PUBLIC REALM
The Site
Oxford House is a community arts centre in Bethnal Green. It was established in 1884 as the first Settlement House where students and graduates from Keble College, Oxford lived and volunteered their time to tackle the challenges of urban poverty. The current building was built in 1891 and was surrounded by terraced housing and weavers cottages. Slum clearance in the 20th century created Weavers Fields, a park opposite Oxford House. In between the two, a short section of left-over road provided little function or use with no active frontage to the building.
Design Services
LGLA Projects worked with Oxford House to develop concepts for transformation of the space, partnering with Tower Hamlets council to deliver a pocket park.
Results
The project features a range of SuDS components that combine to form a new piece of urban public realm, which has in turn enabled Oxford House to reorganise the building internally and create a new public entrance and cafe connecting directly to the pocket park.
Landscape Institute Design Award Winner
Cient: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Project Initiation: Oxford House
Main Contractor: Riney
