Bird Street Retail Concept, Oxford Street Smart Oasis London, Building Project, Photo, News, Design, Image
Bird Street Smart Oasis
New West End Company (NWEC) Building Development in London, England, UK design by Harry Dobbs Design (HDD) Architects
4 Jul 2017
Bird Street Retail Concept
Architect: Harry Dobbs Design (HDD)
West End’s Bird St retail concept launches and underpins major redevelopment of Oxford St area
The Bird Street pilot which opened in London’s West End yesterday. It is intended as a catalyst for further re-development of the London Oxford Street area. The idea is also to give smaller businesses and brands the opportunity to trade in a prime retail location.
Architects HDD and NWEC Launch Pilot Street Trading Concept – Underpinning Redevelopment of Oxford Street Area
Top international shopping destination Oxford Street faces many of the 21st century retail street challenges. In response, New West End Company (NWEC) with Harry Dobbs Design (HDD) have launched The Bird Street Smart Oasis, transforming a down-at-heal cul-de-sac off Oxford Street into a unique new public space that pilots innovative design ideas for the West End.
The Smart Trading Oasis:
HDD, leading Architects and Urban Designers, approached NWEC in 2015, seeing untapped potential in the many neglected side streets sitting only yards from Europe’s highest footfall retail area. HDD have been working closely with NWEC since, to design and deliver a 2 year pilot scheme that tests these urban design ideas, building on NWEC’s broader ‘Vision for Oxford Street’.
This Smart Trading Oasis is arranged around an eye catching 50m long trading facade, that hosts an exciting new seasonal program of independent retailers and product launches.HDD’s designs celebrate this transformative role with vibrantly coloured faceted forms that glow at night, raising the festive aesthetic of Origami decorations to an architectural scale. The street surfaces have also been upgraded with new benches, planting, and an Astroturf street surface by Atkins, and the trialling a range of new public realm embedded technologies.
Testing innovative new design ideas for the area
- The Oasis
The project offers a much needed softer, healthier and slower pace break out space from the hectic main Oxford Street thoroughfare.
- Flexible Trading Façade
The faceted façade transforms a blank frontage into a vibrant pop-up retail destination. Hosting 4 trading spaces, it can be flexibly re-configured into a gallery and cafe for street wide events.
- A Smart Street
Experimental street technologies can be launched and experienced by the public. This includes Air Cleaning technologies by Airlabs and Airlite, and electricity generative paving by Pavegen.
A new future for the Oxford Street District.
The scheme injects new thinking into the challenge of re-vitalising the high-street in the era of e-commerce and social media.
- Oxford Street as a broader District
As threshold to the surrounding smaller scale streets and retail opportunities, the scheme invites visitors to re-appraise Oxford Street as broader district that extends into the streets either side.
- Dynamic schedule of culturally tuned retail
The experimental retail concept enables an ever-changing schedule of independent retailers, dining, exhibitions and event that can be curated to reflect London’s wider cultural calendar.
- Innovative design and Architecture
Bird Street illustrates the opportunity for fresh design thinking to re-purpose the area’s underused spaces and facades into valuable, memorable and exciting new destinations.
“We are thrilled to be completing this ground-breaking project with NWEC. Oxford Street as a global destination deserves a lift that isn’t just cosmetic, but one that makes a cultural, commercial and urban impact, enticing people to explore further, dwell longer and come back more often. The Bird Street project does this by opening up broader sets of experience and events that enrich the retail experience for consumers, and that cannot be substituted by online shopping.” Harry Dobbs, Director of HDD.
Photos: Mark Cocksedge
About Harry Dobbs Design (HDD)
Harry Dobbs Design is an award-winning architectural and urban design practice and a leader in its field. Established in 2006 and based in London, the practice is acclaimed for its expertise in resolving complex urban issues at a human scale with ingenuity, creativity and clarity.
Signature to its approach is its capability for in-depth research, strategic thinking, and design solutions required to evolve and transform urban environment to become culturally engaging, economically sustainable and socially resilient destinations. Key projects include international competition winning designs delivered in London, Manchester, New York, and Qatar, including full ranges of bespoke urban street furniture at capital city-wide and national levels.
www.harrydobbs.comwww.harrydobbs.com
About New West End Company
New West End Company is the management and promotional company for London’s retail heartland. The Company promotes, manages and enhances the world’s top shopping destination. Its aims are to build the West End’s global reputation, create a world renowned visitor experience and to attract investment and spend to an area which drives London’s economy. New West End Company is Europe’s largest Business Improvement District (BID). A not-for-profit company funded by 600 businesses across Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and 22 connecting streets. The area turns over £8bn annually with a property value of £4bn and our businesses employ over 150,000 people.
Bird Street Smart Oasis London Retail Concept images / information received 040717
Location: Bird Street, London, England, UK
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