- the easternmost area of the docks and one of the most overlooked. Through re-visiting the industrial typology, it explores how a purely utilitarian function can be integrated in a programmatically symbiotic proposal which aims to drive its social, economic and cultural transformation.

The thesis’ agenda is driven by an aspiration to democratise scientific knowledge and provide a congregation space for people to learn through play and exploration. The project builds upon the theoretical writings of Stan Allen on Infrastructural urbanism to develop a proposal which reaches beyond the building scale into creating the infrastructural conditions for the full regeneration of the island.
Through this proposal, I aim to establish a position of promoting resilience- understood in the biological sense of dynamically absorbing and incorporating change- impetuous in the context of a rapidly evolving industry to avoid obsolescence. In my view, architecture should be flexible

The first massing experiments undertook a computational method for form exploration based on pre-defined parameters and rules. Similar to analogue architectural design approaches, the limitations applied at each iteration follow increasingly complex needs (e.g. spatial or environmental). This iterative process refines the building massing while also taking into account performative needs.
This rule-based approach to early-stage form-finding ensured that strong conceptual ideas are carried forward in the massing resolution and that their hierarchical priority is maintained. This method also guaranteed that critical technical considerations- e.g. structural and environmental- are embedded in the formal development from the beginning, and not a ‘bolt-on’ addition at later stages.
The computational approach employs the rule-based aggregation plug-in Wasp, integrated into the Rhino-Grasshopper environment.
Wasp operates with discrete elements and defined operations for combination. The core of the framework relies on a set of aggregation procedures, allowing the generation of specific structures from the combination of different modules.

The Hydrogen Fun Palace’s social value is derived from revitalising a forgotten and underutilised site, providing a much-needed congregation space for the local community, as well as training and employment opportunities in the Green economy for Newham residents. The project re-establishes the Royal Docks as an epicentre of production- of both goods and knowledge.