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Last Update: Friday 12th November 2004
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FEATURES   By JOEL TAYLOR


Christian Garnett


The plans outside the Freemasons’ Hall
Bold plans to open up neglected square
WHAT is currently little more than a traffic island could be transformed into a public square if a proposal from a group of Covent Garden architects get the go-ahead.
Christian Garnett Partners have drawn up a plan which, if realised, would see an “urban space” formed at the junction of Green Queen Street and Long Acre, in the shadow of the monumental Free-masons’ Hall.
The firm, which have been in Covent Garden since the early 1990s, came up with the proposal “off their own bat” in a bid to improve the area.
Mr Garnett said: “I have worked in this area for years and this part always seemed to me to be little more than a traffic island. There are four roads that come into it, and each of these have just one lane, and nothing else happens. There are fantastic buildings there and Long Acre and Great Queen Street are full of history. You walk up Long Acre, which is very nice, but it just sort of fizzles out. There is no event. It feels like it should be for pedestrians.
“Covent Garden piazza and Seven Dials have a sort of presence. People go there and just sit. It would be nice if there was a bit of a feature. Everything in Covent Garden is weighted towards the piazza, and it is good to have other areas to balance everything out.”
He added: “I think Covent Garden is about informal spaces that you arrive at.
“I have been very impressed with what has been done with Seven Dials. It feels pedestrianised and people just sit around the monument and it is very informal.”
The proposal would be to extend a square from the south side of the junction, with trees and seating, and perhaps a sculpture in front of Freemasons’ Hall.
Mr Garnett said: “Regardless of what you think of the Freemasons, it is an impressive building but it is just forgotten.
“We looked at several different possibilities and the one we have at the moment is the most neutral.”
But the plan needs support from local authorities. Mr Garnett said: “I don’t really know who would commission something like this, whether it would be Camden or Westminster councils, or how it would work but it would be good to create a bit of urban space.
“I have spoken to Councillor John Thane (Camden Council’s planning chief) last week and he seemed keen, and we have had lots of businesses saying that we should go ahead.”