New Practice
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Redesigning Grosvenor Square

 

Redesigning Grosvenor Square

An exhibition and a rigorous set of engagement materials to help people across London decide the future of London’s second largest square.

Over the course of 2021, New Practice supported Grosvenor Estates and project architects Tonkin Liu in extensive community and stakeholder engagement on exciting plans for the redesign and development of Grosvenor Square, a historic urban square in the heart of Mayfair, and only 5 minutes walk from Oxford Street.

 
 

This engagement process was delivered over a number of detailed stages, working with local residents, workers, and other visitors to the square to develop a set of guiding ambitions and principles, and supporting exploration of the emerging concepts and designs for the Square. 

A principal exhibition was installed in the square for people to visit over the summer of 2021 - with each aspect of the design explained in detail. The exhibition included a variety of informative points for discussion, including a ping pong table engraved with planting options for the square, as well as a bespoke discussion table and a series of exhibition boards explaining the story of the design.

Aerial visualisation of the proposed design for Grosvenor Square.

Aerial visualisation of the proposed design for Grosvenor Square

 
 
People observing a scale prototype of the proposed design for Grosvenor Square. The prototype is in a perspex case in a park.
 
 

We worked with Mitre & Mondays to realise the exhibition space, which was designed to act as a 1:1 scale prototype of some of the design features in Tonkin Liu’s emerging masterplan. In particular, the space was structured around three oval elements, each containing a range of functions; display panels, an architectural model, and a bespoke ping pong table. These helped visitors and passersby to better understand the scale of some of the new, intimate social spaces planned for the Square.

Visualisations of the proposed designs for Grosvenor Square.

Visualisations of the proposed designs

Visualisations of the proposed designs for Grosvenor Square.

The ping pong table was a hugely effective and fun tool for encouraging passersby to stop and find out more about the project. Inset into the top surface of the table were a series of historic botanical illustrations of native plant species to be included in the finished square, specified by Professor Nigel Dunnett.

This exhibition acted as a backdrop for a series of workshops and events, inviting residents and passersby to meet with the project team, better understand the proposals, and have their say on how the project be developed further. For those that could not attend in person, a series of online materials were also developed. Over 3000 people were engaged over the month of July. 

 
 
A woman reading an information stand next to several other information stands.
People reading information stands in a park.
 
 
People playing table tennis on a wooden table in a park.

This engagement was incorporated into a comprehensive and highly evidenced Statement of Community Involvement, detailing the ambitious community engagement standards set by client, Grosvenor Estates. 

A further stage of engagement was delivered in December 2021/January 2022, showcasing the designs ahead of a successful planning submission to Westminster City Council.

A group of people observing a prototype in a park next to an information stand.
 
 
 
A wooden table tennis table with the writing "The Shaded Garden".