Now Heatherwick takes on O2 Centre
Landsec wants to build bigger than original plans
Friday, 1st November 2024 — By Tom Foot
Rough plans fro how the 02 Centre site in Finchley Road could look
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OLYMPIC cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick has joined the controversial overhaul of the O2 Centre site in Finchley Road.
The recruitment of the Heatherwick studio comes two weeks after it was announced that developer Landsec wants to build bigger and taller on the opportunity site.
It has been tasked with “humanising the project” and evolving the designs.
“Everything that Heatherwick Studio do is driven by human experience. It tries to create places that connect with people emotionally and enrich their daily lives,” said a Landsec publicity releases.
“The designs for these buildings aim to make the spaces feel interesting, and apply some of the principles in Heatherwick’s Humanise campaign.”
The 02 shopping centre on the right [Berrely Finchley_Road_looking_south_to_O2_Centre]
Neighbours had already complained that the development – which will see the shopping centre and cinema demolished – was going to be too big for the area.
Vague details over how the scheme will be expanded drip-fed to the public this weekend. Landsec said it intends to raise the height of five blocks by two floors – making the range from 12 to 17 storeys high – to add 50 more homes to the first phase of its development.
The share of “intermediate homes” in the proposed blocks is being reduced in favour of more “low-cost homes” although this is “subject to change”, according to a presentation. A larger community centre and more green space is being proposed in return.
The West Hampstead Amenity and Transport (WHAT) said it had not reached a formal response yet, but said there had been “mixed views” with people appreciating the extra open space but others were “worried that increasing the height of the buildings will make the development feel even more alien in the local area”.
It added that there were still concerns about the “capacity of the local tube stations to cope with the increased footfall.”
Overall 1,800 homes are being proposed, with 650 in the first phases of the scheme that Landsec says it wants to revise.
The developer said the changes – triggered by changes to fire safety legislation – is part of a Section 73 planing application to Camden Council, typically used when minor amendments are proposed.
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