£23m revamp works completed at City of London Aldgate Square

Charles Bowman, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, will officially open the newly transformed Aldgate Square on Wednesday 4th July.

The City of London Corporation, with funding and support from the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL), has completed the £23m redevelopment of the Square, which contains a new pavilion designed by Make Architects.

The Square is 75 metres from Aldgate Underground station, between Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School and St Botolph without Aldgate Church.

Aldgate was identified in 2008 as an area needing support from the City Corporation to promote regeneration. Since work began on the Square and the surrounding streets, the Dorsett Hotel and Hotel Indigo have been opened, with a Travelodge due later in the summer and Canopy by Hilton joining in 2018/2019.

Now home to one of the largest public spaces in the Square Mile, there are 15 TfL bus routes serving the area. In addition to attracting hotels and tourists, Aldgate is also becoming a key London hub for community and business.

The new Aldgate Square follows the completion of the nearby Helical Creechurch Place scheme by Helical and The Whitechapel Building by Derwent. These developments have drawn international corporations such as Dell and Aecom, SMEs and startups like Uber and WeWork, public service body the Government Digital Service and City firms such as Hyperion Insurance to the area.

The Aldgate Square revamp is also set to benefit nearby social housing estates Middlesex Street Estate and Mansell Street due to the improved walking routes to and from the nearby school, underground station, Artisan Street Library and the arrival of Kahaila, a new social enterprise café.

Chris Hayward, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to see a gyratory which reflected 1960s traffic planning, brought into the 21st century. With the imminent arrival of the Elizabeth line, it is the number-one priority that our infrastructure is fit for purpose.

“More than ever we are seeing businesses focusing on local amenities and making location decisions based on the quality of public realm that they can offer their employees. The completion of the square marks a step change to the area, demonstrating to investors that they should continue to commit to the City’s world class public realm.

“These were ambitious plans but it is only right that we deliver a healthy, inclusive environment for the diverse residents, school children, visitors and workers in Europe’s leading business district.”

Transformational projects like Aldgate Square form a key part of achieving the Mayor’s intention to increase the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80 per cent of journeys by 2041. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets out a long-term aim to create more attractive, accessible and people-friendly streets across London.

This is supported by TfL’s £2.1bn Healthy Streets Approach which is helping to achieve this by making walking and cycling easier and safer.

Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport, commented: “The completion of Aldgate Square will provide huge benefits for people living and working in this famous part of the capital.

“Not only will it allow thousands more people to enjoy spending time outside in a transformed public space, but the investment in new cycling and walking infrastructure will allow even more people to make cycling and walking a part of their everyday routine.

“Improving the environment is good for business, and good for the health of every Londoner. Whether you live or work in the area, or pass through on your commute, the transformation of Aldgate Square will improve quality of life for everyone.”

Sarah Shuttleworth, Project Architect from Make Architects, added: “The final scheme is beautiful – distinctive, yet respectful of the heritage architecture surrounding it.

“It provides a bespoke civic amenity and the ambition and determination of the City of London Corporation to persist and deliver the square and the pavilion - despite the challenges - in order to transform this parcel of London for the benefit of the local community, should be applauded.”