27 Jul Public Realm Vision: Stakeholder Party Meeting
On 29th June 2021, Hammersmith BID held a Stakeholder Party Meeting to discuss its Public Realm Vision that has been proposed with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
Attendees included local residents; members of Hammersmith and Fulham Council; and employees from local businesses including The Disney Company, Romulus and Helix Property. Allan Baird, local architect and advisor to the BID, joined the BID in presenting the ideas that the team has formulated, alongside Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, to transform Hammersmith town centre into a more connected space that champions sustainability, inclusivity, and local identity.
The meeting began by presenting the main foci of the Public Realm Vision, supported by drawings from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, to create an image of the Vision for the attendees. The plans intend to transform the town centre through both long-term developments as well as ‘quick wins’ so that users can experience immediate improvements to the town centre in a more cohesive fashion. We want to celebrate the vibrancy of Hammersmith to those returning to the town centre and stimulate interest and anticipation about what is to come.
One of the main objectives of the Vision is to transform the space under Hammersmith Flyover. Suggestions include a linear park, basketball court, market, and street-style cafes, as well as meeting places around the Apollo. Surface enhancements would increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the space, and the addition of lighting could enable the structure to be celebrated as an exciting piece of engineering of its time, as well as to add a much-needed element of security.
With air pollution and traffic being a concern, given the gyratory; pollution and traffic walls, alongside increased planting and green space, are methods that would be used to create a cleaner place where people will pause, rather than rushing through.
Another key aim of the Vision is to make connections from the town centre down to the river through the use of pockets of green space. Wayfinding is thus an important initial improvement that will be introduced to make navigation of the town centre, and all it has to offer, easier.
The meeting was an informative and successful consultation that engaged stakeholders in the Public Realm Vision and encouraged local and personal opinions to be brought forward.