Largest industrial estate to be revitalised

Proposals have been made to revitalise Park Royal, Europe's largest industrial estate, in an innovative new 
public realm strategy put forward by the award-winning practice 5th Studio in connection with the local area

The project has been commissioned by Park Royal Partnership (PRP) and Design for London, and developed in consultation with three London Boroughs (Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham), the strategy looks at ways to achieve a radical change in the quality of the public realm of Park Royal.

Ideally located half way between Heathrow and Central London, Park Royal provides great transport links in and out of the city for the 2,000 companies based on the estate. But it has become a victim of its own success as ‘London’s workshop’, with high levels of congestion on the roads and a low quality public realm. Park Royal now needs to obtain significant investment in its public realm to maintain growth and attract new businesses to the region.

In line with the Mayor’s recent promise to ‘ensure that outer London can play a full part in the city’s economic success’, 5th Studio were commissioned to produce a strategy which could protect Park Royal’s long-term competitiveness through improvements to the public realm, making things better for businesses, residents and visitors alike.

Amongst the key design features are the introduction of cycle lanes within the network of principal road corridors, large-scale signage to orientate people entering Park Royal at its gateways, and interventions that strengthen the local distinctiveness of its district: creating places for workers to eat their lunch, for example. One of the main aims is to encourage a shift away from the use of private cars by making the area easier and less threatening to navigate on foot or by bike.

5th Studio director Nathan Jones commented: “The project demanded a strategy of targeted intervention – how to improve the quality of a huge piece of city without changing everything. We were struck by the way Park Royal exists both as a ‘whole’, surrounded by strategic transport infrastructure, and as a diverse series of ‘parts’ within that boundary. Our proposals constitute a tool-kit of tactics which can work across these scales; from re-working major road corridors to bottom-up projects which strengthen its sense of place.”

Alan Coates, Chair of the Park Royal Partnership, added: “Park Royal is one the most important industrial areas in London and one of the largest and most successful in Europe. The poor quality and confusing public realm poses a real threat to the area’s future. 5th Studio’s proposals allow us to tackle these difficult issues, and will make Park Royal a better place to work and visit.”

Peter Bishop, Director of Design Development and Environment at the London Development Agency, said: “This strategy presents an imaginative and deliverable approach to tackle the poor environment and congestion of one of London’s premier business parks. 5th Studio have intelligently considered the issues, producing a commendable piece of work which will guide future investment opportunities in Park Royal’s public realm, encouraging more people to walk or cycle to work instead of driving.”

With the regeneration plans now firmly in place, Park Royal is set to become one the permanent landmarks on Great Britain’s industrial estate map.