Dock Shed, Canada Water

Part workspace, part public leisure centre, the Dock Shed with its distinctive saw-tooth steel roof is one of the first buildings to complete as part of the Canada Water masterplan. Its massing responds to a complex site condition: stepped down to the rear where it meets existing residential buildings, at the front, bright and warehouse-like workspace opens onto wide planted balconies overlooking the revitalised Canada Dock. Inside, finishes are simple and services exposed. The huge steel beams that provide the necessary spans above a pool and sports hall, part of a Southwark leisure centre, are revealed and celebrated in the building’s reception area.