On 11 January 2007, Save
Sloane Square
(SSS), in conjunction with Atkins, the leading architects, unveiled the
Sloane Square Renovation Scheme to a public meeting at Chelsea Town
Hall. More than 400 people packed the hall, including celebrities Nicky
Haslam and Martin Lewis, SSS patrons Princess George Galitzine and
Dowager Lady
Salisbury, and reporters from the Evening Standard and Kensington
&
Chelsea News. The Renovation Scheme was given resounding endorsement
and the evening provided a springboard for the next stage of
SSS’s campaign as people pledged their support in large
numbers,
including donations and offers for help.
The Atkins design takes as its starting point the gracious 1930s layout
with its central island, but improves it by reclaiming substantial
areas of unused road surface to create significantly wider pavements in
closer proximity to the central island. Road crossings are raised to
pavement level to improve access from the tube station and across the
Square. The central island, pavements and crossings are re-laid in
striking new paving, and radically improved lighting emphasises the
beauty of the monuments and the Square itself. The war memorial and
Venus fountain remain in their cherished positions and a statue of Sir
Hans Sloane is placed at the western end of the island, facing Peter
Jones, to provide a reassuring welcome to its many patrons. Low hedging
at the corners of the central island briefly acknowledge the importance
of the Chelsea Flower Show in the life of Chelsea and the nation.
Sloane Square will be substantially renovated and renewed but not
destroyed. It will look, as SSS chairman Dr James Thompson said when he
chaired the 11 January meeting, ‘like an old friend who has
had a
good holiday!’
Background
Sloane Square is an iconic
square in a
beautiful urban area, as well as an important traffic hub for
south-west London. It is designated a Conservation Area under Section
69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s (RBKC)
Proposals
Statement 1991 recognises ‘that Sloane Square itself has a
special character beyond doubt. To describe it succinctly, however, is
quite a different matter. The special qualities are elusive when
subjected to analysis: perhaps it has more of a continental than an
English character? In any event it contributes to the essence of
Chelsea’.
The square’s symmetrical layout, with its tree-fringed
central
island, repeats the pattern of garden squares throughout Chelsea and
Belgravia. The lovely Grade II listed Venus fountain by Gilbert Ledward
at the centre, and the noble war memorial at the eastern end, give the
Square a striking dignity which distracts observers from the large
amount of traffic circulating round it. The far-sighted local
politicians who introduced the current design in the 1930s understood
the character of the area and designed a layout which has not only
stood the test of time but given pleasure to generations. It is
astounding that the Council should seek to destroy what is widely
regarded as the gateway to one of the loveliest areas in London.
Current uses of the Square include Memorial Day parades, the erection
of temporary pavilions to promote the Chelsea Flower Show, and charity
events that include fetes and social fundraising. The flower seller who
is a regular feature during trading hours has had its established pitch
for more than 25 years.
Historical Layout of the Square
The initial layout of Sloane
Square was
diagonally bisected by a line of cobbles, demarcating a road continuing
the line of the Kings Road. By 1900, this had resulted in a complicated
intersection with a number of roads, traffic islands and refuges.
Following concerns about road safety, proposals were made to create one
large central island, with public lavatories and a War Memorial, and a
gyratory traffic system such as that adopted at Trafalgar Square,
Parliament Square and Hyde Park Corner. The proposals were accepted:
the current layout was designed in 1926 and installed in 1930. The
scheme included a cruciform layout of paving in the central island,
flanked by plane trees.
During the Great Exhibition of Britain in 1951, a replica of the
Chelsea Bun House was erected on the square. This building proved so
popular that the Chelsea Society campaigned to have the Bun House
restored after it was taken down in 1952. They favoured a building of
contemporary style which could be taken down in winter, but this was
not implemented.
Various plans to develop Sloane Square and/ or change the gyratory
system have been investigated and aborted over the last 50 years. From
the 1950s until 1991, they include:
1965 proposals
for a new residential and shopping development;
Sloane Square
Pavilion, Chelsea’s
contribution to the European event, Architectural Heritage
’75;
a hexagonal glass
cafe proposed in 1976 to
cover one eighth of the square on the eastern end, adjacent to the
Royal Court Theatre;
improvements by
RBKC, in 1991, including new
York stone paving, traditional style cast iron lamps and replica
Victorian cast iron bollards and seats;
in 1997, a statue
of Sir Hans Sloane placed in Square facing Peter Jones.
Need for Renovation
It is now 15 years since the
last
restoration project (RBKC 1991), and everyone agrees that the Square
would benefit from restoration of its surviving features and
modernization to reflect contemporary conditions and needs. The Council
has cut back on maintenance in the expectation of funding major
reconstruction work. The Square now has cracked and patched pavements,
ugly lighting everywhere except the central island, general clutter,
and shoddy railings. There are significant areas of roadway which are
redundant for traffic and could be reclaimed to create better footways
for pedestrians and patrons of the Royal Court Theatre. In addition,
the Square is used as a bus stand, both outside the Royal Court
Theatre, and increasingly in front of Peter Jones.
Appointment of Atkins as Urban Designer
In October 2006, the Council
finally
agreed with Save Sloane Square that an urban designer should be engaged
to draw up a renovation plan for the Square. Atkins were appointed
after a short beauty contest. They were chosen not only for their
in-depth expertise in traffic and urban design, but also for their
invaluable experience with the renovation of Trafalgar Square.
Atkins were asked to take account of the following in their design:
retain the
current traffic gyratory system;
retain all trees,
and add more where possible;
improve
pedestrian access to and from the tube station, in particular by
pavement widening;
retain the bus
stops to the southern side of
the Square and improve the positioning of the taxi rank to allow for
better views into the Square from the tube station;
improve
pedestrian links to and from the Square;
improve street
furniture, including signage,
lighting and seating, with particular attention given to the removal of
clutter, the replacement or rationalisation of railings and bollards,
and the location of public toilets, telephone boxes, utility boxes,
refuse bins and bicycle stands;
site the Sir Hans
Sloane statue, which is a replica of the statue in the Chelsea Physic
Garden;
retain the War
Memorial and Venus fountain in their current location;
locate the animal
drinking fountain;
exploit sunny
locations in the central square for seating;
consider annual/
seasonal events and
the need for temporary structures and power outlets, thus encouraging
activity and vitality within the Square;
improve lighting;
introduce
planting and/or demountable screening to reduce the impact of traffic
noise;
durable and low
maintenance cost surface materials;
improve the
entrance and tunnel from the central square to the Royal Court;
consider the
location and design of
‘moveable’ elements such as the flower and
newspaper stalls;
consider new
elements, such as sculpture(s), an information kiosk or a pavement
café;
guidance
contained in the Council’s Streetscape Guide;
enhance the
Square and the public’s perception of it.
As a first step, Atkins worked with Project Centre, who were mandated
by RBK&C to model the traffic flow of the Renovation Scheme, as
they were for the crossroads scheme. The pavement layout of the
‘renovated gyratory’ was completed by Project
Centre in the
second half of November and given to Atkins as a basis for developing
their urban design.
Design
The Atkins design takes as
its starting
point the classic symmetrical layout of the 1930s with its tree fringed
central island, circular traffic flow and radial roads leading to and
from the Square. It recognizes that while much of this remains, part of
the original conception behind the design has been lost and needs to be
restored, especially in the central island. For example, the 1930s
design included the following key elements:
York stone paving
in contrasting colours;
radial and linear
paving patterns to delineate octagons and avenues;
symmetrical
pedestrian crossings from Lower Sloane Street and Sloane Street;
a symmetrical
sweep to the perimeter pavements.
Later changes have been
positive and negative. The War Memorial and
Venus fountain added graciousness and dignity to the original
conception. Replica Victorian lighting and benches have complemented
the design. However, the circular sweep of the pavements has been lost
as pavements have been extended in ad hoc traffic improvements. There
are so many unnecessary bollards and railings that in places the Square
seems to be overwhelmed with street clutter.
The Renovation design also recognizes that there are large areas of
redundant road space in Sloane Square which can be reclaimed for
pedestrians. Pavements are substantially extended and de-cluttered, to
create better walkways around the Square and to bring them closer to
the central island. All pedestrian crossings are radically redesigned
and improved by raising them to the level of the pavements
The War Memorial and Venus fountain remain in their current position
but are complemented by a new statue of Sir Hans Sloane, as befits the
Square named after him. The Renovation Scheme suggests a bespoke design
for the flower stall and a sympathetic temporary pavilion for events
which are held in the Square from time to time.
What the Design Achieves
The Renovation Scheme
enhances and
enlivens Sloane Square by ensuring that its most recognised elements
are retained and restored, while improving access for pedestrians and
sensitively introducing modern features in the form of lighting and
striking paving. Part of our heritage is preserved for future
generations by maintaining the 1930 gyratory system, in common with
Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park Corner, and many of
its lost features are restored.
A classical layout based on the 1926 design unites all existing
features of the central island, including the War Memorial and Venus
Fountain, balances them with a new statue of Sir Hans Sloane placed at
the Western end, and enhances the whole square with striking new paving
and additional feature lighting. Not one of the existing majestic trees
fringing the central island is lost.
The design improves pedestrian access to and from the tube station with
wider, clutter-free pavements surrounding the Square to provide more
café and leisure space, particularly in front of the Royal
Court
and Peter Jones. It retains all current pedestrian crossings and
enhances them by making them level with the pavements so that
pedestrian access to and from the Square is improved. Pavements are in
York stone, and the road crossings at the same level are in granite,
ensuring Sloane Square is more attractive and easier to visit.
The design makes provision for a temporary and easily removed
exhibition facility for parties, fairs, and art galleries during the
Chelsea Festival and for flower displays during the Flower Show, to
celebrate Chelsea and draw in visitors to the central island. A
pavilion was erected on Sloane Square during the 1951 Festival of
Britain and proved so popular there have been regular events on the
Square since. A bespoke design, to be drawn up during a later design
phase, will ensure the pavilion is easily erected and dismantled, of
the highest design quality and robustly detailed.
In summary, the design achieves the following:
central unified
space;
footway widening,
with public realm gains of over 550 sq metres or room for 1,100 extra
pedestrians;
de-cluttering of
pavements;
clear views to
Square from tube station;
shared surface
crossings to enhance sense of arrival and give pedestrians priority;
bus stops in
close proximity to tube station;
taxis moved from
central space to perimeter pavements;
no loss of
majestic central trees;
gain in perimeter
trees of at least two;
gain in seating;
gain in lighting,
with recessed in ground
lighting, uplighting of trees and dramatic architectural lighting of
sculptures and water feature;
flexibility of
space and equipment for events including Memorial Day parades, Chelsea
Flower Show;
information point
and gateway site, charity
events and seasonal café associated with the Royal Court
Theatre;
relatively low
implementation cost;
reasonable
construction time.
Temporary Structure for Events.
The full specifications of a
temporary
structure will be subject to detailed design in next phase of the
project. It would be a flexible structure that could vary in size to
accommodate different scales of event, and be easily erected and
dismantled.
A modular approach of component parts would meet the requirements above
and enable storage in the disused toilet if it was converted for this
purpose. They could include:
columns (these
give rhythm and formality and have classical references to arcades);
roof (necessary
to keep the elements out,
possibly slatted sections rolled out, tensile fabrics or
glass/perspex panels;
sides (again,
necessary to keep out the
elements, particularly if structure is to be in place over a 24 hour
period, materials as roof);
screens (shorter
modules can be used if low
level windbreaks are desired around seating or to enclose a space,
materials as roof);
heating (for
autumn and chilly summer nights);
lighting (for any
evening events).
The Renovation Scheme also envisages a single module, tailored flower
stall, which would include wheels that ‘lock’ into
recessed
fixings and ‘roll out’ accessories including
windbreaks.
There would also be a single module to provide a market stall or
exhibition space. Several single modules without side panels would
create a single space for larger functions.
Traffic Impact of
Renovation Scheme
The Renovation Scheme will
keep all
existing roads open and maintain their current direction of traffic
flow. However, the design takes into account the following traffic
related issues:
the widening of
pavements;
the relocation of
bus stands (but not bus stops);
the relocation of
the taxi stand to the perimeter pavements;
the provision of
loading bays, drop off and pick up points;
the location and
type of pedestrian crossings.
Project Centre has undertaken preliminary testing of the outline plan
to ensure that traffic flow is not impeded and that it conforms to the
requirements of Transport for London (‘TFL’). First
stage
modelling of the scheme suggests that traffic queues will drop by up
to 20%, and bus journey times by up to 18%, depending on the
time
of day. This is achieved by better use of space in the Square.
Gallery
Gallery
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Original
Website design by: Andy
Berry. from 2005 - October 2006 Vic Gerhardi
from November
2006 Hazel Smith, Jill Hoyle & Vic Gerhardi.
