Squire & Partners completes 1 million square foot Art Deco-inspired mixed-use development on former Metropolitan Police Headquarters site.
Squire & Partners has completed The Broadway, a 1 million sqft residential, workspace and retail development for developer Northacre. The Westminster site previously housed the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, a 1960s block which occupied the entire footprint, creating a solid defensive wall along Victoria Street. The new development divides the site into two podiums, each acting as a base for three buildings ranging from 14 to 19 storeys, a strategy that allows for a new route through the site linking Victoria Street with Broadway and Dacre Street.
The new public space forms a pedestrian route through the site linking St James’ Park Underground Station to Victoria Street. Buidings facing Victoria Street are clad in white pre-cast concrete. The sandstone-coloured pre-cast concrete and light bronze window frams of the northern blocks reference the architectural language of the adjacent conservation area.
This new public space – christened Orchard Place – creates a pedestrian route through the site and frames views of the Grade I-listed Art Deco building 55 Broadway by Charles Holden. The development’s geometric façades composed of diamond-shaped pre-cast concrete panels was inspired by 55 Broadway and the Art Deco Grade-I listed St James’ Park Station adjacent to the site.
Retail and restaurant space animates the ground floor frontage onto Victoria Street.
A family of three design languages was developed in response to the urban context. Buildings three and five, which address the commercial buildings of Victoria Street to the south of the site, feature white pre-cast concrete with medium-toned bronze window frames and a honeycomb metal mesh installed within the glazing units. Buildings one and six employ a language of dark grey pre-cast concrete and dark bronze window frames. To the north, buildings two and four reference the Conservation Area beyond with sandstone-coloured pre-cast concrete and light bronze windows.
The oblique lines of the geometric facades reference the Art Deco language of the adjacent listed buildings and give a distinctive character to interior spaces.Â
The three palettes of light, medium and dark bronze metal are carried through to apartment interiors, also designed by Squire & Partners, with kitchen islands and shelving finished in the same material to unify the design. The oblique lines of the façade panels frame full height glazing and city views.
Residents can enjoy rooftop gardens with spectacular views.Â
The development provides 268 apartments and three floors of office accommodation with retail and restaurants at ground floor. The lower ground floor and two basement levels house resident amenities, including a spa with swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, treatment rooms, a gym, changing facilities, a games room, cycle storage and parking. Interconnecting podiums on the fourth floor provide shared external landscaped space for residents.
Project drawings
