Located between London landmarks Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral, Blackfriars Pier provides impressive views of the river and connectivity for tourists and commuters alike. Replacing the original pier to make way for the Thames Tideway Tunnel construction, it features a simple and elegant shape sensitive to its surrounding iconic buildings and natural landscape.

Appointed by Thames Water, Arup designed the new pier and its access structures. The project integrates all technical requirements such as passenger access and circulation, customer experience, marine environment and location. Our holistic approach allowed to achieve technical excellence without compromising on design, shaping an elegant structure in line with the architectural vision. With its enlarged berthing space, it provides better amenities and improved accessibility from the bridge for the River Bus and private boat passengers.

Our solution prevented the construction of additional welds by implementing technology typically used on offshore wind turbines. Using stainless steel to maximise durability, it also integrates a submerged retaining wall for increased protection against tidal movements. The new pier supports existing river walls and flood defences, while providing unrestricted views across the river.

Overcoming the challenges of constructing against the tides

With an average 6.5m tide change twice a day, minimising works on site was a priority. The pier was designed so that 90% of the pontoon and the walkway structure connecting the riverside – including the installation of details such as balustrading – were constructed offsite in The Netherlands and shipped to London. Choosing a modular construction approach allowed us to keep the costs within budget and reduce life-cycle costs throughout the design.

To increase the pier’s resilience against passing ships, our maritime team incorporated offshore wind turbine technology. This strategy avoided the construction of time-consuming welds in the tidal zone, which would have also caused disruption to ship traffic along the river.  The design also included a dredged pocket with a submerged retaining wall, accommodating tidal movements to increase protection. As a key driver for third-party approvals, our analysis demonstrated that the design did not compromise the stability of the existing river wall and flood defences. 

As the pier is exposed to the elements and day-to-day wear of embarking ferries and tidal changes, choosing the right construction materials was critical. We selected stainless steel due to its anti-corrosive nature, robustness, durability and low maintenance requirements.

Designing to complement the natural surroundings

To preserve the views across the river, the structure was designed to integrate into its surroundings. The pier simulates a thin canopy running parallel to the heavier horizontal structure, resolving the conflict between fitting into the landscape while creating a visual presence. The openness of its shape achieves the project’s desired level of transparency, allowing visitors to enjoy unrestricted views of the River Thames. Embedded within the architectural design of the project, wayfinding and signage were also considered to provide minimal impact on views. 

The design features a simple and elegant shape sensitive to its surrounding iconic buildings and natural landscape

Stairs accessing Blackfriars pier

The lift and stairs provide access to the pier from Blackfriars Bridge

A river bus at Blackfriars pier

The new pier provides better amenities and improved accessibility from the bridge for the River Bus and private boat passengers