Thames City is the revitalisation of 10 acres of former industrial land into a landmark residential-led mixed-use development. This transformative project for R+F Properties and CC Land signals a vibrant new chapter for the area, firmly establishing Nine Elms as a global destination. It's distinguished by a stunning collection of landscape spaces, including courtyards, green podium gardens, and an expansive linear park.
Thames City is a vibrant urban destination, seamlessly blending homes, offices, shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, and a state-of-the-art medical centre across 12 striking contemporary buildings. Gillespies has created a series of beautifully landscaped public spaces designed to enrich and elevate everyday life.
At its core lies the new Linear Park, which will span an impressive 14-acres once complete. This green corridor will connect Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station and Battersea Park. Unfolding in phases, this verdant ribbon will feature meandering pathways, peaceful promenades, and landscaped gardens — a natural escape in the heart of the city.
The first phase, Nine Elms Park, opened in August 2023. Spanning 2.5 acres, it forms a welcoming gateway to the wider park. With curated green spaces for events, winding cycle paths, and waterside walkways, it encourages active living and offers a refreshing retreat for residents and visitors alike.
Our landscape design offers a rich variety of experiences, shaped by the park’s evolving character into two distinct sides. The southern edge, lined with retail, is lively and open, anchored by a waterside promenade that provides a direct east–west route with sweeping views across the lawn. In contrast, the quieter northern side, bordering residential areas, features meandering paths and gently contoured gardens, inviting slower movement and moments of calm.
The structural forms subtly reference the historic and dramatic landscape researched as part of the Battersea Channel Project, which revealed distinctive geological features such as eyots and channels.
Across the park, mature, specimen trees have been carefully selected for their scale and visual presence, while diverse planting schemes enhance biodiversity and bring seasonal colour and texture throughout the year.
Two towers in Phase 1 of the development —No. 8 and No. 9— rise 35 and 54-storeys respectively, from a richly planted podium landscape. The buildings, designed by international architects SOM, offer new luxury riverside apartments and wellness facilities, including a 30-m long swimming pool, residents lounge and landscaped gardens. To the north-west of Nine Elms Square, a connected S-shaped building has been designed by Squire and Partners, while plot N7, at the very eastern gateway, is designed by Wilkinson Eyre.
"Green and open spaces are essential to the fabric of our communities. Named in homage to the nine iconic elm trees that bordered the area’s main road, the Nine Elms district has undergone dramatic transformation from being a riverside marshland dotted with windmills to a cluster of vibrant market gardens and, today, a bustling community in the city centre. We are committed to Nine Elms and have made a significant investment to ensure a greener future for the area with. vegetation, green and blue spaces all adding to and improving the biodiversity of our urban environments."
Guan Zhixiong, Chairman of R&F Properties (UK)
Award
Year
BALI National Landscape Award - Soft Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) - Over £500K
2023
"The opening of the park within Thames City marks an importance milestone for the Nine Elms masterplan, linking the Nine Elms Linear Park to Vauxhall. We worked with R&F and Wandsworth Council to ensure this section of the park provides much-needed open space and amenities. For the first time, local residents, workers and visitors to the area will be able to enter large swathes of green open space directly from the east to enjoy the open lawn, sweeping garden terraces, relaxing walks and playspaces. At the same time, the park offers a rich tapestry of plant communities and habitats for wildlife that, in time, will stretch from Vauxhall bridge to Battersea Power Station."
Armel Mourgue, Partner at Gillespies
Project details
Title
Thames City, Nine Elms Square
Client
R&F Properties | CC Land
Status
Complete
Project team
Gillespies, SOM, Squire & Partners, Wilkinson Eyre, Elite Landscapes
Gillespies team
Armel Mourgue, Oliver Duguid, Sam Hutchison, Alan Nowell, Cameron Heeley, Adam Knight, Balazs Vank, Busra Yilmaz, Ryan Yip, Xin Wen, Leo Song, Hande Kalender, Bethany Keel, Hana Shin, Adina Matroz
Photography
Rob Parrish | Gillespies | Francesco Russo