Early improvement works to revitalise the Kings Walk Arcade within the Central Winchester Regeneration area have recently been completed by Winchester City Council and delivered by a collaborative design team led by Studio Multi.
The completed revitalisation is part of a transformation programme aimed at creating a more attractive built environment where residents, shoppers, commuters and visitors can meet and relax.
The thinking behind the improvement works has been to introduce a new visual identity to Kings Walk. The Studio Multi team – which also included to-studio (landscape architects), Light Follows Behaviour (lighting designers) and Tim George (graphic designer) – worked closely throughout the design and delivery process with the Council, as well as with tenants and other stakeholders including Winchester School of Art, the Winchester BID, and the Neighbourhood Services team. It also presented its proposals at an open public forum and adapted the designs to reflect comments received.
Nicola Rutt, Director of Studio Multi, said:
“This project has sought to transform the previously tired and uninviting open spaces of Kings Walk by creating a more vibrant and animated focus for traders, shoppers, and visitors to Winchester. ”
“The Arcade has a mix of independent, creative businesses and our design approach recognises the importance of enhancing the environment of Kings Walk in the same spirit.”
The works include: a new secret garden in the courtyard area; the introduction of improved and consistent signage and wayfinding; replacing existing lighting with new low-energy lights and adding new feature lights in key areas; and animating the courtyard area adjacent to the Nutshell Theatre and around the Middle Brook Street and Silver Hill entrances with planting and lighting.
The upgrade has resulted in the more effective integration of the Nutshell – a locally-listed Victorian community theatre building – with the rest of the Kings Walk Arcade and an improved appearance to the façade and entrance along Silver Hill, including the repainting of brickwork and replacement of doors to the rear entrances of shops.
The Nutshell courtyard and Silver Hill area have been reactivated through the use of a bold ground-level graphic plus new signage, lighting and planting which visually ties the entire development together.
The design takes a creative approach to the use of colour. In those parts of Kings Walk with existing busy visuals, neutral colours have been used to provide a uniform backdrop. In contrast, where the design team felt that more animation was required – such as along Silver Hill – a new graphic motif has been employed.
Key design features include:
• A series of striking, bright orange half-rings used for wayfinding on the ground
• New shop doors in Silver Hill painted in the same bright orange and incorporating windows to provide a stronger visual link between street and shops
• Walls between the shop doors painted with the half-ring motif in white
• Planters painted in various shades of green to complement the orange wayfinding motif
• The introduction of yellow chairs
Low-energy lighting has been incorporated, including ‘cinema-style’ signs with slide-in letters which light up to identify particular shops and can be replaced with different wording as businesses change. The planting introduces a biodiversity element to a series of hard spaces which previously lacked any reference to nature. Planters have been designed to be easily redeployed in other parts of the arcade, if required.
温彻斯特市委员会领袖Cllr Martin Tod说：“看到国王步行街的早期改善工程完成真是太棒了。Multi工作室的工作具有变革性，为企业和建筑及周边地区的游客创造了一个充满活力和吸引力的空间。我们致力于重建城市的这一部分并支持位于国王步行街的独立企业。Multi工作室的设计帮助我们做到了这两点。”
Cllr Martin Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, said:
“It’s fantastic to see the early improvement works completed for Kings Walk. Studio Multi's work has been transformational, creating a vibrant and attractive space for the businesses and visitors to the building and surrounding area. We're committed to regenerating this part of the city and supporting the independent businesses based in Kings Walk. Studio Multi's design has helped us do both.”
The early improvement works at Kings Walk have been delivered in advance of proposals to develop the centre of the city – the Central Winchester Regeneration programme – alongside development partner, Jigsaw Consortium.
建筑设计：multi 工作室
地点：英国曼彻斯特
项目年份：2023
类型：商街
Architect: Studio Multi
Location: Winchester，UK
Project Year: 2023
Category: Streets
