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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Wellesley Road Park Lane in Croydon, London by OKRA Landscape ArchitectsMay 5th, 2011 by Sumit Singhal
The team guided by OKRA landscape architects including Urhahn Urban Design (UUD), Peter Brett Associates (PBA), Karakusevic Carson Architects (KCA) and Soundings has won the appealing `Wellesley Road Park Lane International Urban Design Competition´ in London.  Wellesley Road Park Lane
 Croydon Collage Elevation The competition is part of the plans to regenerate Croydon, situated in the South of London. The ambition for Croydon is to turn the city district, counting 350.000 inhabitants, into London´s ´third town´, besides Westminster and the City of London. This ambition is determined in Third City Vision, which is the result of the work of architect Will Alsop in concertation with the inhabitants of Croydon.  Croydon Collage The transformation of Wellesley Road and Park Lane, the central long line in Croydon, is one of the key projects in Croydon. The assignment is to reshape the monstrous main road, splitting the centre in two, into a lively and liveable centre.
 Croydon Collage Wellesley Park Road Lane In the plans of the Dutch-British team, Wellesley Road and Park Lane are transformed into a green core in the city that is easy to cross over and is connected to green ´urban rooms´ beside it. The amount of space for automobile traffic is limited drastically in favour of pedestrians and cyclists. The highway exit on the South side is connected to the East-West continual connection while parking garages are concentrated at the North and South side. The profile is transformed into spacious pedestrian strips on the sides, a car connection on the West side, a green median strip with a track for cyclists, pedestrians and skaters and a public transport lane on the East side. Pedestrian zones are activated by transformation of the now dull plinths in active programs and the connection to a diversity of new green (semi)public spaces in the blocks lying behind.  Model The ´Chrysalis´ plan unfolds a strategy how the now desolated peace of city can disclose as a butterfly. Through temporary procedures and fast interventions on short term, a start of the transformation is already given. The large public project is executed gradually from the South to the North. Through acupunctural procedures, the urban rooms and plinths of buildings are activated. Simple rules and public private partnership lead to the intended improvements within the blocks.  Diagram The exhibits are judged by a broadly composed jury: Chairman Steve O’Connell, Jason Perry, Jason Rouse (all London Borough of Croydon), architect Will Alsop, Joanna Averley (CABE Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment), Colin Mann and Peter Brown (both Transport for London).  Model The jury praises the quality of the exhibits. The plan is especially praised for the green transformation, the joining of complex ideas in a simple way and the strong execution strategy. Besides the professional jury, the Croydon public were also aloud to send in reactions. It appears from these reactions that the plan of the OKRA team could especially count on a lot of credits from the Croydon public.  Diagram Assignment The ambition for Croydon is to turn the city district into London´s ´third city´, besides Westminster and the City of London. The assignment for Wellesley Road – Park Lane is to reshape the monstrous main road, splitting the centre in two, into a lively and liveable centre. In the plans of OKRA, Wellesley Road and Park Lane are transformed into a green core in the city that is easy to cross over and is connected to green ´urban rooms´ beside it.  Plan with Lagenda Croydon The team guided by OKRA landscape architects has won the appealing `Wellesley Road Park Lane International Urban Design Competition´ in London. The competition is part of the plans to regenerate Croydon, situated in the South of London. The ambition for Croydon is to turn the city district, counting 350.000 inhabitants, into London´s ´third town´, besides Westminster and the City of London. This ambition is determined in Third City Vision, which is the result of the work of architect Will Alsop in concertation with the inhabitants of Croydon.  Traffic The transformation of Wellesley Road and Park Lane, the central long line in Croydon, is one of the key projects in Croydon. The assignment is to reshape the monstrous main road, splitting the centre in two, into a lively and liveable centre.  Urban Rooms In the plan of the OKRA team, Wellesley Road and Park Lane are transformed into a green core in the city that is easy to cross over and is connected to green ´urban rooms´ beside it. The amount of space for automobile traffic is limited drastically in favour of pedestrians and cyclists. The highway exit on the South side is connected to the East-West continual connection while parking garages are concentrated at the North and South side. The profile is transformed into spacious pedestrian strips on the sides, a car connection on the West side, a green median strip with a track for cyclists, pedestrians and skaters and a public transport lane on the East side. Pedestrian zones are activated by transformation of the now dull plinths in active programs and the connection to a diversity of new green (semi)public spaces in the blocks lying behind. The ´Chrysalis´ plan unfolds a strategy how the now desolated peace of city can disclose as a butterfly. Through temporary procedures and fast interventions on short term, a start of the transformation is already given. The large public project is executed gradually from the South to the North. Through acupunctural procedures, the urban rooms and plinths of buildings are activated. Simple rules and public private partnership lead to the intended improvements within the blocks.
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