Isle of Dogs Pumping Station
Grade II* listed by Historic England in 2017
Transformer House - winner of BDA Architectural Award 1989
Shortlisted for the 2026 Brick Awards Legacy Award
Staffordshire Blue Class A Facing Bricks and specials, Staffordshire brown brindle bricks and specials
The Isle of Dogs Pumping Station, nicknamed the Temple of Storms, is one of the most extraordinary examples of post‑modern civic architecture in Britain. Designed by John Outram and completed in 1988, it transformed a vital piece of flood‑defence infrastructure into a monumental work of art, where mythology, colour and sculptural form elevate a functional building into a cultural landmark. Today it remains fully operational under Thames Water and is Grade II* listed, recognised as one of the most exciting buildings of the 1980s
Commissioned by the London Docklands Development Corporation, the pumping station was conceived during the regeneration of East London. Outram rejected the idea that utility buildings must be mute or purely functional. Instead, he created a dramatic architectural narrative: giant stylised Corinthian columns that conceal ventilation ducts, brightly coloured capitals resembling trees, and a circular “Cyclops” eye that doubles as a 3‑metre‑wide fan. The pediment reads as an eagle with outstretched wings, giving the building a mythic presence on the riverside.
In contrast, the adjacent Transformer House, a windowless electricity substation, has a more sombre, industrial character, defined by chunky “Robot” columns and deep brick reveals. Together, the two structures form a sculptural ensemble that merges classical symbolism with modern engineering.
Brickwork was central to Outram’s vision. The pumping station’s polychromatic façade uses bands of Staffordshire blue and red bricks to create a visual rhythm reminiscent of ancient Egyptian textiles. At the waterline, the blues give the impression of a temple rising from the Thames.
The Transformer House relies even more heavily on Ketley’s Staffordshire blue Class A bricks. Their dark metallic sheen and tonal variation, from blue‑black to brindle, create a subtle strata effect, emphasised by deeply recessed joints. Specials including bullnose, cants and radials form the layered brick surrounds of the semicircular columns and the large central archway, demonstrating the versatility of Ketley’s engineering brick range.
A brown brindle boundary wall frames the site, grounding the composition within its industrial landscape.
Outram’s brief was uncompromising: the building had to survive unmanned and endure at least 100 years in a harsh riverside environment. Ketley’s Class A engineering bricks were essential to achieving this. Their low porosity (below 4.5%), high compressive strength and resistance to fire, frost and vandalism made them the ideal material for the exposed lower levels and water‑adjacent façades.
Four decades later, the pumping station remains fully functional and visually striking, proof of the long‑term performance of Ketley’s bricks in demanding conditions.
