Introduction
Rick Mather Architects have been commissioned by developer Triangle to produce a masterplan for their recently acquired portfolio within Holborn in Central London. The estate consists of 37,000sqm of retail, office, leisure, educational and residential space in 60 properties across approximately 3.3 acres in the in the heart of London's ‘Midtown' business district.
The sites include a wide range of building types and architectural styles, including prominent listed locations such as Sicilian Avenue and Southampton Place, situated in a complex historic neighbourhood incorporating a collection of varied character areas to be celebrated and enhanced. Many of the listed buildings are currently in poor condition or poor quality settings and are not the primary focal points of particular spaces; there is also poor visual hierarchy of significant historic assets, which at times feel disconnected from the public realm.
RMA's proposed masterplan prepares a framework for Triangle to maximise the potential of these buildings after years of under-investment and neglect, so they make the contribution they should to the area as whole. The masterplan seeks to improve the estate's public realm so that it's a welcoming environment that supports a wide variety of uses and provides high quality settings for its remarkable architecture. Working in collaboration with London Borough of Camden, the proposals also seek to strengthen connections to wider strategic walking and cycling routes, particularly enhancing links to the British Museum, Holborn, Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road.