15 January 2007
Street Scene Challenge: The Monument
City of London revitalises its most historic landmark
Opening ceremony / unveiling (invitation only) 31 January
2007. To attend, please see contact details below.
A shimmering glass pavilion and new public square will appear
next to the City of London’s most historic landmark almost 350
years after it was first built to commemorate the Great Fire of
London, as part of the City’s Street Scene Challenge
initiative.
The contemporary glass and stone pavilion designed by
bere:architects will appear next to the Monument in January. It
will be a discrete sculptural element, with over 100 pieces of
angled mirrored glass on the roof reflecting the flaming golden orb
at the top of the Monument and rewarding those visitors who climb
to the top of the landmark and look back down into the square.
A new public square will be created as part of Monument Street
is pedestrianised, marking the extent of Wren’s original Monument
Yard between Fish Street Hill and Pudding Lane; the pavement
resurfaced in York and Caithness stone and granite. The creation of
the square includes the landscaping of the area around the pavilion
and an oak-decked garden suspended over the derelict basement of
the former Canoe House, to create an attractive outdoor space with
seating for the enjoyment of City residents, workers and
visitors.
A commemorative flagstone will also be laid to Robert Hooke
(1635-1703), the often-overlooked inventor, architect and
co-designer of The Monument with Sir Christopher Wren.
bere:architects’ pavilion will incorporate a reference to the
universal joint, one of Hooke’s many inventions.
The project is part of the City of London’s Street Scene
Challenge initiative, which enhances the City’s streets by
reclaiming them from traffic in collaboration with respected
architects, designers and artists. This is the latest
in a series of projects that has recently seen the creation of a
new public square by Eric Parry Architects (Aldermanbury Square), a
Riverside Walkway along the north bank of the Thames (also with
bere:architects) and the redevelopment of large swathes of the
street level landscape in the City of London.
Justin Bere of bere:architects says, “We are delighted that the
City of London has been adventurous enough in its commissioning to
give us the freedom to design this unusual pavilion. It
appears to be casually placed in Monument Square but on closer
examination has a precise sculptural relationship to the Monument.
We hope it adds another, modern dimension to the experience of
visiting this great landmark.”
For further information about Street Scene please contact:
Lucy Wilson or Susannah Glynn, Theresa Simon & Partners
020 7734 4800
lucy@theresasimon.com /
susannah@theresasimon.com
For further information about the City of London please
contact:
Fiona Milligan, Senior Press Officer, City of London
Direct Line 020 7332 3451 / Mobile 07900 244 200
Email
Notes to editors
The Monument
The Monument is a 61 metre
tall Roman Doric column built in the 1670s, located near to the
north end of London Bridge, 61 metres from the site of the baker’s
shop where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. At the time of
construction it was the tallest free-standing stone column in the
world and became infamous in the 1800s as a place from which people
jumped to commit suicide! Accredited to Sir Christopher Wren, The
Monument was in fact co-designed by Robert Hooke, a surveyor to the
City of London. Hooke was responsible for the planning of huge
areas of pre-Victorian London and was equally known as an inventor.
Hooke and Wren built The Monument to double as a scientific
instrument – for barometric pressure studies and for use as a
telescope.
Street Scene Challenge Initiative
The City of London’s Street Scene Challenge initiative was set up
in 2003 to manage the appearance of streets, enhance the public
realm and street level environment and facilitate the flow of both
pedestrian and motor traffic around the City of London. Traffic has
been reduced in the City by 25% overall, with a 40% reduction in
the central City area as a result of the City’s management of
vehicular movement. Through Street Scene, the City of London
is continually working to improve the appearance, function and
safety of the City’s streets, to provide a high quality environment
that is fitting for the world’s leading financial and business
centre.
Whilst every scheme is different, in general Street Scene
schemes are funded by a partnership between the City of London and
other interested parties such as private developers, building
owners and occupiers, Transport for London and regeneration
organisations. The City of London's contribution can vary depending
on the size and nature of schemes but the funding derived from
parking income, which, by law, must be spent on local highway
improvements, and also from contributions made through Section 106
planning agreements.
Other forthcoming Street Scene projects include the development of
a Riverside Walkway along the north bank of the Thames between
Embankment and Tower Hill, improvement to public spaces and the
pedestrianisation and enhancement of the Queen Street and King
Street area of the City.
The City of London
The City of London provides local government services for the City
of London, the financial and commercial heart of Britain. The City
Corporation is committed to maintaining and enhancing the status of
the business City as the world's leading international financial
and business centre through its policies and services. Its
responsibilities also extend far beyond the City boundaries and
include management of the Barbican Centre, Central Criminal Court
at the Old Bailey, Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, three wholesale
food markets, as well as acting as the London Port Health
Authority.
bere:architects
www.bere.co.uk
bere: architects, led by Justin Bere, became first known in London
for a series of exotic glass structures in the 1990s including the
facades of Pizza Express on London Wall. His team more
recently completed award-winning environmental improvements at
Tower Gateway for designs that included 6 metre-high walls of
recycled crushed concrete in wire cages. Current
schemes include a new ticket office for Tower Bridge, a new
staircase suspended from the side of London Bridge, a riverside
walkway along the north bank of the Thames and a new railway
station for Docklands Light Railway. bere:architects have
also created houses which combine strikingly original designs with
care for the environment. These projects clearly demonstrate
bere:architects’ vision to combine design of the highest quality
with an where people achieve health and wellbeing through
well-designed, environmentally friendly buildings regardless of
where they are.