Cardinal Place shopping centre can be found in the heart of Victoria, London – originally completed in 2006. The development marked Landsec’s first steps in transforming this city hub into a vibrant place to live, work, shop and socialise. Home to department stores, restaurants, shops and a rooftop public garden, Landsec appointed BD to revitalise Cardinal’s public realm in 2022.
For our Stage 1 briefing work on Cardinal, we proposed a strategy of incremental changes to the Estate, and as part of this initial work, we developed a series of instant-impact ‘test bed’ options for Landsec to trial. These included pop-up Vestre furniture under permitted development rights to test a gateway layout, alongside colourful vinyl floor markings.
This was followed by the repainting and replanting of existing site planters in a new colour and planting palette. The results were brilliant: local office workers suddenly lounged in newly found sunny spots; young people had somewhere to chat and socialise; local shoppers and children took a breather amongst the new planting. The newly painted planters happened in 2023 and were a catalyst for starting conversations during the public engagement sessions. The feedback from these test beds was invaluable as we came to develop the detailed permanent design.
Our concept for the urban realm follows 4 key aims:
- Capture people’s attention: we wanted to play with the gateways of the space and signpost visitors inside. Cardinal is more than just a shopping centre – it is a place with a public offering.
- Draw them in: once enticed in, we wanted to invite people to explore further.
- Encourage people to stay: we wanted to create interactive, multipurpose spaces, where one can either observe or directly participate in performance, play, and fun.
- And encourage them to return: offer flexible spaces that will accommodate a lively, changing programme of activities, social events and happenings.
As the design developed, we knew that a wide-ranging public engagement process would be essential to create a truly new urban realm. The final design reflects this extensive engagement process, and by utilising the opportunity of Cardinal’s wide walkways and views out, provides a captivating, welcoming, and accommodating public realm for all.
The Victoria Street entrance – one of the busiest gateways in but previously set-back and unclear – has been refreshed with brightly-coloured raised planters richly filled with perennials and bulbs. Integrated seating take in the impressive vista towards Westminster Cathedral, and directional signage steers people towards Cardinal’s central heart.
The Victoria Underground and Cathedral Walk entrances also feature new raised planters, climbing plants to Cardinal’s column features, and gateway signage and seating – all carefully curated around the busiest pedestrian flows onsite.
The new central heart features an organic, amphitheatre-style stepped seating and performance space, again making the most of the Cathedral view. New planters filled with flowering perennials, evergreen shrubs and semi-mature trees wrap around the food and beverage outlets, creating a sense of enclosure and focusing attention on the heart of the scheme.
The rooftop public garden has also been re-pinned to the Cardinal map with new directional signage inviting people in. Movable colourful loungers and seating create a flexible, social oasis amongst enhanced planting that cascades and climbs over planters and shelters.
The Cardinal colour palette unites all of these spaces, and was selected in co-ordination with young people at the engagement sessions. It has lifted the previous monotone to an array of warm and vibrant golds, scarlets and greens which are utilised across signage, wayfinding, planters and furniture.
This has created a distinctive and coherent character to Cardinal Place, whilst also aligning sensitively with the wider area’s branding. We have loved working on Cardinal Place – a testament to what thoughtful, engagement-led urban realm renewal can achieve.
“It was a pleasure to work with a client who placed such a high value on the landscape and its impact on user experience of the space. The vision of the team at Landsec helped to drive the regeneration forwards and ensured the wider business bought in to our ambitious proposals.
The genuine collaboration with the different stakeholders is evident in how the designs developed and it was a joy to undertake, in particular, the input of the young people. The final scheme reflects the aspirations of the client to create a distinctive and memorable landscape that connects to the wider Victoria streetscape.”
Emma Santamaria, Senior Associate – BD landscape architects
“We have loved working on Cardinal Place – a testament to what thoughtful, engagement-led urban realm renewal can achieve.”
Rob Beswick, Founder & Director – BD landscape architects
“[I am] very happy that my voice is heard and that I can take part in the changes that are going to be done in Cardinal [Place]. I was able to improve on my creative side and communication and teamwork skills.”
Young Person from Engagement Session
Data
Landscape Architecture: BD Landscape Architecture
Photo credits: Jack Hobhouse + Paul Upward + Landsec
Project team:
Client: Landsec
Contractor: Maylim
Paving: Hardscape
Freestanding Seating: Vestre
Integrated planters + stage: Urban Concepts
Trees: Deepdale Trees
