PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS to enhance the vitality of town centres in Bromley
Focus on Bromley
Bromley Council is committed to enhancing the vitality of town centres throughout the borough, for the benefit of residents, local businesses and visitors. Investing in the borough’s high streets will support the recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed the way we use our town centres.
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romley Council appointed consultants Turner Works and YOU&ME Architecture in August 2020 to deliver a series of permanent public realm improvements located within Bromley High Street.
The project brief includes the provision of covered seating to encourage the introduction of more food outlets within the high street, an all-weather performance space to enable a range of events and a sculptural statement piece to define the character of the town centre and contribute to a sense of place. The proposal will diversify the leisure and culture offer within the town centre, drive footfall and thereby support local business. Turner Works and YOU&ME Architecture have responded to the project brief with a series of interventions which draw inspiration from different elements of Bromley’s past and present including Music and Culture, Science and Technology, Fiction and Intervention, Health and Nourishment. The commission will transform the use of the pedestrianised area of the high street and build on the landscape improvements delivered to date to activate the town for quality high street programming and make it known as a centre for recreation, leisure and culture as well as retail. Green House: Inspired by Charles Darwin and traditional half-timbered houses, the Green House is a glass canopy structured positioned to the south of Churchill Square. The Green House will provide shelter to a performance space and seating which will allow for a range of cultural events on the High Street and encourage all-weather dining. The Green House will be illuminated at night with soft LED lighting.
Punk Rock: Within the Green House, the Punk Rock is an area of tiered seating from where performances on the raised stage can be viewed. The seating takes inspiration from the musical heritage of Bromley. Story Seating: Partly covered by the Green House canopy, the Story Seating will be a winding bench tiled with stories from Bromley’s past and present and poetry created by local community groups. Time Machine: Inspired by H.G. Wells, the Time Machine provides a focal point at the southern entrance of the High Street. The sculptural piece is constructed from a series of illuminated colourful portals and will display a poem written for Bromley derived from community engagement poetry sessions. Broom Flower: Located in Market Square, the Broom Flower is a sculptural piece which references Health & Nourishment and wells. It is designed in the shape of the Broom flower from where Bromley takes its name. Consultation for the project has involved engagement with stakeholder groups, including YOUR Bromley BID, Bromley Town Ward Councillors and the Churchill Theatre, who have been invited to comment on the design proposals at each RIBA Stage. Public exhibition posters showing the design proposals have been on display outside the entrance to Bromley Central Library for one month. Further engagement with the local community has taken place via poetry co-creation sessions with 10 community groups. Groups were invited to an online one-hour session over Zoom with poet Beth Calverley from the Poetry Machine. During the sessions, participants told their stories of Bromley and Beth drafted these into individual poems. The resulting poems will be compiled into a Poem for Bromley which will be displayed as part of the sculptural installations and within the tiled Story Seating.
❛❛The project brief includes the provision of covered seating to encourage the introduction of more food outlets within the high street, an all-weather performance space to enable a range of events and a sculptural statement piece to define the character of the town centre and contribute to a sense of place.
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Information about the project can be found on the project blog: https://bromleyhighst.tumblr.com/ The project has been submitted for planning permission and can be viewed using the following reference 21/00337/FULL1. It is anticipated that the scheme will be delivered during Summer 2021.
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