3.1: The Masterplan Proposals

Transcription

1 .: The Masterplan Proposals Retail School..0. The majority of the retail units are focused along the vibrant High Street and the existing North End Road and Lillie Road...0. There are also retail units proposed within each of the four villages to support the local communities...0. The retail units will vary along the High Street and across the masterplan providing a range of places from cafes, restaurants, local shops, banks, drinking establishments. Community and Cultural facilities..0. Our proposal includes a two-form entry primary school with attached nursery with two classes and day care facilities within the site. The school is positioned within North End Village opening onto and utilising the garden square adjacent. The day care provision will be integrated with residential and commercial spaces to fit with local residential and worker needs...0. The population analysis also suggests there is no need for providing a new secondary school. There will be an opportunity for the new primary school and form strategic links with a local secondary school offsite The masterplan proposes community and cultural facilities at the base of the Empress State Building with access from the High Street and Broadway...0. There are a range of community and cultural destination opportunities that will be considered, these could include community & cultural space and commercial space with the plan to rent out the commercial space, such as offices/a gym, which would cross-subsidise the former The masterplan also proposes other cultural space at different locations throughout the masterplan including at the gateways into the site from West Brompton and Earls Court Stations. fig..: Time and Space, Royal Institution, London (Photograph: Andy Haslam) fig..: Great North Museum, Newcastle (Photograph: Andy Haslam) fig..: Time and Space, London (Photograph: Andy Haslam) fig..7: Example of a school classroom (Photograph: Wikimedia) Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0 fig..9: Diorama Theatre, Regents Place (Photograph: Andy Haslam)

2 .: The Masterplan Proposals Commercial Premises..0.0 There is a range of office accommodation provided for, including large, medium and small scale floor plates at a range of rents...0. The majority of the commercial uses have been grouped in West Kensington Village, adjacent to the A to relate to its scale and to shield the more intimate residential areas from the noise and pollution of the busy road...0. There are also commercial units proposed around the base of the Empress State Building on the High Street and the Broadway. Residential..0. A mix of typologies and sizes of units will be provided across the site, creating a range of offers which will appeal to a wide range of people. The different typologies are outlined in the Residential Typologies section Residential uses form a significant component of the two planning applications and are critical to realising the overall vision for the creation of a vibrant new urban area and a sustainable, inclusive and mixed community. The residential element is also key to scheme viability offering a unique opportunity to trigger the transition from back land to one of London s sites with the greatest development potential. The objectives include:..0. To deliver a development that will create a ladder of opportunity in a mixed and sustainable, socially inclusive community containing a significant number of new high quality homes offering increased housing choice through new intermediate housing and a greater range of family housing and no reduction in the amount of social rented floorspace...0. An exploration of a mechanism whereby LBHF can maintain an ongoing interest in the resultant affordable housing Proposed Unit Mix Range Unit Type Proportion Range person apt % - % bed 0% - % bed 0% - 0% bed 0% - % bed + % - 0% fig..0: Regents Place fig..: Regents Place (Photograph: Andy Haslam) fig..: Typical Kensington & Chelsea residential mansion block fig..: Regents Place, London Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0 9

3 .: The Masterplan Proposals..Residential Typologies The surrounding areas of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham have been studied to establish the key residential typologies present in these successful boroughs and inform the typologies proposed in the masterplan. The typologies that were identified were: Town houses Mansion blocks Cluster blocks Linear blocks Mews houses The main residential typologies in proposed masterplan are: Mixed-Use Apartment Buildings There are a number of locations across the site where there will be mixed-use buildings with retail or commercial units at ground level with residential apartment units above, for example on the High Street, Broadway South and North End Road Mansion Blocks One of the most common residential typologies proposed in the Earls Court development are contemporary versions of the typical London Mansion Block. These will be located at various places across the site, for example in Earls Court Village. The internal layout of the mansion blocks will vary, providing a mixture of unit sizes and types to cater for a variety of residents. Residential Towers There are two tower buildings around the Empress State Building which form a cluster of taller elements within the development. These buildings will house residential units which are grouped around a central core. The size of the units are likely to vary throughout the levels of the tower, creating a mixture of residential offers. These buildings sit on a podium which house other uses, such as retail, cultural or commercial units. Townhouses...0 At the eastern edge of the site, there are two rows of townhouses proposed which form the outer sides of the new crescents of the development: Warwick Crescent and Empress Crescent.... The typology and height of these buildings respond in scale to the existing crescents of townhouses along Philbeach Gardens and Eardley Crescent which are located at the back of the proposed buildings. This gives the existing properties an appropriate neighbour.... Due to their proximity to the existing townhouses, the new buildings will be specifically designed not to overlook the existing buildings and gardens.... There is also the potential for townhouses at the eastern side of Broadway South, in West Brompton Village. These buildings complete the existing urban blocks which face Lillie Road This type of living creates mixed-use areas and supports the idea of the -hour city. It also has the potential to reduce travel distances as there are more job opportunities closer to people s homes. This benefit reduces carbon emissions and therefore benefits the environment. These buildings will vary from low-level buildings and buildings with feature pop-ups....9 Duplex Units There are some locations across the site where there is the potential for duplex units with a lower ground and ground level. This helps reduce the overall height of the buildings whilst providing larger units appropriate for families, with individual entrances from the street.... Due to the depth of the building plot and its location adjacent to existing private gardens, these buildings are likely to have a specific layout, for example internal private courtyards to allow windows to be inward looking and not overlook the private gardens. fig..: Regents Place, London (Photograph: Andy Haslam) fig..: Mansion block fig..: Contemporary townhouse 0 Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0

4 .. Appearance of the Development.: The Masterplan Proposals... The scale and appearance of the public realm, architecture and materials are flexible and subject to reserved matters approval. The Design Guidelines, read together with the Parameter Plans, govern the boundaries of this flexibility.... The masterplan learns and builds upon what is best about London; Its streets, architecture and public squares and spaces. The aspiration is to provide a st Century interpretation of the London character; mansion blocks, terraces, residential squares, public buildings and high streets. New ways of living and new densities also inform the suggested architectural character of the proposed masterplan.... The Design Guidelines set out the constraints and rules for the appearance of the development, a summary of which is included below.... The treatment of buildings across the site should correspond to the hierarchy of proposed streets, spaces and character areas. Facades along key public routes will therefore be treated in a different manner, scale and detail to frontages to private courtyards, access routes and quieter residential streets fig..7 Tri-partie divisions, Old Brompton Road fig..: Tri-partie divisions, Brompton Cross... In addition the function of buildings will affect the reading of the elevations with commercial buildings, for example, having a different scale and façade treatment to residential buildings.... Contextualism and consistency is created across the masterplan by the deployment of horizontal tri-partite divisions across all facades. The architecture of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham is founded on their buildings having a base, middle and top....7 Their ground levels, relate to the street, the middle zones provide the containment to the street or space, whilst the uppermost levels respond to the sky, with a lessening of massing and a level of articulation. Thus by adhering to the rules of the site s surroundings the proposals approach roots the development in its historic context, whilst providing the flexibility to allow for contemporary reinterpretation rather than creating pastiche.... The base of buildings forms our primary interaction with architecture and the proposed buildings should have a human scale and be invested with a level of detail. This can be achieved in a number of ways including door surrounds, porches, awnings and rustication to provide more visual interest to the public realm. The reading of the ground level is exaggerated in all buildings to provide a favourable proportion and a visually welcoming frontage. In some instances this is achieved by an increased floor to floor height but can be created by means of a material treatment change running up to the first floor window cill line or to the character datum line. All public frontages contain front doors to animate the streetscape and non residential uses exhibit a transparency to provide a variation in perceived depth to the street containment. Public and residential buildings will differ in their level of interaction with animation and transparency important to the former and privacy and bufferzones the latter; however each base should define the public realm and have a clear definition of front and back and in particular mark entrances. fig..9: Contemporary interpretation, Regents Place fig..70: Animated ground floor frontage, Kings Road fig..7: Residential buffer zones, Queensgate Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0

5 .: The Masterplan Proposals...9 The middle zone of the proposed buildings will exhibit a verticality. Historically, the verticality of the buildings in the locality has been driven by the structural requirements of construction and the simplified nature of their tenures. The proposal s buildings have long frontages but use the vertical alignment of windows, visual breaks/shadow gaps and balconies etc to order the frontages. This also allows for individualisation of the parts with different materials, colours and textures....0 To the top of the proposed buildings strong parapet and cornice lines are deployed with layered and recessive building forms above. Variation in set back levels creates an articulated roofline, a reduction in massing and a more sensitive street environment, whilst forming a recognisable building profile and silhouette.... The buildings of both boroughs exhibit a visual mass that suggests a quality and permanence to the building stock. The material selection reinforces the visual mass of the buildings. The proposals will use brick, stucco (render) and stone to create a complimentary and consistent palette harmonious with their surroundings. fig..7: Verticality of the middle zone, South Kensington fig..7 Vertical expression fig..7: Articulated roofline fig..7: Visual mass, Sloane Street fig..7: Visual mass, Knightsbridge Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0

6 . RBKC-Only Masterplan.: RBKC-Only Masterplan.. Introduction... As explained in the Preface of this document (section..0), there are two development scenarios related to the Earls Court site.... The Site Wide development option has been used as the vehicle to explain the aspirations, principles and content of the masterplan. These factors are inherent within the RBKC-only masterplan, however there are a number of specific factors to this development scenario that require explanation.... In the RBKC-only option, the following components of the overall masterplan are included:... Earls Court Village The eastern end of West Brompton Village (Counters Place) The southern half of the Lost River Park The eastern end of the High Street The eastern end of West Kensington Village Although only part of the existing Earls Court Exhibition Centre falls within the red line boundary of Application, the implementation of the RBKC Only Development Option assumes the demolition of the Exhibition Centre in its entirety (including EC and EC). This means that the EC would be a cleared site which would be the subject of further discussion with the planning authorities. In this Development Option it is envisaged that a temporary landscape treatment and boundary condition would come forward. fig:.. Redline Boundary for RBKC-only masterplan fig:.. RBKC-Only illustrative masterplan Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0

7 .: RBKC-Only Masterplan.. Evolution of the Design..... Movement, Circulation and Access Refer to clauses within section.... Urban Design Principles... The masterplan is derived from the Urban Design Principles set out in section The RBKC-only masterplan, as does the site-wide option, promotes pedestrian and cycle movement through the site by creating pedestrian and cycle friendly spaces and streets.... There are a reduced number of entrances into this site, due to its reduced extent. These are:. Via the existing Cluny mews. Opposite Earls Court station into Exhibition Square, Warwick Crescent and Empress Crescent. Opposite West Brompton station into Counters Place, The Lost River Park and Empress Crescent. Via the service vehicle access... The proposals for these junctions are consistent with the site-wide scheme. The Lost River Park is accessible from the High Street, the crescent streets and from Counter s Place... Public Realm... This development option adheres to the Public Realm Strategy set out in section.... SERVICE ROAD. CLUNY MEWS. EXHIBITION SQUARE. COUNTERS PLACE fig:.. Proposed entrances into the illustrative masterplan Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0 fig..: Pedestrian Movement

8 .: RBKC-Only Masterplan The strategies for cycle parking, car club, parking, servicing and waste are the same as the site-wide scheme. Please refer to clauses for more detail on cycle parking....7 The public transport strategy includes Earls Court Station and West Brompton Station. In addition, there are bus stops along Lillie Road and Warwick Road. No buses pass through the site for the RBKConly masterplan.... Please refer to clauses...9 and...0 for more information on cycle hire. fig..: Cycle Movement fig..: Public Transport Movement Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0

9 .: RBKC-Only Masterplan Internal Street Layout..... Townscape, Massing and Scale There is a degree of flexibility of the building blocks which is defined by the parameter plans.... Please refer to... for further information on street widths.... The massing principles set out in section..7 apply to this arrangement with particular reference to the reduction of building height to the Philbeach Gardens and Eardley Crescent street buildings.... The massing of the buildings along the eastern boundaries of the site respond to their context in the same way as they do in the site-wide masterplan.... Due to the reduced site area, the buildings along the western edge of the RBKC-only masterplan have a slightly different relationship to their surroundings as these building blocks do in the site-wide option. The height of these buildings build towards the Empress State Building pre-empting the shift in scale between Earls Court Village and the existing structure.... The position of the public green space over the West London Line (on part of the former EC deck) acts as a buffer space dealing with the shift in massing between these proposed buildings within Earls Court Village and the existing buildings of the West Kensington estate.... Views and Vistas The evolving view from Earls Court underground station into Exhibition Square and along the High Street is organised so that the existing local icon, the Empress State Building remains its focus. The southern gateway into the masterplan offers views along the residential crescent and along the Lost River Park with the existing Ashfield House terminating this view. Primary Vehicle Movement Secondary Vehicle Movement Tertiary Vehicle Movement Service Road Building Heights Key: Building Heights Key: Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey 7 Storey 7 Storey Storey Storey 9 Storey 9 Storey 0 Storey 0 Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey 7 Storey 7 Storey Storey Storey 9 Storey 9 Storey 0 Storey 0 Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey Storey 7 Storey 7 Storey Storey Storey 9 Storey 9 Storey fig..7: Connectivity fig:.. Illustrative heights of the masterplan Earls Court Project Application London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Design and Access Statement June 0