TIDE Bankside

Location

London

Main contractor

Kier Group

Sub contractor

Thorp Precast

Architects

Squire and Partners

Products

Facing Bricks

Overview

TIDE Bankside is a new commercial development on the banks of the Thames, designed by Squire & Partners. Located at the corner of Emerson Street and Park Street, just a short walk from the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, the 12-storey building delivers 147,000 sq ft of sustainable workspace in one of London’s most vibrant and cultural neighbourhoods.

Taylor Maxwell worked closely with main contractor Kier Group and sub-contractor Thorp Precast throughout the project, supplying the yellow facing bricks used across the facade that contributed to the building’s architectural vision. Since its completion, the project has been recognised for its striking architecture as a ‘Commercial Workspace’ regional finalist at the 2025 BCO Awards and has been shortlisted for the ‘Commercial’ and ‘Innovation’ categories at the 2025 Brick Development Association Brick Awards.

Concept

The architect’s design concept draws direct inspiration from its riverside setting. The facade references the natural erosion of coastal landscapes, telling the story of a material shaped over centuries by “a thousand tides”. Elegant arboresque columns extend down the building, creating a dynamic vertical rhythm reminiscent of water flowing over a cliff edge, frozen in time. At street level, these columns step into the public realm, forming a shaded colonnade and marking the building’s corner with a distinctive visual landmark.

Delivering this vision required pioneering methods. Using the yellow facing bricks we supplied, Thorp Precast and the project team developed advanced waterjet cutting technology to sculpt bespoke bricks and columns for the facade. The process, which mimicked natural erosion, used high-pressure steam to shape each brick with precision while producing zero waste, as both halves of every cut brick were incorporated into the columns. The facade design was further supported using high-strength ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) for the reinforced concrete frame, which cuts embodied carbon by 50% compared to standard concrete mixes, combining sculptural ambition with environmental responsibility.

The facade marries traditional London yellow brickwork with innovative techniques and bronze cladding detailing, creating a building that feels contemporary and timeless. Its aesthetic presence on the riverbank makes the development an unmistakable landmark in Bankside, firmly anchoring the building within its historic and geographical context.

Sustainability

Sustainability was integral to the project’s design and delivery, informing every stage of the project from materials selection to long-term adaptability. The building is a Net Zero embodied and operational carbon workspace, achieving a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating placing it among the top one percent of UK buildings. The concrete frame incorporating GGBS reduced embodied carbon by 50%, while the structural grid ensures adaptability for future uses over its projected 180-year lifespan.

The building also maximises natural ventilation through openable windows, and landscaped terraces and roof gardens support biodiversity and provide outdoor working environments. Designed to London Energy Transformation Initiative standards, TIDE Bankside demonstrates how thoughtful design, pioneering technology and environmental responsibility can combine to create a resilient, future-proofed workspace.

Completion

TIDE Bankside is a striking workspace development with premium and affordable office spaces, designed to support a large range of businesses, as well as 1,500 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor enhancing the building’s integration into the vibrant local community. Extensive outdoor terraces and roof gardens provide landscaped environments that help contribute to the local biodiversity, and cycle spaces and electric bike charging facilities encourage sustainable lifestyles.

Find out more about our facing brick here.