Client(s)

The Cabinet Office in partnership with Westminster City Council

Project Bio
AN ATKINS PROJECT
This £25 million project delivers major urban improvements to Whitehall and its adjoining streets, incorporating new physical security measures to combat any potential threat from vehicle borne attack, complimented by regeneration and improvement of the wider street scene. Building upon the earlier ‘World Squares For All Masterplan’, contemporary security features have been sympathetically integrated with more traditional aspects of urban design to deliver a package that transforms the area; providing a world class environment with better facilities for pedestrians, tourists and public transport users, whilst at the same time ensuring this historically important area retains its iconic status as a major attraction in its own right. Ludwig Tewksbury and Peter Heath were instrumental in bringing an in depth understanding of the history and evolution of the street, the quality of each individual ‘‘room’’ and how any intervention should relate to the townscape. In depth research and analysis formed the basis of the public realm report. This document enabled decision makers to be confident of the design teams approach to the works, which incorporated vast underground steel rafts in an area rich with archeology (Henry VIII Whitehall Palace) and an ‘‘emergency programme’’ post London bombings. Ludwig and Peter were also instrumental in tempering a vehicle based approach in favour of a pedestrian friendly arrangement respectful of it’s historic context.
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