Strand Aldwych - From a busy main road to a green meeting place.

The Strand is a major east–west route through London, leading from Westminster Abbey to St Paul’s Cathedral. Following a recent transformational project, what was previously a busy, hostile, traffic-filled street has been transformed into a place for people, where its 12 million annual visitors are now able to dwell and interact with others in a way not previously possible.

Strand Aldwych has been reimagined from a heavily polluted four-lane road into a vibrant and healthy pedestrian-friendly public space. This truly remarkable project showcases the rich local heritage of an important central London location through adventurous and innovative urban design. Its unique historic architecture can now be more easily admired from a peaceful garden setting, and a safe, democratic, and inclusive public space of 7,000 m² has been delivered.

From smog to smiles

Strand Aldwych was once one of the capital’s most congested and polluted areas, but through a complex project spanning many years, this busy street has been transformed into a welcoming new civic space.

The project has been described as a rescue mission — for both the stunning architecture and its approximately 700 stakeholders, whether university students and staff, tourists, residents, or local workers. Walking and cycling were previously extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous, as pedestrians were forced onto narrow pavements by a huge volume of traffic and parked buses.

Following a competition win in 2018, LDA Design was commissioned to design a setting for a new cultural and education district that embraces two renowned universities, Somerset House and other important cultural institutions, the Australian and Indian embassies, and two historic churches.

The transformation has been developed in partnership with local stakeholders, including the Northbank BID. One of the BID’s key improvement areas, the project is the first step in a wider vision to improve public spaces in this part of London, with a focus on sustainability, well-being, and visitor experience.

Interestingly, the design team references Times Square in New York (another inspiring space furnished by Vestre) as a case study for the incremental change required to convert a traffic-dominated place into a place for people.

A green and pleasant land

The closure of the Strand to vehicular traffic has made way for a brand-new public space that serves the needs of a diverse local community. The project is currently in a meanwhile phase of 3–5 years, allowing user feedback to be incorporated into a final design in future. The ultimate vision for the area is to become a global creative and cultural quarter for art and knowledge-sharing by the surrounding institutions.

Social interaction is now positively supported, set amongst new green infrastructure to improve health and well-being. Gathering, eating, and working are all encouraged within several resting areas that are partially shaded by grand plane trees, meaning relaxation is now possible for the first time.

Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged through increased cycle parking and improved safety at junctions. Enhancements to wayfinding also encourage visitors to walk through and explore the area at a slower pace.

Over 1,000 m² of biodiverse planting has been included to provide year-round interest, attract and support pollinators, and cool the urban heat in summer. Air quality has been vastly improved thanks to both reduced traffic congestion and the addition of more than 40 new trees, which also provide spring blossom and autumn colour.

Seating, seating everywhere

This significant project demonstrates a dramatic shift in how we view our city streets. For the first time, it effectively links some of London’s most important cultural and educational centres through a new social space that neighbouring institutions can share.

Although still accessible to delivery and embassy vehicles, and for the historic processional route from St Paul’s to Westminster Abbey, pedestrians and cyclists now take priority most of the time.

Several zones of contrasting character have been created to encourage both relaxation and activity along the sunny northern side. With the study of proxemics in mind, varying styles and arrangements of seating have been designed to encourage particular behaviours throughout the space. In total, the seating provided will support 700 people, whatever their preference — being alone or together, working, chatting, relaxing, or even rainbow-colouring matching to their clothing!

St Mary-le-Strand (a historically important protected church) is now surrounded by a peaceful and beautifully planted sanctuary garden. Here, visitors can come into close contact with nature and enjoy the seasonal cycle. In front of the church is a collective dining and workstation area furnished with groups of seats and tables to support eating and studying. The furniture in these areas is painted a copper-brown to contrast visually with the paving and complement the neighbouring architecture.

Voices

Cannon Ivers, LDA Design

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council’s Cabinet Member for Place Shaping and the Economy, said:

“Anyone familiar with that part of Westminster will know just how awful it was for pedestrians, who would take their life in their hands every time they tried to get from one side of Aldwych across to Strand… Schemes like this one demonstrate the inherent value of high-quality public space, and how they can benefit residents, workers, and visitors — helping to give London a global competitive edge and ensuring the central activities zone is for all, not the few.”

Products

• 57 × APRIL GO chairs 7013/7014 in 57 different rainbow RALs (custom fixing to allow bolting to the ground)
• 9 × VROOM square table 637
• 10 × VROOM narrow table 635
• 8 × CODE square module bench 2616
• 53 × PORTO bench 401/402/406 (mix of standard and customised lengths) plus 423/425 arm and backrests
• 8 × PORTO MK 406 customised wall mounted Above in RAL 8029 Pearl Copper

Project details

Clients: Westminster City Council & Northbank Business Improvement District

Landscape architect: LDA Design

Engineer: WSP Contractor: F M Conway

Location: Strand Aldwych, Westminster, London

Sector: Public realm, education & cultural

Awards

Awards to date include: Winner of the 2024 Civic Trust Award; Winner of Public Space in the 2023 Developer Pineapples Award; New London Awards – Winner in 2023 Public Spaces category; Winner of the Mayor's Award for Good Growth; Highly Commended in Best Heritage or Cultural Project at the 2023 Building London Planning Awards; Building London Planning Awards 2023 – Highly Commended for Best Project for Sustainable Planning; Landezine International Landscape Award – 2023 Public Projects.