Bakers Arms
client: Waltham Forest Council, budget: £450k, str. engineer: Structuremode, qs: Cinns, contractor: Alridge
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A car-choked urban intersection at the crossroads between Leyton and Walthamstow used to dominate the town centre at Baker Arms. An extensive programme of public realm improvements coupled with an ambitious programme of building frontage works has turned Baker Arms into a civic place with a new public square at its centre.
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Our strategy identified a catalogue of high impact interventions to each property, enabling us to transform the visual appearance of the town centre as a whole. On the sweeping terrace which fronts the square, we worked to re-establish the proportions of the Victorian parade by restoring pilasters and renewing fascia signs. Circular projecting signs were used as a repeated motif to establish rhythm and continuity while preserving each business’ unique identity.
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More expansive measures were used to mark the town centre gateways. To the northeast, a former church and a post-war billiard hall were creatively repaired. To the south-west, an existing street traders’ shanty was replaced by two unfolding filigree steel booths, lit from within at night, acting as lanterns to a formerly dingy stretch of pavement.
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The works have helped independent shops to future-proof their retail strategies, and they have also given local people a distinct and recognisable local centre with a lively pavement culture.
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