Our alternative vision for the Earls Court Masterplan made the front page of the online version of the prestigious Architect's Journal this month.
You can see the article which was published on the 24th of June, 2020 here:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/all-new-team-brought-in-to-masterplan-10ha-earls-court-site
As online links can become unavailable over time, here is the statement from the Earl’s Court Area Action Group (ECAAG) which was published in the Architect’s Journal article:
We are calling for meanwhile-use on the site to include a green, multi-purpose temporary venue for exhibitions, events and sports given Earl’s Court’s Olympic heritage. This would generate overnight stays which will help the local economy including hotels, bars and restaurants and help our national economy to recover.
Given that, according to Friends of the Earth, Earl’s Court has the worst air quality in the country, we need significant greenery on the site now. Significant greenery must also be part of the site on a permanent basis.
We are also calling for an international design competition to build a permanent, significant, multi-purpose venue – ‘the world’s greenest venue’.
As with the meanwhile use venue, it too must generate overnight stays to help support the local and national economy.
We would like the site to have a range of exemplary, green housing options including provision for sheltered independent living for older and mobility restricted residents as well as families and key workers.
There should also be social infrastructure include a crèche and pre-school facilities, provision for a secondary school, and support home working hubs.
We would like to see step-free access to the site from Earl’s Court tube station and access to the Overground at West Brompton.
We believe an area action plan is needed to avoid basic mistakes.
For example, retail in the new development must be carefully chosen. What we do not need is a new high street which would affect businesses in Earl’s Court Road and would lead to even less people in Earl’s Court going to High Street Kensington – which has been decimated by high rents and rates and the opening of Westfield. Encouraging independent businesses and avoiding more chain shops would be a positive development.
The promised Olympic Legacy has not materialised. Therefore the new masterplan must continue the Olympic legacy in Earl’s Court and promote inclusive sports for all.
The new masterplan must integrate into the local streetscape and housing in materials, height, scale and massing. It must be sensitive to the Victorian residential area – not overpowering and disconnected from the existing area.
Care must be taken in the use of materials to help integrate into the local streetscape with mansion-block style to deliver on the density.
Green space and greenery should be significant for physical and mental well-being. Choice of plants and landscaping must be focused on the climate emergency.
At the mixed development at Kings Cross by Argent they achieved a creative balance between the retail, commercial, residential and art school (and gallery) and doing so in one of the largest open spaces in London, with an interesting tall building cluster close to the station, opening up the canal side and innovative reuse of existing architecture.
The same could be applied to Earl’s Court with the retention of Empress Place as light industrial units for small businesses and cultural enterprises.
You can see the article which was published on the 24th of June, 2020 here:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/all-new-team-brought-in-to-masterplan-10ha-earls-court-site
As online links can become unavailable over time, here is the statement from the Earl’s Court Area Action Group (ECAAG) which was published in the Architect’s Journal article:
We are calling for meanwhile-use on the site to include a green, multi-purpose temporary venue for exhibitions, events and sports given Earl’s Court’s Olympic heritage. This would generate overnight stays which will help the local economy including hotels, bars and restaurants and help our national economy to recover.
Given that, according to Friends of the Earth, Earl’s Court has the worst air quality in the country, we need significant greenery on the site now. Significant greenery must also be part of the site on a permanent basis.
We are also calling for an international design competition to build a permanent, significant, multi-purpose venue – ‘the world’s greenest venue’.
As with the meanwhile use venue, it too must generate overnight stays to help support the local and national economy.
We would like the site to have a range of exemplary, green housing options including provision for sheltered independent living for older and mobility restricted residents as well as families and key workers.
There should also be social infrastructure include a crèche and pre-school facilities, provision for a secondary school, and support home working hubs.
We would like to see step-free access to the site from Earl’s Court tube station and access to the Overground at West Brompton.
We believe an area action plan is needed to avoid basic mistakes.
For example, retail in the new development must be carefully chosen. What we do not need is a new high street which would affect businesses in Earl’s Court Road and would lead to even less people in Earl’s Court going to High Street Kensington – which has been decimated by high rents and rates and the opening of Westfield. Encouraging independent businesses and avoiding more chain shops would be a positive development.
The promised Olympic Legacy has not materialised. Therefore the new masterplan must continue the Olympic legacy in Earl’s Court and promote inclusive sports for all.
The new masterplan must integrate into the local streetscape and housing in materials, height, scale and massing. It must be sensitive to the Victorian residential area – not overpowering and disconnected from the existing area.
Care must be taken in the use of materials to help integrate into the local streetscape with mansion-block style to deliver on the density.
Green space and greenery should be significant for physical and mental well-being. Choice of plants and landscaping must be focused on the climate emergency.
At the mixed development at Kings Cross by Argent they achieved a creative balance between the retail, commercial, residential and art school (and gallery) and doing so in one of the largest open spaces in London, with an interesting tall building cluster close to the station, opening up the canal side and innovative reuse of existing architecture.
The same could be applied to Earl’s Court with the retention of Empress Place as light industrial units for small businesses and cultural enterprises.