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A new Old Street, repurposed and reimagined. Respectful to the past, but reflective of the future.Walk the promenade.Play in the public realm.Dance with data.Make digital art.Gather together; watch, share, and play. Discover Old Street in a new way.

OUR PROPOSAL

Our design proposal for Old Street has been been imagined out of a collaborative ideas process between shedkm architects, Uniform and BCA Landscape. Together our team offers skills aligned to delivering an imaginative, yet achievable, innovative design proposal for Old Street.

Through analysis of Old Street and the wider context, we have arrived at a proposal that seeks to unify residents, commuters and visitors in an interactive, stimulating and special environment, unlike anywhere else in London.

We imagine four elements: lightweight periscopes as insertions into the existing architecture, providing a unique experience of the external environment to users of the underground concourse; an interactive digital mirror, digitising the performance of people in the public landscape; a ‘Data Vent’ digitally illuminating live data from the underground network; and a manual message wall, as a tactile play on message sharing.

A NEW OLD STREET: WHERE PROMENADE MEETS PLAYGROUND

Spanning architecture, creative digital technologies and landscape design, our single desire is to create a place that captures the unique character of Old Street. Our aim: to showcase Old Street in a new light; offering intriguing and playful new interventions that create opportunities for public interaction, both physically and visually.

PARTNERSHIP

During the development of our proposal we have forged a partnership with OLEDWorks, a company who create world class solid state OLED panels. OLEDWorks are happy to work in partnership on this project to ensure their products are used to their full potential across our new digital installations.

Our ‘Data Vent’ will initially be powered using TFL’s open application programming interface (API) to display live underground train data. Moving forward, these colourful tubes of light can be utilised as a digital platform, capable of displaying a wide range of data.

Our digital mirror will be constructed with OLED panels on both sides, using motion tracking via an externally mounted camera to translate movement happening in front of the external screen to the OLED screen visible from the underground, resulting in a digital mirror that simply plays back what is happening outside in real time.

TEAM

shedkm UniformBCA Landscape

SUMMARY

Our interventions seek to repurpose existing architecture, whilst making this new space become alive and fun with activity and interaction. Whether passing by, meeting friends or visiting Old Street, this digital playground showcases how technology, art and architecture can be brought together to create a new public space.

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Uniting the diverse and expanding technological companies within this busy digital district, Silicon Circus represents London’s perpetual tech future. Formed of two surfaces, Silicon Circus is the outward expression of the digital age and inward interactive face for developing technologies. Encompassing the elements of the site by creating a united form, the digital ring performs as an ethereal symbol, one of prospect and opportunity.

The proposal has been divided into two phases – as technology and investment grows within the ring, Silicon Circus is able to expand to become a place for technological innovation. Phase one includes the construction of the adverting ring and inner public space. The ring is constructed using a lightweight steel framework that rests on two curved green walls. These perforated green walls create a sheltered inner public space, mitigating noise and air pollution. The outside of the ring is divided into equal interchangeable LED digital panels. As investment increases through the advertising screens, more panels can be added around the ring, forming a growing industry.

Using the income generated from the advertising screens, phase two includes the construction of startup spaces for local companies and an innovative 3D prototyping workshop above the clerestory roof area. We believe digital precision in making 3D printed objects is where technology is advancing next, so our ambition is to make Silicon Circus a center for design innovation. A new raised public space is created on top of this space and connects to the benches within the Station Plaza.

The form of Silicon Circus lends itself to being viewed on all sides, where the ring continues to revel itself, both to the passing cars and pedestrians from around the site. By elevating the disk above the public area, the proposal maximises the size of the site, yet provides protection from the elements and busytraffic. The interior face of the green walls have the flexibility of being used as public art displays, creating a playful and integrative space.

The public realm has been designed to extend the Promenade of Light and create a continual wide avenue of trees as you approach the new Old Street Station entrance. The simple pallet of light stone materials creates a calm ground surface that allows the Silicon Circus ring to appear as if it’s floating.

Small areas of ground water features create break spaces within this new large public realm and allow children to play and people to gather. There are curved areas of seating both outside of and within the ring that are protected by the green walls.

Replacing the existing advertising arches and creating a united form around the fixed elements of the site has created a flexible new environment with both an outward and inward expression. The simplicity of the concept has formed an iconic symbol for the tech city - A light technological disk of innovation andprosperity.

TEAM

HCL ArchitectsJose Cocchiararo Francesco Bonfanti Nelson Ferreira Maxi Hamilton Henrik HolteLucy Steeden

SILICON CIRCUS

Screen

Advertising space for global business and local Startup companies to gain international recognition

Event

Large public area where events such as theatre, music and event screenings can be hoisted

StartUp

Workspaces for startup companies funded by private investment

3DProto

A workshop space for 3D printing and rapid prototyping

Solar

The top of the ring can have solar cells to generate energy used to power the LED screens

Frame

A simple lightweight steel frameworks rests on top of the curved structural walls

Green

Green walls create a protected inner public space mitigating noise and pollution

Uniting the diverse and expanding technological companies within this busy digital

district, Silicon Circus represents London’s perpetual tech future. Formed of two

surfaces, Silicon Circus is the outward expression of the digital age and inward

interactive face for developing technologies. Encompassing the elements of the

site by creating a united form, the digital ring performs as an ethereal symbol, one

of prospect and opportunity.

A cluster of unrelated objects

Unifying the objects

Allowing people into the space

Generate income - high value advertising space

Create an elevated and flexible public space

The ethereal disk - view from above View towards City Road looking South

A disk of light - birds eye view View from Old Street looking east Exploded drawing illustrating the key elements of Silicon Circus

Phase 2

Phase 1

View form Old Street looking east View from City Road looking north

S I L I C O N C I R C U S

Screen

Advertising space for global business and local Startup companies to gain international recognition

Event

Large public area where events such as theatre, music and event screenings can be hoisted

StartUp

Workspaces for startup companies funded by private investment

3DProto

A workshop space for 3D printing and rapid prototyping

Solar

The top of the ring can have solar cells to generate energy used to power the LED screens

Frame

A simple lightweight steel frameworks rests on top of the curved structural walls

Green

Green walls create a protected inner public space mitigating noise and pollution

Uniting the diverse and expanding technological companies within this busy digital

district, Silicon Circus represents London’s perpetual tech future. Formed of two

surfaces, Silicon Circus is the outward expression of the digital age and inward

interactive face for developing technologies. Encompassing the elements of the

site by creating a united form, the digital ring performs as an ethereal symbol, one

of prospect and opportunity.

A cluster of unrelated objects

Unifying the objects

Allowing people into the space

Generate income - high value advertising space

Create an elevated and flexible public space

The ethereal disk - view from above View towards City Road looking South

A disk of light - birds eye view View from Old Street looking east Exploded drawing illustrating the key elements of Silicon Circus

Phase 2

Phase 1

View form Old Street looking east View from City Road looking north

S I L I C O N C I R C U SSilicon Circus - an inner and outer ring Digital outer ring of changing advertising Smart advertising for underground station approach Inner ring smart advertising for underground station departure Projection surface for evening events Changing projection surfaces for evening events

1:500 Ground Floor Plan Early evening CGI image - Approaching Silicon Circus from the Promenade of Light

S I L I C O N C I R C U SPerspective section through station entrance looking south

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INTRODUCTION

The Iris is a piece of metropolitan land art which will transform the proposed peninsula into an interactive and inclusive place to gather, perform, meet, play and relax, ecting as a beacon for smart city innovation and theiconic gateway of Old Street.

THE TEAM

We have assembled a world class team of architects, engineers, artists, curators, smart city and way-finding experts, landscape architects, material and fabrication specialists and local community groups to collaborate in delivering this destination intervention.

will be measured by the Bosch Air Quality Micro Climate Monitoring System. The air quality metrics will be displayed on the advertisementscreen to raise awareness of the of air pollution and to illustrate the reduction in NOX particles that is achieved by the planting and specialist material treatment of the site.

THE LENS

Suspended above, forming the space, is a new circular advertisement screen, providing the same area as the existing screens and with enhanced visibility from the surrounding streets. This will have a convex reflective underside, like a fish-eye lens, which will give an engagingvisual connection as traffic and people swirl around.

The new circular screen will be supported by a sculptural metal ‘stalk’ which will use the foundations of one of the existing supports. The dynamic form of the stalk will be perforated with text and images by a local artist and its base will act as a focal point to the station entrance plaza and a meeting point.

THE OLD STREET IRIS APP

The proposal includes the development of an ‘Old Street Iris App’. The app will allow the public to interact with the suspended screen with the ability to upload photos and text to the screen, subject to content filtering, at certaintimes of the day. The app provides the opportunity for advertisements and sponsorship to raise funds for the ongoing operational costs of the peninsula. The app will also play a convening function, ensuring that everyone,

regardless of ability level, is able to access and make use of the space.

WAY-FINDING

The site will be a beacon for the latest tech andinnovation and will feature the market leading way-finding technology from Wayfindr. Wayfindr will use the site to showcase their open source way-finding technology and as part of the Old Street Iris app will provide an inclusive navigation service for visitors to the Iris. The app will also provide information on events that are happening within the peninsula and the surrounding local area and can provide augmented reality experiences, for example,by providing contextual information about art installations or cultural events tailored to different audiences based on their interests.

PUBLIC ART AND CULTURAL PROGRAM

Along with the permanent art features of the proposal, the site provides various opportunities for an ongoing art and a cultural programme for the site and the wider surroundings. This will be curated by Modus Operandi in collaboration with several partners — an example programme is illustrated on the submission boards.

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TEAM

EPR Architects Martin RichmanWayfindrModus OperandiGillespiesEntuitiveMaterials CouncilStage One

THE IRIS

THE IRIS

The centre-piece of the proposal is an amphitheatre space which has been conceived as a space for escapism from the busy city where the noise of the surroundings will be pushed to the periphery creating an oasis for calm reflection. The space will also act as an arena forperformances, art installations and community events.

The curation of the Iris space will allow for additional funding through performances, events, marketing and sponsorship. The terraced landscape is made up of a lightweight hexagonal modular unit which will accommodate a variety of inserts for paving, planting and lighting. This simple insert will provide the opportunity to incorporate art into the surfaces of the site which can be created by the wider community; local schools, artists and community organisations will be invited to make hexagonal inserts which will become a permanent part of the site.

SUSTAINABILITY

The lightweight hexagonal modules, which are made with recycled content, will have a photo-catalyst surface treatment which has been proven to break down and reduce the nitrogen oxide (NOx) particles in the air by 5-15%. It is estimated that the hard surfaces of the site can provide the same air purification effects as anarea of green land the size of 35 tennis courts. This is in addition to the purification provided by the planted landscaping and the new trees which line the perimeter of the site as a continuation of the Promenade of Light, and a green buffer from the busy road. The air quality of the site

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Planting at high level includes varieties of brightly coloured and ecologically rich perennialmixes with exceptional biodiversity and ecological benefits to wildlife. Mixed with this areevergreen deciduous climbing plants that cascade over the edge and provide flowers andyear-round interest.

The robust trees and planting at ground level are robust and tolerant to pollution. Theyprovide shade in the summer, filter noise and improve the air quality.

Old Street Park is a vibrant, new landmark.

For underground commuters it’s a bright, clean, safe entrance to the station. It’s a bookshop and newspaper stand. It’s somewhere to buy a snack for the journey home.

For office workers it’s an escape, a resting spot in the sun, a place to watch and a place tobe seen. It’s a lunchtime destination, a coffee shop with free wi-fi, a grab-and-go, a drinkafter work.

For the daily cyclist it’s covered, secure parking. It’s a workshop to repair a puncture, rent alocker for the day, replace a front light for the safe ride home. It’s somewhere to meet othersand chat the Tour. Somewhere to watch outdoor screenings of records and hearts beingbroken.

For families and friends, it’s a weekend meeting place, an event space, an open-air cinemaand food market. It’s performance, dance and music.

For the City of London, it’s an opportunity, a landmark, a green space, a piece of the jigsaw,a postcard image, a new vista and view.For us it’s an invitation to meet, talk, learn and laugh. A layering of our cultures and thevalues we cherish.

Aerial mapping makes every roof an elevation. The elliptical form is reminiscent of avelodrome and instantly recognisable for orientating oneself in the city.

The construction is simple; a bright steel frame raises a timber circuit above the groundto provide elevated views and covered lock up space for bicycles. The curved form of thetrack consists of a series of repeating matching modules that are fabricated off-site andinstalled as a kit of parts. Each module is clad with close boarded timber decking with anapplied anti slip coating.

An upper roof deck provides shelter for cyclists below and is finished with a growingmedium and irrigation system for planting. The diaphragm action of the lightweight roofdeck ensures the upper structure remains rigid and stable. The facade is wrapped with anintegrated video surface that provides a dynamic, visually engaging halo of advertising.

Brands can adopt the Old Street Park screens for hosting new product marketing events.The Old Street Park community provides an app that gives information on events, dailymenus, live offers and vouchers. It can be used to book tickets for the outdoor cinema, liveperformances or workshops.

Cyclist are offered intelligent parking with app based live occupancy figures. Simple LEDdisplays above each rack give a clear indication when bays are free. Bicycles can bebooked in for maintenance with the on-site team to collect and return once repairs arecomplete.

OLD STREET PARK

TEAM

Nicholas Hare ArchitectsKatie BurgessChris ManningsJames EadesPhilip Dring

Price and MyersDavid Lockett

Hoare LeaMike BedfordDave Parsons

FIRAVictoria PhillipsDavid Williams

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CONNECTING FOUR CREATIVE COMMUNITIES

An immersive, playful experience that engages different senses and offers escape from the busy road environment.

THE COMMON

Old Street peninsula is at the crossroads between four villages, each known for its distinct industry: Angel for retail, Shoreditch for art and entertainment, Clerkenwell for design and the City for finance. Technological innovation links these industries, and keeps them moving forward. Cross-fertilisation between the communities leads to the new ideas that fuel Tech City. This new public space is the common land that brings these groups of people together. Old Street Common is a space for encounters, play and contemplation at the heart of Tech City.

DEALING WITH A HARSH URBAN ENVIRONMENT

How can high quality public space be created at the centre of a busy road junction?

Old Street Common is a field. This area has a history of fields - Moorfields, Bunhill fields, Smithfield. By immersing the visitor in a field of giant stalks, a sense of enclosure and protection is created, whilst still retaining permeability and visibility across the site. The sound of traffic is buffered by the density of the stalks, and only small glimpses of the road are visible between the sculptural forms. The tips of the stalks turn

in the wind like heads of wheat, the gentle movement a distraction from the rush of the city.

A SPACE FOR MOVEMENT AND A PLACE TO DWELL

At the centre of the common, the station opens out into a clearing. A wide open space allows the visitor to orientate himself; the stalks create routes and guide intuitive wayfinding.

This is a space for movement and pace as commuters, residents and visitors rush in and out of the station throughout the day and night.

The secluded glade raised above the existing station roof is an antidote to the urban movement going on below; this a space to dwell and play. Elevated above the traffic and the field and enclosed with a mirror-clad wall, this is an inward-looking space where a city worker on her lunch break might rest on the spongy undulating mounds; a child can play amongst the trees and and local resident will sit and read the paper.

SOUNDSCAPE

An immersive sound installation creates a ‘forest-like’ experience for the users of the glade.

The ‘forest floor’ of the sound is a subtle texture of composed vocal music that encloses and moves around the listener. This landscape of sound exists in musical relation to the presence of the traffic beyond, and calms that ceaseless energy into a mood of reflection and distance.

Studding the sound landscape are snippets of recorded voice, drawn from people who live and work in the locality. Each voice builds a portrait of the human ecology of the Old Street area for the listener.

REDUCING CLUTTER AND MAXIMISING SPACE

A digital screen is integrated into the external facade of the glade, a beacon at the centre of the common, providing over 450m2 of advertising space. This is almost triple the space provided by the current screen, and provides an increased source of revenue to fund the construction of the scheme.

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TEAM

Hawkins\Brown Weber IndustriesStudio DekkaMelanie Wilson

OLD STREET COMMON

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THE TECH TOWER PARK

The Tech Tower Park is a showcase for, and a celebration of human ingenuity and technology to improve, to heal, to educate, to share, to grow, to research. It is a positive demonstration of current and future potential, housed within aflexible framework that allows a variety of overlapping functions over many levels.

The tech uses create a symbiotic relationship with the vertical park, allowing botanical gardens to provide material for pharmaceutical research, and aeroponics to feed a food market. Elsewhere AI research and test areas overlap with prescriptive play spaces, allowing direct public interaction with cutting edge technologies.

Split into ten layers, each six storeys high, the diagrid provides both an efficient structure and a dynamic expression of form, terminating in a new promenade of light some 60 storeys above the ground.

A NEW CENTRE FOR LONDON

We propose a new landmark for the new centre of London - a Tech Tower Park - combining multiple new technological opportunities with a vertical public park.

London, as a city of linked villages, is fluid and dynamic, constantly changing and evolving both locally and as a global centre. In recent years, through these changes, the symbolic centre has shifted eastwards to a current location at theOld Street roundabout, at the heart of Tech City. This proposal acknowledges and celebrates the new centre point for London. It establishes the location as a highlight on the global stage, a symbolic reflection of a great capital city, and as a local beacon of light and opportunity, open to all to share and delight in future technological potential.

THE CONTEXT

As well as being the new centre of London, the location is a key intersection both east/west and north/south, with strong vistas in four directions. The Tech Tower Park acts as a wayfinding device for Shoreditch and helps to terminate the emerging clusters of towers along City Road. Within the wider context, it acts as a counterpoint to Centre Point, some two miles to the west, reinforcing the new central location of Tech City.

EXISTING PUBLIC REALM

The immediate context has limited open public space within a ten-minute walk. The transport improvements will reclaim the island from the roundabout, creating a peninsula and allowing an opportunity to create new public realm, linked with longer term improvements to the station access.

VERTICAL PUBLIC REALM

The highway changes reclaim 3,200sqm of public space yet much of this will be required for station access, retail, and other functions. What if we could create more public space by layering it vertically? Ten layers, spaced six storeys apart,could provide up to 32,000sqm, creating a vertical park and a variety of spaces over different levels. Greening the city in such a visible way, irrigated with collected rainwater, would provide psychological benefits as well as helping to reduce pollution and the urban heat island effect. The existing promenade of light and mature plane trees, rather than beingabruptly terminated, would be extended and multiplied many times over as the new public space flows up and beyond the existing tree canopy.

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TEAM

MaePlanit IEMax Fordam & PartnersOne Works Changebuilding

THE TECH TOWER