Dar Group, Gpad London, Nicholas Hare and EPR make shortlist
Practices including Zaha Hadid Architects, AHMM and Hawkins Brown have fallen by the wayside in the competition to redesign Old Street Roundabout on London鈥檚 City fringe.
Contest organiser Islington Council yesterday announced it had whittled down a 39-proposal longlist to just four entries: Dar Group, which includes Perkins & Will; Gpad London; Nicholas Hare Architects and EPR Architects.
Zaha Hadid Architects and AHMM had vyed to land the redevelopment scheme.
The authority launched the call for ideas to reimagine the site in December, in conjunction with neighbour Hackney Council and pan-capital mayoral body Transport for London, which is due to end Old Street Roundabout鈥檚 days as a gyratory system next year.
Built in the 1960s and featuring a network of subways, shops and above-ground advertising, Old Street Roundabout is a totem for the capital鈥檚 tech community. Islington asked practices to come up with proposals for new public art and 鈥渟mart city鈥� innovation, at the same time as retaining the current high-profile advertising opportunities and accommodating infrastructure for Old Street Underground Station.
A proviso for the submissions was that they should be deliverable with a budget of 拢1m, unless teams could identify viable external funding.
Dar Group鈥檚 鈥橭ld Street Circus 2050鈥� proposal envisages reclaiming the roundabout 鈥渇or the people of London鈥� and transforming it into a 鈥済enuinely useable, vibrant, healthy and safe public space hosting a wide-range of public, private and commercial activities such as film screenings, concerts, artwork, street-markets and festivals鈥�.
The team鈥檚 vision also includes a 鈥渓onger-term鈥� plan to incorporate a sculptural ring of light that brings together information and advertising, along with green infrastructure.
EPR Architects鈥� shortlisted scheme is named 鈥楾he Iris鈥� and was created in conjunction with Hoxton-based artist Martin Richman, landscape artist Gillespies and consultants Entuitive and Materials Council. It is described as 鈥渁 piece of metropolitan land art centring around a reflective lens facilitating interaction, inclusive gatherings, performances, play and relaxation鈥�.
Gpad London鈥檚 鈥極ld Street Digital Garden鈥� proposal, created in conjunction with 3D visualisation studio Eye-Kon, promises a forest of electricity-generating lights enveloping a new pavilion, a water feature and a 鈥渄igital totem鈥� that would host an automated cycle-parking structure behind advertising screens.
Nicholas Hare Architects鈥� 鈥極ld Street Park鈥� proposals, drawn up with Price Myers, Hoare Lea, and FIRA, offers a 鈥渇lexible, green, smart public space for cyclists, residents, workers and visitors鈥� that pledges to 鈥渉arnesses the social, environmental and economic aspirations of the area for the Old Street community鈥�.
The shortlisted designs were picked by a judging panel chaired by Islington鈥檚 environment and transport lead, Cllr Claudia Webbe, which featured Gehl Architects associate and UWE Bristol academic Allison Dutoit.
Webbe said Old Street had global recognition as a vibrant hub of technology and culture and that Islington鈥檚 ideas call had inspired many bold and exciting proposals.
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