Co-design initiative will see architect working with Harrow Road community
5th Studio has been chosen to lead a multidisciplinary design team to produce a concept masterplan for an area of Westminster.
The practice was appointed by Westminster council to the Harrow Road Place Plan through a competitive tender via the GLA’s ADUP II framework.
Once the masterplan is complete, the team will develop detailed designs for three strategic sites, working closely with residents and stakeholders, to be delivered via the GLA’s Good Growth Fund.
The project seeks to transform and revitalise the high street and canal to bring forward much needed improvements to the area.
Public realm projects at Maida Hill Market – the heart of the high street – and Westbourne Green and Canal Terrace in Queen’s Park – the intersections of the high street and canal – are due to be implemented in 2022.
Harrow Road has a diverse and close-knit community but suffers from severances caused by the Westway elevated road and the railway corridor. Its inclusion in the North Westminster Economic Development Area recognises that regeneration and growth is required to improve employment and social opportunities.
Westminster council and the community established four objectives for the Harrow Road Place Plan – create a 21st century high street; improve access to public open space; ensure a socially sustainable future; benefit from future development – with this next phase intended as a catalyst for wider regeneration and investment to meet these objectives.
Cllr Matthew Green, cabinet member for business, licensing and planning, said: “Local high streets have been lifelines for our communities during the coronavirus pandemic and none more so than the iconic Harrow Road.”
5th Studio is leading a consultant team that includes Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects (JCLA), Studio Dekka, Expedition Engineering, Accertum, Daisy Froud (leading the consultation work) and Waterway Projects. The team has recently worked with the Council on Paddington Places, a public realm and connectivity strategy for neighbouring North Paddington.
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