Portobello Square
The Portobello Square masterplan is a community-led regeneration project that will provide hundreds of new homes, retail and community facilities to refocus the ‘buzz’ around one of London’s most iconic neighborhoods – Portobello Road.
The Wornington Green estate, east of the Ladbroke Grove estate was built between 1965 and 1985. Several attempts to address various design flaws in the original housing blocks had previously failed, leading – over time – to Catalyst’s decision to regenerate and rebuild within a masterplan spanning three phases.
Conran and Partners became involved with phase two, following a limited competition, and has continued working on the project during the third and final phase.
An imperative part of the brief was to engage with the local community. The practice established an important dialogue with existing residents about the project, underpinned by the residential components that also involved support elements including retail and community facilities.
The regeneration masterplan will repair the city by returning to the original street pattern around Portobello Road, which was built during the Sixties and Seventies.
I was a bit sceptical about it at first. I wasn’t sure if the architects would actually take our thoughts into account, but to be fair to them they really have done their best to listen to our opinions. It’s great to be part of the process that’s designing our new homes.
Shaip, Wornington Green Resident
The residential make-up of the new neighbourhood features a mixture of social housing including an offer of new homes for all current tenants, along with homes for private sale and shared ownership. Most importantly, the various models of occupancy are fully mixed and integrated, adding to the diversity of the community.
The second phase alone encompasses 300 new homes, with the ambition to create around 1000 residences in total. Given its location on the iconic Portobello Road, Conran and Partners sensitively thought from the ground up to develop a journey and series of spaces.
