City Corporation picks architects for Smithfield Market

The City of London Corporation has appointed architectural firms Studio Egret West and Hawkins\Brown to come up with designs for Smithfield Market as it pushes forward with its plans to relocate the meat market along with Billingsgate fish market in Poplar and New Spitalfields fruit and veg market in Leyton. Studio Egret West will be responsible for reimagining the Smithfield East and West market buildings, while Hawkins\Brown will develop ideas for the broader Smithfield public realm between Farringdon Street and Aldersgate Street. The City Corporation – along with the Barbican, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of London – is aiming to create a Culture Mile, stretching from Farringdon to Moorgate, to transform the area. Engagement on the plans with the local community is expected to take place during the coming months. The City Corporation announced last year that it planned to relocate all three London markets to the site of the former Barking Reach Power Station in east London. [gallery type="slideshow" size="full" columns="1" ids="1014487,1014490,1014496,1014493,1014491,1014443"] Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, said: “These Smithfield buildings and the wider area are a key part of the Square Mile that will serve as a gateway for even more visitors once the Elizabeth Line opens. We are confident that these two firms and their partners will be able to help bring our vision for these historic buildings to life, while creating exceptional public spaces around them. “This is a significant step forward in our journey to deliver on our wider ambition to create a vibrant and new world-class Culture Mile at the heart of the historic Square Mile. Alongside the new Museum of London, these plans will create exciting, new creative uses and public spaces, attracting workers, residents and new visitors to the area alike, as well as meeting our obligations to improve air quality. “We look forward to sharing more detail on our plans with stakeholders in the coming months.” David West, founding director of Studio Egret West, added:“Thanks to connectivities that did not exist previously, Smithfield is set to attract a new influx of people and, should the meat market move, Smithfield Market could be transformed in a highly flexible and imaginative way, creating a place for meeting and making, growing and exchanging, exposition and entertainment. “Similar to the Great Exhibition of 1851, imagine the spectrum of innovations celebrated in the newly opened-up market halls of Smithfield.” Darryl Chen, partner and head of urban design at Hawkins\Brown, said: “This is a unique challenge to reimagine the identity of an entire area for the enjoyment of London’s residents and its visitors. “Our initial scheme is based on the idea of the field – returning the area’s lanes and rat-runs into a single identifiable place that provides a range of settings for civic activities. The design of public spaces could really blur boundaries between inside and outside, and redefine how culture is expressed in the public realm. “Our practice has been long-time residents of Farringdon, and we look forward to revealing the stories and significance it has had for many in the area.” Main photo: Hawkins\Brown’s CGI of the public spaces at Smithfield Market Note: The images used are from initial concepts from the design competition READ MORE: City to launch design contest for Smithfield Market City of London to consolidate and relocate London’s markets What next for London’s markets? To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette