LDM607 Landscape Materials And Techniques

WINDRUSH SQUARE

Festus Adibe (K1054761) MA Landscape And Urbanism Kingston University April 2012

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE DESIGNERS ABOUT THE PROJECT LOCATION AND SURROUNDING FEATURES Location Rail and Underground Transport Links Surrounding Features HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT THE NEW SQUARE SITE FEATURES Drainage Hardscape Site Fixtures Site Furniture Planting Lighting Fixtures Signage Garbage bins Toilets Monuments HOW THE SQUARE IS USED CONCLUSION REFERENCES 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 13 17 18 21 32 35 37 41 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

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INTRODUCTION
The Windrush Square was formally opened on Saturday, 27 February, 2010. Formerly known as the Brixton Oval and later as Tate gardens, the name Windrush came from the Empire Windrush; a ship that sailed onto British shores from Jamaica in 1948. Most of the arrivals would eventually settle in the Brixton area. Designed by GROSS MAX as part of a larger Brixton regeneration project, the Windrush square was intended to be a space that would be open to everyone who wanted to use it without any restrictions whatsoever hence we notice that there are no pronounced enclosures or boundary structures in the square, there are no restrictions to who can use the square and everyone is allowed to walk through it as they please. Perhaps the most notable feature of the square is a very large london plane tree in the north part of the site in front of the Tate library, probably made more prominent in contrast to all the other smaller trees on the site. Another interesting feature on the site is the granite sitting element in front of the library also equally interesting are the tall slender windrush lights at the south end of the square. What follows from here onwards is a primer detailing the features of the square to give us a better undrstanding of the design and what the square is all about.
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ABOUT THE DESIGNERS

GROSS MAX is an Urban and Landscape architecure pratice that began in 1995 with Eelco Hooftman and Bridget Baines as the Original partners. Together they have undertaken a number of award winning schemes including landscape masterplan for Hannover Expo 2000, a scheme consisting of two parks at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. They were joined by Nigel Sampey as a partner in 2001. Some of GROSS MAXs other works in London include; Potters fields, Jubilee park (work in progress), Lyric square, and the Waterloo Southbank among others.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

Clients: London Borough of Lambeth, Transport for London, and London Development Agency Landscape Architect: GROSS MAX

Commencement: June 2009

Completion: Feb 27 2010 Approximate Cost: 9.7 million Lighting: DPA Lighting Design Furniture: DAE (Leopoldo Mila) Paving: Anglo-European Stone and Hardscape Main Contractor: F.M. Conway

AWARDS
The 2010 British Association of Landscape Industries BALI Hard Landscaping Award awarded to F.M. Conway for their work on Windrush Square 2011 National Lighting Design Award Shortlisted for lighting work on Windrush Square by DPA Lighting Design

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LOCATION AND SURROUNDING FEATURES

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LOCATI

RAIL AND UNDERGROUND TRANSPORT LINKS

Loughborough Junction Clapham North

Brixton

5 minute walk

Herne Hill

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SURROUNDING FEATURES

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Road networks

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Green areas

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
The Windrush square is part of a larger area called Rush Common. In 1806, due to a parliamentry act Rush common was broken up into smaller parts by newly built houses and roads. The location of the present day Windrush square used be a place for th sheep grazing in the 18 century. In 1905, the space in front of the Tate library which was built in 1892 by famous industrialist William Tate was converted into a garden space and donated to the public by William Tates widow. It was named Tate Gardens after her late husband. In 1927, the Orange luxury coach station was built in the plot of land between Saltoun road and Rushcroft road (formerly Ardville road). It was the first motor coach station in London and was in operation until the 1970s when it was demolished replaced by a smaller windrush square than now stands there today. During the the second world war, the Brixton theater was destroyed by bombs and the Ritzy cinema was built in its stead. In June 2009, work began on the Windrush square. The idea was to create a more open and inclusive space. The Brixton oval road would be closed off to vehicular traffic and ecome part of the square, also the fences will be pulled down and the Windrush square enlarged to incorporate the then Tate gardens, hence closing off Saltoun road preventing traffic from pouring into Effra road via Saltoun road. The result would be one larger public space instead of two adjacent ones separated by a driveway.

1870s

IMG 18. Sheep grazing - Brixton Oval !890

1890s

IMG 19.Tate Library and Brixton Theatre -View from Saltoun/Effra road junction 1892

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50m

100m

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

1910s

IMG 20. Postcard showing the Tate Library 1907

1950s

IMG 21. Orange Luxury Coach Station

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50m

100m

200m

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

1960s/1970s

IMG 22. West entrance to Tate Gardens - view from within the gardens (1965)

2003

IMG 23. Tate Gardens 2003

IMG 24. Windrush Square 2003

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T H E

N E W

S Q UA R E

CHANGES FROM 2003 TO THE PRESENT DAY

THE NEW SQUARE

WINDRUSH SQUARE UNTIL 2009

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PRESENT DAY WINDRUSH SQUARE

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AERIAL VIEWS (2003)

AERIAL VIEWS (2010)

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CHANGES TO THE SQUARE

Saltoun road 2003: Goes all the way and links with Effra road. Brixton Oval 2003:

Present day Shortened Saltoun road; closed off to traffic at the new Windrush square Present day, Brixton oval is inexistent having become a part of Windrush Square.

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CHANGES TO THE SQUARE

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Windrush square 2003: showing the fences enclosing the square

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A more open space at the present day Windrush square. The fences have been done away with. the trees have also been changed in favor of more architecturally shaped trees

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The Brixton Oval 2003; Used by vehicular traffic also the old.

The Brixton Oval now annexed to the square and completely pedestrian

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S I T E F E AT U R E S
COMPONENTS OF THE SQUARE

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DRAINAGE

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DRAINAGE Storage Tank

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DRAINAGE

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HARDSCAPE - Steps

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE - Paving

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE - Paving

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE - Paving

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE - Paving

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE - Paving

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE Edges and Boundaries

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE Edges and Boundaries

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE Edges and Boundaries

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE Edges and Boundaries

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SCALE 1:20

HARDSCAPE Edges and Boundaries

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SCALE 1:20

SITE FIXTURES Bollards

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SCALE 1:20

SITE FIXTURES Bicycle Railings

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SCALE 1:20

SITE FIXTURESWater feature

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SCALE 1:20

Banco Montseny DAE Furniture designed by Leopoldo Mila

SITE FURNITURE

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SCALE 1:20

SITE FURNITURE Sculptural Seating

The seating sculpture or the turd as it is otherwise called seems to be very popular amongst the Brixton locals. Children play on it and it seems the favourite seat for people who pass through the site

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PLANTING

T9-21

T6

T1-5 & T7-8

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7 T8
T20T21 T18 T22 T13T16 T17 T19 T12 T9 T14 T15 T11 T10

T6
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TREE

SPECIES

COMMON NAME

T1-5 (Pollarded) T6 T7-8 (Pollarded) T9-21

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Tilia x europaea Platanus x hispanica Robinia pseudoacacia Robinia pseudoacacia

Common Lime London Plane False Acacia False Acacia

PLANTING - Tree Details

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SCALE 1:20

PLANTING - Tree Details

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SCALE 1:20

PLANTING - Grass

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SCALE 1:20

LIGHTING FIXTURES
WINDRUSH LIGHTS
15m tall Windrush sculptures fitted with LED lights at the top to create a twinkling effect. The scultptures were created by Jane Wernick for the project.

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Nimbus Opal LED Lights (recessed into the floor)

LIGHTING FIXTURES

15.5cm

15.5cm

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Altman Gobo Projectors hung in the plane tree

LIGHTING FIXTURES

IMG 97. Gobo projectors installed in tree

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IMG 98. Wires passed under the paving to power lights

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LIGHTING FIXTURES

Light projectors hung on columns illuminating the perimeter of the park.

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Hess indirect columns with ceramic metal halide lamps.

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Old lighting fixtures - no longer functioning yet retained in the square.

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SIGNAGE
The only signage present on the site is a sign board that talks about Windrush square and the Brixton regeneration project. It does not take a prominent position in the square rather it is placed out of the way.

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GARBAGE BINS
One type fixed garbage bins located strategically around the square. The bins blend in quite well and do not attract attention.

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TOILETS

Old underground toilets present on the square no longer in use. there are plans to find other uses for the underground toilet spaces but for now it remains in its abandoned state.

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MONUMENTS

IMG 112. Bust of Sir William Tate in front of the Tate library. It had been moved from a position in the center of the former Tate gardens to its new location hence giving it more prominence.

IMG 113. Stone laid by Henry Irving (1504) retained on the square.

IMG 114. Plaque commemorating the 1960 Sharpeville shooting during the Aparthied in South Africa.

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HOW THE SQUARE IS USED

HOW THE SQUARE IS USED

For most people, Windrush square is an open space to walk across on their way home or to the train station or some other destination. Most people were walking in straight lines across the square taking the shortest route predominantly a north-south directions. A few stop by to sit down on the fixed chairs a pair of acquaintances may want to have a chat with each other some to rest a bit before continuing with their journey or perhaps have a snack. Some others sit down to watch their children who may have broken away from them to play with other children the favourite play location usually is the piece of sculptural seating in front of the Tate library. One interesting thing is that the parents seem to be familiar with each other and the children also know each other too, calling themselves by name and when they depart they call out see you tomorrow to each other which seems to indicate that these meetings are somewhat regular. I suspect that these friendships may have been originally formed by chance meetings on one or two occasions and then these people come to he square not necessarily with the intention of meeting up but hoping and expecting to meet with the other families nevertheless. They all seemed to come in different groups converging at roughly the same time and dispersed at about the same time as well. One thing to notice is that these families didnt go the same direction they came which suggests to me that they each loosely plan their strolls so that they arrive at the square at such a time that it coincides with the time other families may arrive the square. It didnt seem to me that they left their homes with Windrush square as the main destination from which they would go back home but Windrush square was part of a series of locations along their path in which they could stop by. Other groups of people who use the square are groups of teenagers who arrive the square together, hang around for a while and then move on to other places. Once again the favourite hang out spot is the sculptural seating. Those who prefered the fixed seats were mostly older adults, especially the seats in the shade of the large London plane tree. The water feature (fountain) is almost never used at all.

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CONCLUSION

Overall, the Windrush square design accomplishes its objective by being an open and inclusive square however it has become more of a walkthrough square rather than a destination The changes that have been made to the square make it more of an icon in Brixton in contrast to the former square which was somewhat muted.

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REFERENCES
IMAGES

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