Enhancing Abyssinia Road’s public realm

Background

Abyssinia Road is a small street in a vibrant area of the London Borough of Wandsworth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abyssinia Road was closed and temporarily used by restaurants, cafes and bars as a seating space. The Council installed hostile vehicle mitigation measures as a temporary road closure scheme on the adjacent road. 

The new alfresco dining opportunities attracted community and visitors, therefore local business owners requested the Council formalise the temporary arrangements. They also asked to relocate a cycle hire hub to make more room for the new seating areas.  

Process

RIBA stage 1 and 2 – the concept design

The London Borough of Wandsworth commissioned Project Centre to turn the businesses’ temporary arrangements into a reality. With this goal in mind, Project Centre delivered a comprehensive concept proposal for the public realm, including:  

• The relocation of the cycle hire hub, increasing the available urban space  
• The raising of the carriageway to create a pedestrianised multi-use, single-level surface with improved paving  
• The introduction of hostile vehicle mitigation measures  
• The planting of potted trees and a variety of shrubs  

RIBA stage 3 and 4 – the detailed design

The Council was very satisfied with our concept design. Therefore, they instructed us to proceed with the detailed design. Before this stage, the Council requested us to make a change in our drawings and to temporarily retain the cycle hire hub in the detailed design, due to undergoing negotiation and approval with the supplier and Transport for London.   

We devised an innovative solution to temporarily retain and allow the Council to proceed smoothly once the stakeholders approved. The challenge was to make the site levels work around the hub, but we overcame this by gently sloping the footway towards the center of the site, where the hub is located. 

Another challenge at this stage was the large number of service utilities present on site. We undertook C2 utility surveys along with ground penetration radar mapping, trail holes and basement surveys. We designed the ground levels in a very specific way, ensuring levels were raised and not lowered to avoid utility impacts.   

Outcomes

Project Centre delivered all the drawings on time and within budget, meeting the clients’ and stakeholders’ satisfaction. Our measures have now been implemented and they are a great opportunity to enhance community engagement and for businesses to thrive.   

With the introduction of planting as well as the reduction of street clutter and the facilitated access to cycle hire stations and parking, we future-proofed the public realm, making it more sustainable and attractive for residents and visitors.   

Speak to the team to find out more about how we can help you!