Land Securities' retail-led development at One New Change, opposite St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London, has won a major architectural prize before it even opens. The scheme was selected as the overall winner of the Architectural Review/Mipim Future Projects Awards.
The 220,000 sq ft of retail space forms part of a 560,000-sq ft mixed-use development, designed by renowned architect Jean Nouvel. It will provide 70 retail units around new public thoroughfares opening up previously unseen views of the Cathedral.
The project is on schedule to open in time for Christmas 2010 and will lead the transformation of the City into a seven-day shopping and leisure destination with a retail offer never before seen in the Square Mile. Pre-lettings including Hobbs, Reiss, H&M, Marks & Spencer and Topshop.
The international jury said of the scheme: “London’s planning is based on views of St Paul’s cathedral so that this scheme close to the cathedral is the most difficult site in Europe. The judges welcomed this refreshing approach which, until quite recently would have been impossible. The client’s choice of the architect is evidence of the high international quality required for a site of this prominence.
“The client and planning authority showed great independence of mind against pressure to submit to a more historicist approach. The built scheme with be a transformatonal landmark, marking a new era in the life of a city quarter formerly characterised by monocultural users. It is a reminder of the bustling life of the seventeenth century city of London.”
