Bliss brings urban beach to Royal Docks
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Funded by the GLA and the London Borough of Newham, Bliss partnered with Star Events to plan a set of structures, linked by walkways, and create the first pool proper on the London leg of the Thames.
Buoyed by Star’s extensive experience with waterborne projects, Park Live for London 2012, Airbnb’s Floating House on the Thames and several Jaguar Land Rover activations among them, the 2018 Royal Docks’ beach is a massive technical achievement.
The pool deck, based around Star’s VerTech sub-structure, incorporates a children’s paddling area and extends existing infrastructure around the beach to cover any hazards hidden by the shingle and prevent ad hoc access to the dock.
A sun deck on the water is built from a commercial grade Linkflote system rather than the lightweight plastic and ‘NATO’ type pontoons events typically turn to. As a result, all the floating sections of the structure, which are decked with Star’s standard slip-free stage cover, are every bit as solid as the land-based elements.
The sun deck is accessed by two 16.6m by 2.5m floating walkways, which also serve to fix the structure to the land. All are secured by fencing to keep swimmers out of uncontrolled areas and combine to envelop the lido itself. The 22m by 18m pool incorporates various water level swim platforms, lane/depth markers and access ladders.
Bliss has also fitted a stretch tent to the lawn areas adjoining the beach, providing shade in the short-term and an event space across the four August weekends. Replete with a licensed bar and food traders it will feature some of London’s best buskers on Friday evenings, film screenings, for kids on Saturday mornings and for families in the evening, a lunchtime barbecue on Sundays and more besides.
Anne McLellan, Managing Director at Bliss Events, comments: “This is very much a joint project between Bliss and Star Events. Star has watertight relationships with the likes of Livett’s and other agencies vital to an event like this, along with the kit and the nous to build the lido and the pontoons.”
The 2018 model beach is a flagship event in front of a £314m regeneration plan for the Royal Docks. Money that will support a comprehensive physical, economic and social change in the area over the next five years.
(Jim Evans)
