st georges square

8/6/2019 St Georges Square

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w h i t e l a w + t u r k i n g t o n

2.0

Our scheme is a celebration o theunique architectural, cultural and social

qualities o the St. George’s Square

quarter.

The objective is to create a calm,

dignifed and coherent sense o placewhich will:

• Welcome visitors to the town.

• Accommodate a wide range o

managed and inormal activities

throughout the year.

• Provide a vibrant social space.

• Reinorce the sense o civic pride elt

by the people o Huddersfeld or theirtown.

The Vision

A Place to Celebrate...




An enhanced setting or the buildingswhich ront onto and defne the spaces:

• Each is unique, occupying a special

place in the hearts o local people.

• Each has a story to tell,architecturally, in history and withinlocal olklore.

• Each is o very high architectural

quality; every edge to the space isdefned by a visual gem.

The Railway Station: A Stately Home

with Trains in It?

Britannia Buildings: The home o

Huddersfeld Building Society -

Now the Fourth Largest in the World,

Who designed it?

The George Hotel: The Birthplace o

Rugby LeagueLion Arcade: When will the Lion awaken?

Historical Context

A Story to be Told...

3.1




Historical Context

The Development o the Square

Huddersfeld 1826Huddersfeld 1850

Huddersfeld Circa 1900 Huddersfeld 2006

St George’s Square was created duringthe latter hal o the 19 th Century during

the rapid urbanisation o Huddersfeld,

spurred on by the Industrial Revolution.

During this period the Railway Station

was built which prompted extensionnorthwards o the town centre.

The square became ully ormed uponcompletion o the Ramsden Estate plan

o 1854.

The square now provides a key gatewayto the town both to travellers by rail and

by road.

3.2




Scale

An Imposing Scale, Rich in Character

The Square has been an awesomescale heightened by the power and

grandeur o the architectural setting.

An opportunity exists or an enhancedsetting or the buildings which ront onto

and defne the spaces:

• It has an unprecedented scale.

• There is a ow between dierent

parts o the space. The ‘T’ shape is

the product o a collection o spaces.

• There exists a strong sense o

enclosure.

• The ‘whole’ can only be viewed rom

the area immediately in ront o thestation portico.

4.1

Aerial view o The Square

Site Area




Piccadilly Gardens - Manchester Covent Garden - London

St. George’s SquareMillennium Square - Leeds

Comparative Scale Studies to give an

indication of the size of space.

St George’s Square is a similar scale to

Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

Other similarities exist such as:

• Both spaces operate as a transport

interchange.

• Have water as a central visual focus.

However Piccadilly Gardens does

not offer a multifunctional accent

space. Similarities in this regard exist

with Leeds’ Millennium Square (with

a capacity of 20,000 people), and

Manchester’s Albert Square situation

adjacent to the Town Hall (with a

capacity of less than 10,000 people).

Scale

How Does it Compare?

4.2




• Transport corrections

Buses/Taxis

• Space creates a setting

or the acades • Meeting place

• Visu al ocus

• Event

• Gateway Space

• Flexible

• Car park

• Reinorces the symmetry o

the acade

• Frames the gateway space

• Setting space or the enclosing buildings and

approach to the station• Extension o caes/restaurants to outside space

• Colour/oral displays

• Perormance

• Gateway rom east and west

• Cul tural ocus

• Hin ge point• Conn ecting space

• Visual ocus

• Go-through space

between activity areas

1

2

3

4

5

Design Development

Spatial Organisation

The Square has fve constituent parts.

Each part has the potential to have a

distinct role, unction and character.

5.1




There Are Clear Lines o Movement and

Views Across the Space.

• There are specifc entrance points or

gateways into the Square.

• Vehicular movement is confned tothe edges o the space.

• Clear lines o pedestrian movement

are maintained across the space.

• Clear views o the Railway Station

açade, in particular the Portico shall

be maintained at all times.

Design Development

Movement & Views

5.2

Vehicular (red dashed line) and Pedestrian movement (blue dashed line) across the square.




Design Development

Geometry

Elements of the Public Realm are

arranged along formal lines of geometry

thus complementing and reinforcing the

neo-classical design principles upon

which the architectural context was

conceived.

Areas will be created on either side of

the station portico and between the

George Hotel and Britannia buildings in

order to frame the lower space.

A formal grid of water jets will be aligned

with the symmetry of the portico.

The statue of Harold Wilson will be

relocated to the point at which the axis

created by the centre line of the station

and the lower space meet.

5.3

Plan indicating lines and geometry




‘It may be that i shall leavea name sometimes

remembered with expressions of good

will in the abodes of those whose lot it is

to labour by the sweat of their brow; when they shall

recruit their exhausted strength with

abundant and untaxed food,

the sweeter because it isno longer leavened with a

sense of injustice.’

Sir Harold Wilson

Current statue within St. George’s

Square, one o Huddersfeld’s most

prominent fgures

Formal Pleached Trees

Strong symmetrical lines elongate, green,

aid movement, and enclose the square

Sir Robert Peel

Former statue within St. George’s

Square, which included the inscription

below on its plinth

Neo Classical Architecture

Neo Classical Renaissance Architecture

dominates the square

Italianate Detailing

Strong use o geometry & symmetry create

a strong identity

Civic Focus

Continue the tradition o high quality

bedding within the square

Sir Robert Peel1873

Somerset House - Central Water Feature Villa Lante, Italy - Simple, symmetrical

Italian landscapes

Design Development

Character

The existing character o St George’sSquare is inormed by a number o

themes:

• Neo Classical Architecture

The Square is one o the fnest neo

classical spaces in the renaissance style

to be ound in the North o England, i

not the whole o the UK.

• Cultural Heritage

The Square has been home to twopolitical dignitaries Sir Robert Peel and

Sir Harold Wilson.

• Civic Focus

The Square is the only major civic space

within the town.

• Traditions

There is a number o traditional

elements associated with the Square

such as oral bedding displays, watereatures and transport (a place to catcha bus, train or taxi).

The design ollows Renaissance design

theory as described by Leonbatista

Alberti 1452:

a. Good places occupy hillside sites.

b. They should be terraced.

c. They should be aorded a good

degree o enclosure.

d. The terraces should be used or

outdoor activities.

e. Plans should be simple, geometrical

and symmetrical.

f. There should be no axial connections

between terraces.

g. There should be a central water

eature.

h. There should be trees.

i. Topiary o evergreen plants should be

incorporated.

5.4




6.0St Georges Square General Arrangement Plan




7.1




7.2




8.0Levels and Drainage




Avenue o Planes

Box Headed

Limes

Box Headed Limes:

Tilia cordata

(or Tilia cultivar)

To be selected rom the same

source and to be o uniorm

habit and size

Avenue Trees:

Platanus x aceriolia

To be selected rom the same

source and to be o uniorm

habit and size

Seasonal Beds:

Seasonal bedding design

and planting pallette to be

agreed in consultation with

Kirklees MBC.

Street trees provide colour, texture

and shade, and an indication o the

seasons. Trees shall be cleared

stemmed in order to maintain good

sight lines or saety and security.

Root barriers will provide protection

to existing underground utilities.

9.0 Avenue Trees:

Platimus x aceriolia

30 - 35cm girth, 3.5 - 4.0m

clear stem. Min 10m height

Box Headed Limes:

Tilia Cordata or similar Tilia

Cultivar. Min 25cm girth.

2.2m clear stem. 5.0m height

Movable plant beds:

Seasonal planting

pallette to be agreed

in consulation with Kirklees MBC

Avenue o Planes

Tree Pit Detail

Each tree to be provided with

approximately 5m3 topsoil.

Where trees are sufciently

close together planting pit to

be a continuous trench. Paving

over trench supported with

proprietary root cell system, tree

pits urnished with root directors,

automatic irrigation system

and drainage. Tree grille to be

panels with stainless Steel slots

with infl paving panels to match

surrounds. Drainage rom tree

pits via sumps into surace water

drainage system.

TreeGrille

Paving

Planting Strategy




10.0

Granite SettsColour: ‘ Kobra Grey’

Flamed fnish. Size: Random length

x 150 x 150. Stretcher Bond

Granite SettsColour: ‘ Kobra Green’

Flamed fnish. Size: Random leng-

hts x 150 x 150. Stretcher Bond

Granite SettsColour: ‘ Crystal Black’

Flamed fnish. Size: Random length

x 150 x 150. Stretcher Bond

Granite SettsColour: ‘ Classic Grey’ Flamed fn-

ish. Size: Random lengths x 150 x

150. Stretcher Bond

Typical Section showing Footway to Carriage with Grey Green Mix

Materials Palette

York Stone Flags

‘Classic

Grey’

Granite

Kerb

‘Kobra

Green’

Granite

channel Random width

mix granite setts

25mm upstand

Typical Section showing Warm Granite Mix

Typical Section showing Grey Granite Mix

York Stone Flags

Typically 600 x Random length x

63. Diamond Sawn fnish. Laid to

stretcher bond

Stretcher Bond

Surace fnishes are:

All pedestrian areas:

Yorkstone slabs to be locally sourced

and selected to match the colour and

texture o existing paving. Much o

the existing paving to St Georges tobe reclaimed and re-used wherever

possible. Typical sizes are 600 x

Random Lengths. Diamond Sawn

fnish.

Kerbs:

‘Classic Grey’ Granite

Channels:

Granite to match carriageway

Carriageways:

Granite Setts with a selected mix o

3 colours, Flamed fnish. Granite is

the preerred material or areas that

are subject to vehicular trafc as it is

resistant to chemical spillage.

Materials

A palette o natural stone materialshas been selected that balances

reerences to the local context with

more contemporary construction

technologies and fnishes.

Kerbs are in a light colour in

contrast to background materials to

dierentiate vehicle carriageway and

to signal level change. Kerb upstand

is typically 25mm and 100mm

on parts o Railway Street where

the carriageway is more heavily

trafcked.

Typical Vehicle Area Mix




11.0

Lighting design has three aspects:

The Highways lighting scheme

General lighting to the square and

roads. The existing scheme will be

entirely replaced. New lamps and

columns or both carriageways and

soley pedestrian areas will achieve a

coherent coordinated scheme which

is designed to be efcient and keepslight pollution to a minimum. This

aspect o the lighting design scheme

will be co-ordinated with the other

components below.

Decorative lighting:

Uplights to Avenue trees, seating

and planters, lighting to two water

eatures.

Art: Façade lighting and projections:

It is proposed to light principle

acades: The Station ront, The

George Hotel, The Britannia Building

and The Lion Arcade. Other eature

lighting to include eatures in paving

and possibly timed projections onto

building acades.

Opportunities or Lighting Eects:

Trees will be either uplit or have

estoon lights within the canopy.

Surrounding buildings will be uplit

and the scheme will be developed in

conjunction with a lighting artist.

Opportunities include:

• Lighting buildings in sequence o

age.

• Projections o images relevant to

building’s ormer uses or historical

signifcance e.g. Rugby League and

The George Hotel.

Lighting Design

General Lighting

Decorative Lighting

Effect Lighting




12.0




13.0

st georges square

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