Looking again on figure xx for the predominant wind direction simulation, it can be read, that there is very low turbulence in the court of Central St. Giles, and the same can be said for the propossed outdoor space. However, just as easily, one can see how wind speeds are higher in High Holborn Street, to the south, and become even higher still further to the east, close to centre point. When wind blows from the west, there’s more turbulence in both courts, but still, barely noticeable in comparison to High Holborn or even New Oxford Street’s. This contrasting high wind speeds in the surrounding streets will create a greater perception effect on passers-by who will feel lower wind speeds in the courtyard.
South Wind Direction: More frequent in Autumn than in Spring.
When carrying on with the simulations, it becomes evident that northern wind directions start to become a problem for the pedestranized Museum street between New Oxford and High Holborn. Nevertheless, it is only a problem inside the courtyard when wind blows from the east. This wind is not downdraft wind. In conclusion, the simulations suggest that there is higher turbulence in the overall proposed area than in the existing court of Central St. Giles. Nevertheless, the proposed courtyard is twice the size of that of St. Giles, and there’s still an area as big as that, which is protected regardless of where the wind comes from, in the inner part of the proposed courtyard.
Figure 95: Wind Rose for 13:00 hrs throughout the year and wind simulations from all directions. Source: After Ecotect Analysis 2011 + WinAr, and Weather tool. 43