London's £4.6bn Super Sewer Public Space Criticised as 'Grim' and 'Lifeless'
London's new £4.6 billion super sewer project has faced harsh criticism over its above-ground public space, described as 'grim' with 'unusable benches' and 'lifeless' architecture. After nine years of construction, the Bazalgette Embankment—the visible element of the 15-mile Tideway Tunnel designed to clean up the Thames—was finally unveiled, but the results have left many underwhelmed.
Public Backlash Over Design and Atmosphere
Visitors have labelled the space 'a Soviet nightmare' with 'benches for penguins,' highlighting its sparse 1.5-acre layout featuring a handful of benches and looming black monoliths etched with poetry. Originally promised to provide Londoners with three acres of 'architecturally beautiful' public space for the first time in over a century, the reality has fallen short. While it offers a stunning view of the River Thames, the area feels oppressive due to countless CCTV cameras and a lack of colour.
Ida Lawson told the Daily Mail, 'It's a waste of money. I can see why people say it looks like AI, it's empty and there's not anything nice about it.' She added, 'It's not a vibrant area; there's literally a noisy road right next to it. I wouldn't want to drink coffee or beers here.'
Tourist and Local Reactions
The area was intended to create new destinations for Londoners and tourists, but feedback has been largely negative. Zac Wheeler from New Zealand, who stumbled upon the site, said he would not recommend it to friends. 'It almost looks like a skatepark but doesn't fit with the architecture across the road. It's so clean it's out of place, almost creepy. The black things look like obstacles someone could skate on. There could be more greenery; this wide open space is weird.'
Anil Hansjee commented on the design, noting, 'It's a good way to hide the building work underneath. But at the moment, it's empty and lifeless. You need some attractions here if they're going to develop it; it should be part of a more holistic plan. I'm not sure what the meaning of these statues are; they're a bit blockish.'
Historical Context and Project Goals
Work on the new sewage system began in 2016, marking the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. It aims to stop London's most polluting sewer leaks and modernise the city's Victorian-era infrastructure. The above-ground space was designed to conceal the sewage tunnels—a concept that has received some praise.
London's sewer system has remained largely unchanged since the Victorian era, when engineer Joseph Bazalgette oversaw the construction of around 1,100 miles of drains and 82 miles of intercepting sewers. This innovation significantly improved public health, but over 100 years later, London has outgrown these designs, originally made for a city of only 5.5 million people.
Criticism of Cost and Necessity
By 2014, London's sewers were at 80% capacity in dry weather, causing sewage overflows into the Thames with even slight rainfall. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) found that 39 million tonnes of untreated wastewater flowed into the Thames annually, prompting the Tideway Tunnel project. Thames Water estimates it will reduce sewage overflows by about 95%, to only five per year.
However, critics argue the tunnel is unnecessarily expensive. In 2017, the National Audit Office found Thames Water had not accurately modelled the needed tunnel length, potentially allowing for a nine-mile shorter and £646 million cheaper alternative. Professor Chris Binney, who sat on the original 2005 steering group, called the Tideway Tunnel 'a waste of about £4bn.'
James, a passerby, echoed this sentiment: 'That is a staggering amount to spend. How can you have benches that people can't sit on? On a grey day, it would be very miserable; they could have a bit more colour. I worry if people will end up graffitiing the walls.'
Ray Wells added, 'It's a bit stark. This is not an obvious place; not a lot of people would walk along here. The benches look like they're designed so people can't sleep on them. It's always going to be a bit spooky; I can't see it being a popular stopping-off point. It's a bit dreary.'
Defence from Tideway
A Tideway spokesperson defended the project, stating, 'Bazalgette Embankment has been designed to enhance the lives of Londoners and visitors for generations to come. Since opening, surveys of those using the site have been overwhelmingly positive, and we expect this space to become a landmark, treasured and well-used space decades and centuries into the future.'
They highlighted improvements such as 3,000 plants, 71 newly planted trees, new vistas of London's skyline, varied seating, bold sculptural artwork, and features to connect people with the cleaned Thames. The spokesperson added, 'As with any major new civic space, it will truly come into its own over time. The planting will establish, the materials will weather, and Londoners and visitors will make it part of their daily lives.'
