Grosvenor Square Design Competition: The Cave

Grosvenor Cave

Contact Person: Florentina Anastasia Archineur florentina.anastasia@gmail.com

Bringing back all visitors – residents, tourists, workers, birds, dogs, butterflies, stag beetles, ducks, gooses, flies, fallen leaves– to the purest form of community dwelling; The Cave.

GROSVENOR Site Context

Regional Context

Surrounding Landmark King’s Cross

Euston Station m 10 k

The Regent’s Park m 5k

The British Museum m 2k

Paddington Station m 1k

City of London

Grosvenor Square located in Mayfair Neighbourhood, in the centre of London. This neighbourhood situated entirely within in CAZ (Central Activites Zone) of London. It means Grosvenor Square surrounded by vibrant activities, the most attractive and also the competitive business locations. Since positioned in strategic location, Grosvenor Square easily accessed from the other landmarks in London, this is potentially made Grosvenor square as the new tourism destination in London.

Regional Context

Hyde Park

London Eye

Royal Albert Hall

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey 0

500

1000

Surrounding Green Area

Site Location Shops Financial and Professional Services Food and Drink Drinking Establishments Hot Food Takeaways Business

According to Mayfair Neighbourhood Plan, Hotels Grosvenor Square is mostly surrounded by Financial and Professional Services Dwelling Houses dwelling houses, hotels, and commercial/retails.

Food and Drink Non Residential Institution However, right on its west and east side, there Drinking Establishments Assembly and Leisure Hot Food Takeaways are Italy embassy and ex-US embassy building.

Unknown Site Location

Storage or Distribution

Shops

Site Location Green Development

Business Storage or Distribution Hotels

Accessibility Dwelling Houses

Non Residential Institution Assembly and Leisure

Grosvenor Square is located in close proximity to some large scale green spaces, such as Hyde Park, Green Park, St.James Park, and Buckingham Palace Gardens. There are also another small scales nearby, for instance Berkeley Square, Mount Street Gardens, Hanover Square, and a new emerging space, Brown Hart Gardens.

Growth Areas

Unknown

Site Location Bus Stop Cross Rail Station (Elizabeth Line) Underground Station Underground Railway Cross Rail Railway

Grosvenor Square could be easily accessed by Underground Rail or Buses. There are six Underground station nearby, such as Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Marble Arch, and the nearest is Bond Street Station. In 2019, there will be a new railway track and one of the station located adjacent to Bond Street Station.

Site Location Tyburn Opportunity Growth Transport Related Growth Retail Central & West Residential Growth Central & East Residential Growth Park Lane

In planning policies of Mayfair, Grosvenor Square situated in slices of east and west residential growth areas. Enclosed by growth areas of retail and next to the transport potential growth areas (crossrail).

Shopping Frontage

Site Location West End Frontage Mayfair Shopping Frontage

Crossrail Future Impact

As explained above, that Grosvenor Square is surrounded by commercial/retail frontage. On the north of its, alongside of Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Bond street (West End frontage) there are large scale retails. Whilst in the secondary street level, such as Duke Street, North and South Audley Street, Davies Street, and etc (Mayfair shopping frontage), there are small scale retails which predominantly occupied by high-end and luxury retailers.

Site Location Cross Rail Station (Elizabeth Line) Cross Rail Railway Cross Rail Exit Gate Cross Rail Movement Impact

The existence of shopping frontage which renowned for the uniqueness and high-end level make Mayfair as the shopping destination in London. The opening of Crossrail will give impact to Mayfair neighbourhood and also to Grosvenor Square, like increased the number of visitors or commercial activities.

Pros Square 01 Grosvenor located in Mayfair, which

Grosvenor 03 Since Square situated

Enclosed by highlevel retail and hotels, potentially made Grosvenor Square as tourists destination.

m 10 k

m 5k

The British Museum m 2k

Paddington Station

05

in the centre of London, people will easily reached its from the famous landmark of London.

Euston Station The Regent’s Park

City of London

m 1k

entirely within in CAZ (Central Activites Zone) of London. It means Grosvenor located in a strategic area, surrounded by vibrant activities, the most attractive and also the competitive business locations.

King’s Cross

Hyde Park

London Eye

Royal Albert Hall

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey 0

500

1000

Square also 02 Grosvenor located in the centre of

Square 04 Grosvenor has an important

06

In the near future, next to the Grosvenor Square, there will be a new Crossrail station.

This station positioned in the central of Elizabeth Line which stretched from Reading across to Shenfield and also has a direct connection from Heathrow Airport. It will be made Grosvenor Square more accessible from anywhere, not only London, but in UK

surrounded by 01 Since high-level hotels and

existence of 02 The memorial statues

03

The existing plan of Grosvenor Square is formal and seems old-fashioned, these make its less attractive.

historic value, which potentially made its as one of the city landmarks.

large scale green spaces such as Hyde Park, St. James Park, Regent’s Park, which made it as the green hub of London

Cons retail, and also embassy offices, Grosvenor Square became rarely visited as the impact of the high level securities around.

actually gives a historical value for Grosvenor Square.

However, this statues also make its stiff and distant.

class and less 04 High informal activities

around Grosvenor Square possibly decreased its potential as the tourism destination.

0

30 m

nearby two 05 Positioned famous open spaces, Hyde Park and St. James, which more attractive, will reduce the visitors number of Grosvenor Square.

Grosvenor Cave

Planning Principles

Weaving wildlife into modern urban structure, Grosvenor Square will be transformed into a ‘cave’ to escape from the busy high street. Challenging the current form of a public square, Grosvenor Cave will be a groundbreaking move towards greener public area in the middle of a busy city.

Cave, as the first shelter from the mother nature, is not only a living space but a place to gather people, building up a sense of community between people interacting within the space. It is an active place regardlessof seasons; a versatile space that can be used during winter, summer, morning, day, early evening –or even late evening during festivals.

Focusing on human interaction with nature and interhuman interactions in a natural environment, Grosvenor Cave naturally creates different experience each season, directed through thoughtful architecture that does not overpower the beauty of its nature.

Grosvenor Cave

Constructed by five different area, each has several spatial features supporting its function.

Site Plan

The welcoming passage has memorial walls telling about the historical past of Grosvenor Square, with a contemporary local artists’ murals on the other side of the walls. It leads to a holographic sculptures, which real forms are displayed in one of the pavilions.

At the heart of the square, there will be the main cave, which can be utilised for various form of public activities. When there is no event, visitors can just lay around or eating their lunch.

The west area of the square turned into a mini-forest, with a special place for our little friend birds to enjoy the cave-like dome. There is a silent pavilion for people to have a proper connection with mother nature, followed by an enclosed forest pavilion-cave on the same pathway.

The northeast area will be dedicated for temporary events, but also ideal for eating out and having a semi-outdoor meeting as there will be allocated space for street vendors inside the pavilion-cave.

For families with childrens, they can explore the southeastern part of the square, where the kids can play in the playground or having a cultural trip to the gallery.

The whole area of Grosvenor Cave is ideal for jogging with a natural view, where the business of London high street can be in complete absent. Waterway will also be a refreshing oasis during the summer, especially for kids who often gets cranky under the heat.

1

Memorial Wall / Mural

2

Holographic Statues

3

Social Cave - Main Amphitheatre

4

Flora-Fauna Cave - Aviary Dome

5

Pavilion-Cave 1: Green House

6

Pavilion-Cave 2: Contemplating Cave

7

Pavilion-Cave 3: Gallery (Contemporary Art & Former Statues Collection)

8

Pavilion-Cave 4: Shops

9

Jogging / Festival Area

10

Kids Playground

11

Community Garden

1

8

5

9

2 4 3

6 7

11

10

Grosvenor Cave

Sections

social cave

flora-fauna cave

dwelling cave

contemplating cave

entertainment field

Grosvenor Cave

Visitors Experience

Visitors are entering the square, exploring the walls and holographic statues. In some days, there is a performance inside the main cave, therefore people are gathering around this entrance around dusk.

During winter, ice-related performance are being held inside the main cave. Visitors can also enjoy the beauty of fairy lights shining outside the cave, creating a wonderful composition of glowing trees.

All the flowers are blooming on the spring season, making the florafauna cave ideal for a morning walk – be it alone, with families, or with lovely pets. Birds are getting quite active, a perfect time to watch them flying around!

When the summer comes, the entertainment field will be quite busy with all the ongoing performances, festivals, and group of kids running around! One of the best time for visitors to hang out with their friends and families.

The family hub is an ideal place not only for kids but for doing sports.

Visitors can have their perfect summer body without having to leave the children behind.

Keeping visitors updated with the latest art and culture scenes in London is fulfilled by The Gallery, where visitors can interact with contemporary installations and see former sculpture of Grosvener Square.