High time to update Greenwich

A raft of design consultancies is set to develop a major public space in the Greenwich Peninsula in London, as the project is given the go-ahead by the local council. The blueprint for the Millennium Square (sketch pictured), overseen by design group and architect Barr Gazetas, was unveiled this week.

As part of the design team compiled by Barr Gazetas, Speirs & Major is creating a lighting solution and Henrion Ludlow Schmidt will handle signage and wayfinding. US design consultancy CommArts is providing strategic guidance on graphics and other visual elements for the project.

The 340 000m2 development area will house restaurants, offices and public art, along with a 56m-tall ‘mast’ installation. It will act as a gateway to a planned entertainment destination at the Dome.

‘It’s a complex brief, as the square contains permanent and temporary elements,’ says Barr Gazetas director Alistair Barr. ‘The area must support different types of events and I wanted a team of people working together.’

Due for completion in spring 2007, Millennium Square is the first step in a £5bn regeneration of the region conceived by Terry Farrell and Partners and undertaken by Meridian Delta, Anschutz Entertainment Group Europe and English Partnerships.