The concrete frame of the Water Lane building at Twickenham Riverside has been completed, marking a major step in a redevelopment intended to reconnect the town centre with the Thames. Richmond Council said the structure was finished on time despite construction challenges caused by summer heatwaves.
Work at Water Lane is now moving to the building envelope and interior. Scaffolding is due to be erected so crews can work on the walls and roof before internal work gets under way. The council has not announced a completion date for this building alone.
Wharf Lane is the next construction milestone
Progress is also continuing on the second building, at Wharf Lane. The concrete superstructure there is expected to be completed shortly, after which scaffolding is scheduled to be installed ahead of façade work. The two buildings will sit on either side of the re-provided Diamond Jubilee Gardens.
The separate construction stages show the site advancing beyond the earlier groundworks phase. The frame at Water Lane is now complete, while the Wharf Lane structure remains in progress. The public update does not give a precise date for the next milestone or say that either building is ready for occupation.
Homes, shops and public space planned
The wider scheme is planned to provide 45 homes across the two buildings, with half described by the council as genuinely affordable. The homes form one part of a mixed-use development that is also due to include shops and business space. The council’s project details say the affordable homes are planned as 81 per cent rented and 19 per cent shared ownership. Retail, office and food and drink units are planned at ground-floor level.
Public space is another central element. Diamond Jubilee Gardens is to be re-provided between Water Lane and Wharf Lane, with new open space, planting and native trees. Plans include a children’s play area with a tree house and climbing wall, pétanque pitches, terraced lawns, tiered seating and an event space beside the river.
The design also includes a widened pedestrian footway on Water Lane to improve the route between the town and the Thames. Parking along the Embankment between Water and Wharf Lanes is to be removed, apart from an area for servicing Eel Pie Island, with the stated aim of prioritising pedestrians and cyclists. A river activity zone is planned with boat storage and a pontoon.
Redevelopment remains under construction
The frame completion is a construction update, not the opening of a finished riverside destination. The council’s project information schedules completion of the overall development for winter 2027. That timetable covers a project with two buildings, new homes and public realm, rather than a confirmed handover date for the Water Lane structure on its own.
For now, the next visible work at Water Lane is expected to be scaffolding followed by the façade and interior. At Wharf Lane, the next stated step depends on completion of its concrete superstructure. The redevelopment’s eventual public benefits remain planned outcomes; the current milestone is the completed Water Lane frame and continuing construction across the site.
