Orchard House Saved? - Creating a greener and more popular alternative

Table of Contents

• Executive summary and contents 1
• Executive summary 2
• Marks and Spencers proposal to demolish their 1930 Oxford Street flagship store Orchard House has proved very controversial cause célèbre 2
• The future for Orchard House is once more in doubt following the March 2024 High Court decision. 2
• A more sustainable and better path is possible Francis Terry 2
• Creates a comparable volume of overall development 2
• Could be built to a broadly comparable cost 2
• Accepts some demolition whilst saving what can be saved 2
• Encloses the street more fittingly and elegantly to Oxford Streets long-term benefit 2
• Creates an improved new public space at Granville Place 2
• Creates elegant public arcades through the site 2
• Creates a development in which it would be possible to create homes as well as offices and shops 2
• Creates a better street with a raised crossing and street trees 2
• Our approach is much more popular with the general public and this something we can agree on. 2
• The British public overwhelmingly preferred our design 2
• This preference transcends politics. 2
• This preference transcends views on Europe. 3
• A preference that is shared by rich and poor. 3
• A preference that is shared everywhere. 3
• A preference of old and young. 3
• Foreword by Nicholas Boys Smith 4
• Néo-Grec 4
• Two temples of early twentieth century commerce Selfridges and Marks and Spencer 4
• 1. History and context 6
• Néo-Grec 6
• Alice in Wonderland Alice through the Looking Glass 6
• The White Knight remaining Alice in Wonderland head on Orchard House 6
• Evening News 7
• Alice in Wonderland 7
• Marks Spencer Oxford Street decorated for the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II 8
• Façade details showing spandrel panels pilasters and capitals 8
• Architects Journal 8
• Building Design 9
• 2. The brief that we set ourselves 9
• Post-war additions along Oxford Street left and Orchard Street right 10
• Creating a comparable volume of development 10
• Creating a building to a broadly comparable cost 10
• Accepting some demolition whilst saving what can be saved 10
• Enclosing the street more fittingly and elegantly to Oxford Streets long-term benefit 10
• Creating an improved public space at Granville Place 10
• Creating elegant public arcades through the site 10
• Creating a development in which it would be possible to create homes as well as offices and 10
• Creating a better street with a raised crossing and street trees . 10
• 3. Our proposals saving Orchard House not destroying it 11
• Francis Terry and Create Streetss proposal for doubling of Orchard House instead of its destruction. 11
• Creating a comparable volume of development 12
• A massing model showing how the building steps back after the fifth floor to minimize its visible mass 12
• Accepting some demolition whilst saving what can be saved. 12
• Comparable costs. 12
• Enclosing the street more fittingly and elegantly to Oxford Streets long-term benefit 12
• Orchard House reborn not demolished 13
• Creating an improved public space at Granville Place. 13
• Creating elegant public arcades through the site 13
• Ground floor plan of our proposal 14
• A northsouth section through the building showing the central arcade and large atrium 14
• Milan 15
• Another precedent the Galleria Alberto Sordi Rome 15
• Creating a development in which it would be possible to create homes as well as offices 15
• Creating a better street with a raised crossing and street trees. 16
• 4. What do the public think Our visual preference survey 17
• Here are two alternative design proposals for a building on Londons Oxford Street. All other things being equal if you had to choose which one of the following building designs would you prefer 17
• Images. 17
• Questions. 17
• Results what the British public think 18
• The British public overwhelmingly preferred our design 18
• A preference that transcends politics 18
• .. a preference that transcends views on Europe 18
• .. and by old and young. 18
• A confident decision. 18