The Competition
Following an open call for concepts, developer Grosvenor invited a number of international firms to submit design concepts for the Grade II-listed Grosvenor Square, in the heart of Mayfair.
We formed a collaborative team with Todd Longstaffe Gowan Landscape Design and curators Future Pace.
We decided to reinstate the concept of the historic "Oval Garden" in the Square, with four dynamic public spaces at its corners,
Our desire to reinstate the Oval Garden, precludes much above ground construction, as the vast expanse of open space is one of its greatest assets. So we began to consider if an opportunity existed below ground to create a large multipurpose, flexible space, which could give Grosvenor Square a dynamic new dimension.
Through studying the location of the largest trees, we discovered that a diagonal excavation from the north east to the south west could be undertaken with minimal loss to the trees. If the new, below-ground space is developed as a series of volumes shifting along this route, further trees could be saved and an immense asset created.
With only minimal interventions in the public spaces, in the form of ramped entrances, the new 2000 m² ‘Room for London’ will have little impact above ground but will generate immense cultural and commercial benefits for the Grosvenor Estate.