Dara Huang’s Upper Riverside Design

Award-winning international designer, Dara Huang has announced the creation of her very first furniture collection, launching this October exclusively at Greenwich Peninsula. The founder and CEO of established design and architecture studio, Design Haus Liberty, is introducing a fresh approach to designer furniture, influenced by the changing uses and needs of the home.

The first bespoke collection is being created for, and inspired by, a new design-led London district in Zone 2, Greenwich Peninsula, where Design Haus Liberty has crafted exclusive interiors for the Upper Riverside address – a flagship waterfront neighbourhood set on the tip of the peninsula.

The new venture launches this autumn with the highly anticipated premium collection at No. 5 Upper Riverside – a striking 30-storey tower which completes the neighbourhood’s family of five iconic buildings - and will feature a bespoke show home by Design Haus Liberty, showcasing her inaugural furniture range.

Natural inspiration

The inaugural furniture collection builds on Greenwich Peninsula’s distinctive setting, combining the buzz of urban London with a riverside location. The new creative and cultural hub for the capital is wrapped in 1.6 miles of the River Thames, surrounded by water and landscaping yet just minutes from central London.

Pieces have been influenced by the natural aspects of the location. Organic raw materials reflect the surrounding context: stone features throughout, drawing on the variety of rocks, pebbles and sand along the riverbanks, while the use of timber draws on the green landscape and trees of the nearby ecology park. Unengineered, these materials are juxtaposed with smooth curves and sculptural forms that echo the dramatic, almost circular bends of the river as it sweeps around Greenwich Peninsula, and its unique constant movement. The reflection and flow of the water is brought to life with contrasting materials such as polished chrome and translucent perspex.

The furniture collection offers a full range of colour choices from an exclusive palette that captures the colours of the surrounding landscape, wildlife and views from the Upper Riverside apartments, bringing the surrounding environment into the home.

Greenwich Peninsula’s rising status as a new destination for the arts also inspired the new range and its contemporary, almost sculptural approach - particularly the prominence of contemporary art within Upper Riverside’s own communal spaces. In addition, pieces draw on new riverside trail The Tide, the first kilometre of which weaves through Upper Riverside and features monumental pieces of public art by renowned names including Damien Hirst, Allen Jones and Morag Myerscough.

Sculptural form

The approach to the furniture collection focuses on fusing beauty with function. Artistic quality and individuality are not at the cost of comfort and durability. Instead, a careful mix of creative design, expert engineering and thoughtful selection of materials to ensure they are as attractive as they are functional for every day, real life. Select pieces utilise sustainably sourced fabrics and are designed with practicality in mind. The use of an innovative waterproof, stain-resistant material means each piece can be used both indoors and outdoors, with the expansive penthouse terraces and their far-reaching views providing the perfect setting for these al fresco design pieces.

Dara’s approach also looks to democratise designer furniture, making the benefits of it more widely accessible. Demystifying the creation of a well-designed and co-ordinated spaces the collection takes a ‘modular’ approach in the way that the pieces are crafted. They are designed specifically to work in harmony together, in shape, size and even colour – while all are available in a wide choice of colours, the entire palette is carefully curated to ensure any combination is entirely complementary for a seamless composition. Larger pieces, such as the sofa, are also modular in form making them flexible in size and easily customisable to suit individual spaces.

A direct-from-factory supply model offers greater value in financial terms too. Dara works directly with both the carefully selected craftsman and the end user, in a bid to make the benefits of designer furniture accessible to more people.

Dara Huang explains: “My work always takes inspiration from the world around me, in the look and feel of our physical environments but also how we use and live in them. As we spend more time in our homes, both the appearance and functionality of these spaces – and, thus, the furniture within them – is more important than ever.

“Beauty and practicality do not need to be mutually exclusive; a piece of furniture can act like a beautiful piece of art, but also be comfortable and durable – and even child friendly. A place to work or sleep can also serve as a stunning focal piece. The future of designer furniture is in its duality.”

Upper Riverside: the home of modern design

The last chapter in the Upper Riverside story, No. 5 Upper Riverside marks the completion of this prime waterfront address at Greenwich Peninsula, the capital’s cultural district. An arresting new addition to the London skyline, Upper Riverside is a family of five striking glass towers by leading global architecture practice, SOM, with innovative prism-shaped architecture that affords apartments vast, panoramic views either across the river or the cityscape.

Knight Dragon has taken a unique design approach to Upper Riverside, bringing together an eclectic mix of British design icons for each building, including Tom Dixon and Studio Ashby. At No. 5 Upper Riverside, Design Haus Liberty completes this creative mix with a bespoke penthouse collection, alongside a bold statement lobby and residents’ terrace.

Unveiling the penthouse collection

The penthouse collection at No. 5 Upper Riverside is the picture-perfect partner for Dara Huang’s first furniture range. With a harmonious design ethos, the penthouses take inspiration from Greenwich Peninsula’s unique position, effortlessly complementing the range and showcasing it against the impressive backdrop of river views and surroundings that inspired it.

Drawing on the natural setting – whilst also maximising light and the flow of space – apartments feature sculptural curved walls, alongside textural materials such as green veined marble, raw timber, exposed concrete and distressed brass. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the river and skyline, allowing light to spill throughout every space and reconnecting residents with the nature outside.

A bold new London neighbourhood

Spanning 150 acres, and one of the largest urban regeneration schemes in Europe, Greenwich Peninsula is creating a modern urban neighbourhood unlike any other in the capital.

The penthouse collection at No. 5 Upper Riverside offers a unique proposition, with uninterrupted views, exceptional connectivity, a well-established community and with a host of amenities, green spaces and a thriving cultural scene on the doorstep. Design Haus Liberty has taken a minimalist approach to the design of the two and three-bedroom residences, each of which is finished to an unrivalled quality with a natural, organic palette and materials. Alongside the floor-to-ceiling glazing, expansive terraces offer exceptional views across the water and cityscape beyond.

The penthouses mark the final phase to come to market of the landmark Upper Riverside address, with prices starting at £1,175,000.

Dara Huang’s first limited edition furniture range launches this October with the penthouse collection at No.5 Upper Riverside at Greenwich Peninsula. Prices are currently POA. For further information, contact 020 3713 6153 or visit www.upperriverside.co.uk.