The Borough area in Southwark has a very complex geography, cut through by railways, roads and paths old and new. Hidden away in the islands of old buildings between these routeways are many lost and inaccessible corners that have tremendous potential for development and enhancement.
Greig & Stephenson’s latest proposals for the Borough area have the aim of linking some of these private areas to form a pedestrian loop from Southwark Street round to the west side of Stoney Street. This would open up more space to public access as well as retail and leisure potential, and make the whole area more permeable for the public.
Read moreThe scheme proposes two sections to this link. The first opens up a footway from Brew Wharf to run, as an extension to this, down the east side of the viaduct breaking through on the inside of the bend in Park Street. The proposal would open up the railway arches and other currently under-used or redundant buildings to create inhabited space as retail units, bars and restaurants.
The second section of the new footway would start opposite the first, on the outside of the bend in Park Street, between Paul Smith and the café. Ducking under the other viaduct, it would emerge into the magnificent Hop Exchange building whose listed facade fronts this part of Southwark Street, and exit to Southwark Street down the steps of the main entrance. The galleried trading hall would become a large glass-roofed public atrium space, offering retail, restaurants, bars, and a gourmet space extending down into the basements and up to the first floor. Three further floors would be devoted to office space. On the Southwark Street elevation only, the Hop exchange would have its top three storeys and its glass vaulted roof (lost in a fire in the 1930s) restored to recreate its original prominence on Southwark Street. This part of the building would be residential, with apartments offering views across the roofs of Borough and Bankside to the City.
The whole scheme would complement and extend Borough Market and enhance the public space in the area by making it more useful, permeable and navigable. Initial discussions locally have gained some support, but there still remains much debate on how these developments may be executed in detail in the future.
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