SITE ANALYSIS

3.0 MOVEMENT

KEY PEDESTRIAN ROUTES

PEDESTRIAN ROUTES

There is pedestrian movement surrounding the site, often the Sainsbury’s courtyard is used as a shortcut, purely a transitional space. There is movement towards Camden Town High Street moving west across the site, but also movement towards Sainsbury’s in all direction being a major supermarket within walking distance.

Britannia Junction is a major intersection of 4 primary and 2 secondary routes through Camden. Currently it is also the site of Camden Town Underground Station however this is due to move north directly opposite our site on a much quieter street corner. Buck Street has been pedestrianised and no longer provides a vehicular connection to Kentish Town Road, this change in core and periphery will be key to Design 203.

MOVEMENT DIRECTION

KEY VEHICUALR ROUTES

TRAFFIC DENSITY

MOVEMENT DIRECTION

3.1 SHADOW

This is image overlays winter and summer solstice shadows to identify areas that have light year round. Streets are shown to be extremely dark, being in shadow for most of the year due to the built environment surrounding them. In addition the St. Michael’s Church War Memorial Garden is in complete darkness, there are several large trees as well as 4-5 storey buildings either side. The Sainsbury’s courtyard and one way loop is notably darker, again due to built up surroundings and lack of clear breaks in the street-scene. The site for the new Camden Town Station is noticeably lighter than its surroundings due to the orientation of the site.

3.2 SIGHTLINES AND VIEWS

Using Vucity data I was able to identify the range in which the Grimshaw development and other key buildings can be visibly seen from different heights and distances. I data to map the visibility area in 2D and then in 3D creating a volume that followed the topography of building heights. When overlayed onto a site plan it was clear to see where the key views in and out of the site.

Camden Town Station is currently a vista point on Britannia Junction, it can be seen from multiple directions and varying heights, what will replace it? The new Camden Town Station will be hidden by comparison, with far less sightlines, but a more important connection to Grand Union House.

PROPOSED NEW CAMDEN TOWN STATION VIEWS

VIEWS

3.3 OBSERVATIONS

Combining my analysis I have made several observations. The connections between movement, views and shadow are intriguing especially when you consider them in motion, not as a single moment or diagram. As you transition through a space your position and perspective change.

As the site has developed through history the connection to the canal has been severed. The site originally faced inward providing an active space within. Now the site has been redeveloped to face outward, without providing active frontage, and neglects the space in between the buildings. Hierarchy has been given to vehicular movement and the canal has been hidden by the blank corrugated facade of Grand Union Walk Housing.

Movement through the site has lost its punctuation, there is no sense of arrival anymore, the site is traveled through not to. Rather than being a destination such as an industrial yard, key to the development of Camden Town, it is now a subservient space in between buildings with no connection. Industry and community has been replaced with retail, office and private residential buildings.

Sight-lines have evolved too, the site was originally a vista point, ABC Bakery was a staggering building that represented an industry. Now the site lacks any character at all, despite being surrounded by heritage. This is in part to the change in hierarchy of street layout.