Tottenham Court Road makeover takes shape

In the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, architects, planners, public artists, lighting and wayfinding designers are attempting to rejuvenate the east end of Oxford Street, focusing particularly on the junction of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, at St Giles Circus.

Yesterday’s meeting, West End: Focus on 2012, took place at New London Architecture on Store Street, WC1.

Architect Sir Terry Farrell unveiled the results of Design for London’s St Giles Circus Strategic Framework Study, which details architect Stanton Williams’ design for a vast glass canopy over a new public square at the foot of Centre Point. 

St Giles High Street is pedestrianised in the plans, with the aim of improving links between Oxford Street and Covent Garden.

‘We all feel that St Giles Circus should be like Piccadilly Circus or Times Square,’ says Farrell.

Applied Information Group’s Legible London pilot wayfinding scheme is to be rolled out in the West End by 2012. It was described yesterday as ‘the most important development on our list of projects by some way’, by the West End Steering Group of stakeholders, including Marks & Spencer and the Crown Estate.

Vivien Lovell, director of Modus Operandi art consultant, also revealed at the meeting that there will be opportunities for lighting designers to work throughout the West End on public art projects over the next four years.