Five-strong shortlist for south London backstreets project hits the road

Five proposals to create a ground-level walking route through a series of Victorian railway viaducts in south London have been shortlisted for the final stage of a RIBA-run competition.

The Low Line project in Southwark sought proposals to connect the historic Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey districts – and unlock the potential of derelict and forgotten sites in the process.

According to the project backers, 82 entries were received in response to July’s call for ideas from multidisciplinary teams. The five anonymised projects selected to go ahead to the competition’s final stages are being put on show before the winning entry is announced next month.

They include the introduction of crossings and clearings to improve the coherence of the Low Line route; the creation of a landscaped promenade connecting neighbourhoods; and the delivery of a circular walking route.

Crossings, Clearings and Parades: one of the five shortlisted proposals in the Low Line Competition

Crossings, Clearings and Parades: one of the five shortlisted proposals in the Low Line Competition

Valerie Beirne, of project co-sponsor the Better Bankside Business Improvement District, said the evaluation panel – which includes Allies & Morrison partner Graham Morrison – was “really pleased” with the quality of entries to the competition.

“Low Line group is particularly keen to hear the views of those working and living along and around the Low Line as we choose the winning green vision,” she said.

The shortlisted entries are on display at Southwark council’s offices in Tooley Street on November 18 and 19.