Futurecity was appointed by the Royal London Asset Management to develop a cultural strategy for a major £200m office scheme next to Holborn Viaduct in the City of London. The scheme includes plans for 36,000 sqm offices designed by PLP Architecture and a renewal of the Grade II-listed cast-iron viaduct and the gatehouses which provide access to Farringdon Street below.
The scheme introduces entrances at two levels – one on Farringdon Street and another at the Holborn Viaduct level – and would create a new public route and a lift to improve connectivity. The redevelopment provides an opportunity to create a new gateway to the City of London’s Culture Mile.
The cultural offer at Holborn Viaduct will physically connect the public realm and gateway spaces along Farringdon Street and the Viaduct, whilst simultaneously building cultural and curatorial links between the public and major arts institutions, collections and programmes celebrated and located in the City of London. The comprehensive plan includes support for dynamic public artwork in the form of digitisations of museum artefacts and a new digital archivist residency that will make the collection accessible to all via an on-line resource.
