For London Festival of Architecture earlier this year, we invited members of the public - including students and other architects - to our studio for a workshop to re-imagine the West End. Those who attended collaborated to redesign this exciting part of our city taking into consideration heritage, social value, transport, buildings and people. 

Participants were divided into four groups, each focusing on a distinct theme: public realm, transport, buildings or heritage. Supported by a few of our wonderful architects, they had one hour to analyse the existing area, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate with the other groups. At the end of the evening, each group presented their creative visions for how to improve this part of the city - with concepts rooted in people, inclusivity and sustainability.

We absolutely loved hearing the different ideas from each group, which ranged from a green and leafy elevated pedestrian path network to a new museum for Soho to showcase its cultural significance and evolution.

Having worked in the area for over 30 years, we are passionate about its future. As the city continues to evolve, we will continue to encourage and listen to the community’s ideas and contributions in shaping what lies ahead… whatever that may look like!

The final ideas are presented in the drawing below, designed by our talented team member, Dale.