The most recent stage of Foster + Partners‘ Bishops Square development in London has been finished. It includes redesigning Lamb Street as an open-air plaza with retail and food booths, reinvention of Market Street as a lively new shopping avenue, and creating Bishops Square Gardens with fresh greenery and tailored street furniture.
As Foster + Partners’ Head of Studio Grant Brooker put it: “We’re thrilled to finally have the newest section of Bishops Square available to visitors. The new garden and improved roadways are the next natural progression of this remarkable revitalization effort. Each subsequent stage will improve upon the one before it, in keeping with the spirit of innovation and progress that characterizes the region.”
© Foster + Partners
David Kong, Partner, Foster + Partners, remarked, “Our in-house landscape and industrial design teams collaborated closely with us to develop a plan that improves accessibility, adds greenery, and increases the number of available seats without changing any of the scheme’s proven features.”
The New Bishops Square Development
- Lamb Street
The new oxide red steel building on Lamb Street, which takes its design cues from the East End’s ancient industrial factories, serves as a signpost for the development’s next stage and brings life to the site’s northern portion. The two-story structure is a welcome addition to Bishops Square and the surrounding area, home to various specialty stores and market vendors.
The lower floor features a strip of shops and food stands along an existing service entrance. The kiosks have fully transparent fronts, allowing complete visibility to enliven the street, and come with fully integrated kitchens for customers. Throughout the building’s lifetime, these food kiosks may accommodate a variety of occupants thanks to their adaptable layout.
A double-height foyer at one end of the building provides an entrance to a larger unit on the above floor. As a result of carefully considering its local environment, the building’s northern façade, which overlooks Elder Gardens, is covered in softer, natural materials.
© Foster + Partners
- Market Street
The success of the Old Spitalfields Market renovation project by Foster + Partners inspired the team to rethink Market Street as a lively, weather-friendly commercial district. The shops have made the street feel more personal, with storefronts extending beyond the columns.
Tenants can choose from various façade layouts tailored to their businesses, adding variety to the streetscape and breaking up the monotony. Each storefront shares a common area for signage and awnings, which helps create a unified appearance and keeps customers safe.
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- Bishops Square Gardens
Foster + Partners’ industrial design team created the unique street furniture for the Bishops Square development’s three landscaped sections. The layout improves the availability and variety of seating across the area while complementing the environment.
You can enter Bishops Square right from the Adaptive Plaza. It’s a multipurpose outdoor area with pyramidal seating for impromptu get-togethers and town celebrations. Performances, short-term exhibits, and screenings can all benefit from the portability and flexibility of adaptable timber seating. You can use the seats as extra seating or put them together to make a stage.
© Foster + Partners
The Urban Living Room provides a naturally covered area for outdoor get-togethers. A calm urban retreat in the heart of Bishops Square, this space features four big gathering spots surrounded by lush greenery. Wheelchair and stroller parking spots are conveniently located along the table’s edge.
There is now a lot more green area for residents, office workers, and tourists to enjoy, thanks to The Lawns. The new landscaping was designed to incorporate the old. Therefore, the water feature, Charnel House, and several large trees were all kept.
Beside the double-sided and elevated benches, there are other seats around the bounded lawns. The double-sided benches are landscape-compatible and provide a raised platform, ideal for those who wish to work while facing the garden. More people can enjoy the Bishops Square Garden’s central gathering spot on the more extensive platform benches for work or leisure.
© Foster + Partners
- Spitalfields E1
London’s longest-running market, Spitalfields E1 in the East End, is renowned for its vibrant diversity and independent attitude. Spitalfields E1 is like an Aladdin’s cave for people looking for one-of-a-kind items in London. The market is one of London’s most exciting and popular destinations because of the synergy between its historical roots and the thriving contemporary art scene in the city’s East End.
Two new public areas, Bishop’s Square and Crispin Place, and the restoration of several ancient streets in E1 gave Spitalfields a fresh face in 2005 after nearly two decades of redevelopment work. A wide variety of mom-and-pop shops have survived in recent years. Shoppers can find one-of-a-kind artworks amid the many beautiful boutiques, specialty stores, and restaurants that populate Spitalfields.
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On a final note, Jason Dervin, Spitalfields Estate Director, commented: “We are ecstatic about being able to share the development proposals for Spitalfields that we have been preparing with Foster + Partners, as well as the new lineup of companies joining our constantly growing community. Spitalfields has long been a strong advocate for London’s small businesses, and our new tenants will continue this tradition by providing Londoners, travelers, and tourists with specialized, exceptional merchandise and amenities. Spitalfields has entered a new phase, and we hope the local community will return to explore our many different companies in fashion, beauty, food, and drink.”
