There’s a bright new fixture among the grassy wetlands of London’s Canada Dock – a 170-metre-long boardwalk designed by artist Asif Khan as a way to experience colour and nature.

The Surrey Docks were a major hub for the timber trade during the 19th and 20th centuries, so Khan looked to this versatile material when designing the boardwalk, which was commissioned as part of the Canada Water masterplan, led by British Land and AustralianSuper.

‘Crossing water can give us powerful sensations. This boardwalk immerses us in a few moments of colour, of nature and of beauty. I want to evoke the crossing of time too. I hope this gives someone a chance to take a breath and look at things in a new way. In today’s world, I think this is more important than ever.’

Khan’s bright red boardwalk takes inspiration from the rafters who once hopped between floating deal planks to traverse the water, weaving a red thread to the past. The elevated structure floats above the water’s surface, threading through natural habitats managed by the London Wildlife Trust, which are home to diverse birdlife, fish, insects, and mammals.

Townshend Landscape Architects designed new steps down to the water’s edge, as well as an educational dipping pond with waterfront seating, as a place to congregate and learn about the natural environment.

The firm collaborated with the London Wildlife Trust to create three new wetland habitats and seven wetland islands, as well as a kilometre of shallow-edged shoreline planted with reed beds, flowering plants, and trees, to maximise biodiversity. The landscape was designed to attract dragonflies, butterflies, kingfishers, and frogs, and to create nesting habitats for ducks, swans, and other wetland birds.

The wetland is a key piece of the Canada Water masterplan puzzle, which will see the 53 acre site redeveloped as 1 million sq ft of retail, leisure and education facilities 2,000-4,000 homes, a 35-acre public park, town square and London’s first high street in a century.

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