Integrating retail + station functionality
Baker Street station is located in the heart of Westminster but it is underdeveloped and underutilised with a poor civic presence and commercial offering.
The 18,000m2 triangular site around Baker Street station defined by Marylebone Road, Baker Street and Alsop Place fails to fulfil its potential.
However, Transport for London’s ownership of the site and its high land values combine to provide great development opportunities, both commercial and civic.
Development challenges include reconciling the needs of an operational station with those of a retail hub. The Grade II* listed station and street facades add a further level of complexity.
We developed a strategic masterplan and programme of commercial and civic enhancements to deliver short, medium and long term gains. Short term, a Retail Shopfront Design Guide set out the design principles for the area delivering consistent design in keeping with the heritage status.
Longer term, the masterplan exploits the sites attributes, remodelling Baker Street station as a key retail destination. Decking over the station’s central undeveloped area creates a 7,000m2 retail courtyard at street level. The courtyard and station are served by a vibrant new public realm fronting Marylebone Road, with double height entrances strategically positioned along pedestrian movement corridors.
This positioning maximises retail footfall, increasing commercial unit value and improving passenger distribution and accessibility to the station.
Decking over the central area also allows 18,000m2 of high value residential development to be built above. This generates additional revenue for Transport for London that funds the construction of the retail and associated decks.
The development is topped with a new green landscaped roof enhancing the retail and station environment. The roof reduces noise and light pollution associated with the station and retail while providing a valuable amenity space for the residential development.
A new green landscaped roof covers and enhances the retail station environment, reduces associated noise and light pollution whilst providing a valuable amenity space to increase the value of the over station development.
As part of the wider masterplan vision a Retail Shopfront Design Guide was put forward within the short term proposals. This sets out the heritage design principles to drive a quality benchmark for a consistent design of shop fronts along the Grade II* Listed Baker Street and Marylebone façades.
