Developer Southern Grove has secured permission for a scheme that promises to complete the transformation of Hackney Wick into a student quarter.
The Piano Works, on the site of the former Broadwood piano factory in Fish Island, will house 204 student beds in two blocks – one six-storey, the other seven-storey.
The ground floor of both buildings will host incubator space for the London College of Fashion (University of the Arts London).
A third building, five storeys high, will contain 840 sqm of commercial floorspace, which will be entirely given over to community organisation the Stour Trust, which supports local commercial, artistic and industrial enterprises.
No contractor has been signed for the project yet.
The developer hopes that having these two organisations embedded “will create a new centre of gravity in the cultural life of Hackney Wick”.
Southern Grove said that The Piano Works, on Stour Rd, would “help Hackney Wick complete its evolution into one of the most vibrant off-campus student communities in London”.
Neighbouring student accommodation blocks include The Vogue, a 330-bed scheme developed by Southern Grove’s joint venture sister company, Future Generation, a specialist in purpose-built student accommodation.
The Piano Works was designed by architect Henley Halebrown. Southern Grove was also assisted by planning consultant Knight Frank and townscape consultant Montagu Evans.
Southern Grove Group chief executive Tom Slingsby said: “Hackney Wick will soon be one of the most vibrant and exciting places to be in the capital and we’re tremendously proud that we’ve played a huge role in making that happen.
“The Piano Works will be yet another design-led, landmark development helping to make Fish Island a magnet for young people, students, entrepreneurs and the businesses that want to reach them.
“The presence of Stour Trust and the London School of Fashion will present no end of opportunities for local people and residents. This is the kind of scheme that suddenly puts an area on the map, creating a wave of inward investment that we’re sure will last for decades.”
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