Uniquely placed at the convergence of the River Lea and Bow Back River, the tower at Vulcan Wharf celebrates the southeastern gateway into the emerging Pudding Mill Lane masterplan and will form part of this new residential quarter for Stratford South. It will provide more than 90 new homes and received planning approval in December 2020. The tower is sculptured to respond to key microclimate and site conditions creating a unique multifaceted form that is articulated with steps to create slender and elegant proportions and to capture the panoramic views of the Olympic Park and surrounding cityscape. Each ‘step’ creates a generous external terrace for which is part of a larger programme of shared residential amenity that extends up through the tower, each with its own distinct character. Beneath the first garden terrace, the tower’s two storey plinth pulls back from the river front to create a new public square that allows its commercial and maker space to spill out and animate the tower’s base and new public space. The tower embraces the rich industrial legacy of the area through its architectural language and material palette. The tower base echoes the weight and presence of former dockland warehouse buildings with a simple fenestration rhythm punching into pigmented concrete. The upper tower adopts a more expressive and regular grid which is defined with corrugated brick piers.