“Turning a private car park into a public square
”.
![]()
Queensway,
West London
Client — Bourne Capital
Area — 250 sqm (pavilions), 1,000 sqm (site)
Use — Public Space, Retail
Status — Planning permision granted
This is the sort of project that architects like
doing – a couple of small buildings that appear to do little more than just look
quite cool – but in reality their presence completely re-configures how the space around them is used.
The
site is highly visible, but in its current state instantly forgettable, serving
as little more than a car park and vehicle access route to surrounding
buildings’ back of house areas.
This arrangement completely misses the site’s civic
potential – to provide a vibrant new social focus and ‘breathing space’ to Queensway
as it becomes ever busier with the huge investments being made into Whiteley’s
at its north end, Park Modern at its south end, and Queensway Market between
the two.
The
new pavilions are one of the smallest parts of a much bigger planning permission
for the Queensway Estate which covers most of the buildings south of Princess
Court all the way down to Hyde Park, and includes nearly 5,000sqm of new
residential space, further commercial space, and works (by us) to many of the
shopfronts along both sides of Queensway.
![]()
The new pavilions will provide
provide ‘pop-up’ space for new retail concepts, storage for café seating and maintenance facilities for the new public realm
![]()
While modest in scale the pavilions unlock public space around themselves to become the natural heart of a much wider re-development stretching most of the way south towards Hyde Park.
![]()
The
design approach is modular, based on a simple extruded ‘rib’ made from 100%
post-consumer aluminium which can be used, unmodified, for both the enclosed
pavilions and the externally exposed ‘tree’ which sits between the two.
![]()
We made lots of models during the design development - mostly because they were fun to make.
![]()
Existing plan view (courtesy of Google Maps). Even with the edges smoothed out by the low resolution photo the place
looks rubbish doesn’t it?
![]()
Much better - Green roofs on both pavilions provide
an attractive outlook for nearby residents while significantly contributing to
the overall project’s ‘urban greening factor’ - that’s planning speak for ‘plants’.
︎ All projects
Next project ︎
Queensway,
West London
Client — Bourne Capital
Area — 250 sqm (pavilions), 1,000 sqm (site)
Use — Public Space, Retail
Status — Planning permision granted
This is the sort of project that architects like
doing – a couple of small buildings that appear to do little more than just look
quite cool – but in reality their presence completely re-configures how the space around them is used.
The
site is highly visible, but in its current state instantly forgettable, serving
as little more than a car park and vehicle access route to surrounding
buildings’ back of house areas.
This arrangement completely misses the site’s civic
potential – to provide a vibrant new social focus and ‘breathing space’ to Queensway
as it becomes ever busier with the huge investments being made into Whiteley’s
at its north end, Park Modern at its south end, and Queensway Market between
the two.
The
new pavilions are one of the smallest parts of a much bigger planning permission
for the Queensway Estate which covers most of the buildings south of Princess
Court all the way down to Hyde Park, and includes nearly 5,000sqm of new
residential space, further commercial space, and works (by us) to many of the
shopfronts along both sides of Queensway.
The new pavilions will provide
provide ‘pop-up’ space for new retail concepts, storage for café seating and maintenance facilities for the new public realm
While modest in scale the pavilions unlock public space around themselves to become the natural heart of a much wider re-development stretching most of the way south towards Hyde Park.
The
design approach is modular, based on a simple extruded ‘rib’ made from 100%
post-consumer aluminium which can be used, unmodified, for both the enclosed
pavilions and the externally exposed ‘tree’ which sits between the two.
We made lots of models during the design development - mostly because they were fun to make.
Existing plan view (courtesy of Google Maps). Even with the edges smoothed out by the low resolution photo the place
looks rubbish doesn’t it?
Much better - Green roofs on both pavilions provide
an attractive outlook for nearby residents while significantly contributing to
the overall project’s ‘urban greening factor’ - that’s planning speak for ‘plants’.
︎ All projects
Next project ︎