The Crown Estate has commissioned three pieces of public art to lend an element of culture to the refurbished St James’s Market retail district in the West End.
The Estate, along with joint venture partner Oxford Properties, has enlisted renowned artist David Thorpe and leading design studios Studio Swine and Studio Weave to create a series of embedded artworks as a means of enlivening the new public spaces created during the £320 redevelopment project. This will mark the first permanent public art installation to be commissioned by Mr Thorpe, which will be situated at the Regent Street block of the development.
Portfolio manager for St James’s Market, Anthea Harries, believes that the artworks will help to blend the new development seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
She says; “St James’s has a rich cultural heritage, focused around high quality craftsmanship and this is something we want to put right at the heart of our vision for reinvigorating St James’s Market.”
The Crown Estate has, for some time now, been actively seeking to acquire commercial property in the St James area, which lies in the two blocks between Haymarket and Regent Street. As a result, the firm now owns a large percentage of assets in the area and has engaged in a £500 million refurbishment programme, of which St James’s Market plays an integral role.
Upon completion, the regenerated St James’s Market will offer a total of 260,000 square feet of high quality retail, leisure and office space, greatly boosting the supply of each sector in central London. Consumers will also benefit from an enhanced public realm, including a newly created 10,000 foot public square which is earmarked for performance and recreational uses.
David Thorpe, Studio Swine and Studio Weave are now in the process of designing a number of proposals to meet the cultural criteria specified by the joint partnership, which has been advised by leading cultural consultancy Futurecity throughout the process of settling upon St James’s Market’s cultural future. These will be revealed early next year, when members of the public will be given a more detailed glimpse of the future of the development as a whole.
Head of development at Oxford Properties, Mike Rayner, believes that the pieces will help to bring the area’s cultural heritage into the 21st century.
He says; “We’re delighted to be working with such eminent designers, and we’re looking forward to seeing their detailed concepts which will animate the site’s public spaces and contribute to creating a truly distinctive West End destination, inspired by the unique history of the area.”
