BUDGET

£4 million

AREA

0.7 ha

1 Cathedral Square in-ground jets2 Dramatic lighting scheme3 Cathedral Square - a focal point for Peterborough

CLIENT

Opportunity Peterborough

LOCATION

Peterborough

PARTNERS

Sutton Vane Associates, Cgms,Centre for Accessible Environments

SERVICES USED

Landscape Design, Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Communication, Graphic Design

CATHEDRAL SQUARE: COMPLETING GORDONCULLEN’S ‘STONE AXIS’

Over thirty years ago Gordon Cullen, the author of ‘Townscape’, noted two structural elements in Peterborough’s public realm: the north to south ‘Green Axis’; and the east to west ’Stone Axis’ which connects many of the City’s most impressive stone buildings. Our public realm strategy for the City identified the need to implement Cullen’s thinking and the first opportunity to do that was at Cathedral Square when we were appointed to transform the space in 2008.

The vision was to create an elegant, uncluttered pedestrian focused space that would improve the setting of a number of fine historic buildings including the Cathedral Gatehouse, the Guildhall, and St John’s Church, in turn transforming the identity of the City Centre. Delivering this vision required a bold approach, including the demolition of an eight-storey building.

The square now reads as a simple wall-to-wall mat of stone with a dramatic water feature as its focus. Water jets are arranged in two triangular groups responding to an important pedestrian route running diagonally through the space. The project has transformed local business and many more people now spend time in the space with an increasing number of families using it.

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