STREETSCAPE GUIDANCE

HOME
INTRODUCTION
PART A
A vision for London’s streets
PART B
From strategy to delivery
PART C
New measures for new challenges
PART D
Balancing priorities
PART F
Appendix
PART E
Physical design and materials
SECTION 6
Introduction
SECTION 7
High quality footways
SECTION 8
Carriageways
SECTION 9
Crossings
SECTION 10
Kerbside activity
SECTION 11
Footway amenities
SECTION 12
Safety and functionality
SECTION 13
Street environment
SECTION 14
Transport interchanges
Streetscape Guidance
3.3 Enhancing a cultural heart
Leicester Square
City of Westminster
WC2H
Completion date: 2012
Cost:
£15.3m
[Part B] From strategy to delivery 22
Figure 21: The high quality public realm at Leicester Square now sits comfortably within its
surrounding street network, reinforcing the identity of this internationally important space at the
heart of London’s West End
Image courtesy of Burns+Nice
Improvements
Recreate the street
Rethink traffic management
Relocate/merge functions
De-clutter
Tidy up
Prior to the works, the urban environs of
Leicester Square no longer mirrored its
international landmark status. Shabby with
neglect, the space struggled to encourage the
250,000 people who pass through the square
every day to linger in the area. At the physical
heart of London’s West End, it functions as a
beacon for entertainment and a destination in
its own right with bars, clubs, cafés, restaurants
and hotels. As the home of UK cinema and a
flagship red carpet destination, the square also
hosts major film premieres. To sustain this
reputation, Westminster City Council committed
to transforming Leicester Square. Westminster
ran a design competition in 2007, with Burns +
Nice ultimately being awarded the contract.
During the development stages, there was
significant involvement with local businesses and
representative groups. This was followed up with
weekly public drop-in briefing sessions, monthly
meetings with key groups, a website detailing
the planned works, and information displayed on
construction hoarding – all coordinated through a
dedicated communications officer.
The redesign of Leicester Square into a must-see
destination presented an opportunity to consider
the gardens, the square and the connector streets
as one entity and create a coherent public realm
that strengthens the identity of this part of the
West End. Around the perimeter of the gardens,
a curvilinear seating wall and shrub planting now
extends the experience of the green square beyond
its boundaries, while new lighting incorporated
into the seating wall deters antisocial behaviour
and makes the square more appealing after dark.
The identity of the square is highlighted with
dark granite, while the primary movement
corridors adopt a lighter shade. The existing 19th
century Shakespeare fountain was retained and
features water jets around the statue. Along
the building lines a consistent alignment of
alfresco dining areas now appear, reinforced with
consistent edge treatments which again feature
in the railings around the square. Legible London
signage has been provided at key decision points.
Vehicular access for loading is severely limited to
times of day with the least visitors.
The square’s makeover was completed in time
for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These
revitalisation works have breathed new life into
London’s West End, attracting a number of new
businesses to the square by providing a flexible
and contemporary space that works well for
everyday use and for large red carpet functions.