Public spaces are the backbone to healthy, safe and desirable cities in the 21st century. As homes become smaller and human anxiety and loneliness reach new peeks during the digital age, designing ‘successful’ public spaces has become a priority for city planners, architects and developers. The universal pursuit of inclusive and diverse placemaking and the creation of communities with real social cohesion and engagement, have placed new expectations on cities to provide ‘good’ public spaces.
In 2020 I joined Stella Ioannou at Lacuna (London) to conceive and curate the Paddington Square Cultural Placemaking Strategy and Public Art Program (2024 – 2026). For four years, we worked with the client group Great Western Developments, design team Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), Westminster City Council, as well as community residents, business owners, health and art workers, to create a trailblazing urban destination with immersive contemporary art.
Launched in 2024, the outcome has been well-received and illustrates the accumulative value and unique experiences that a well-designed public space can bring to its community, city and to culture at large.
PSQ, London (designed by RPBW), 2024. Video Tapio Snellman.
The Paddington Square (PSQ) masterplan and feature building were designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), a studio (est. 1981) widely recognised for its civic and cultural projects.
RPBW’s architectural philosophy is grounded in transparency and connection to the environment and a timeless ethos to ‘create places for people, not just buildings’. With a mindful approach to sustainability, workspace design, civic life and the public realm, the plans for PSQ seamlessly integrate public and private spaces, and create strategic moments for urban life and memorable cultural encounters.
Situated adjacent to the landmark Paddington Station (est. 1854), in central London near Hyde Park, PSQ showcases a new 1.35-acre public square and signature building. The project highlights the realities of urban development and placemaking in the 21st century, namely the importance of public private partnership in regenerating urban spaces and life, and the challenges of history and heritage.
PSQ is a site at once steeped in history – the nearby canals were the capital’s primary mode of transport to the country’s industrial belt during the Industrial Revolution – and serves also today as a key transport hub, connecting Heathrow Express, regional trains, major bus routes and underground lines.
“Paddington Square exemplifies how a private commercial project can dramatically transform a public space in London … we have created a new, more open and inviting public entrance to Brunel’s Paddington Station. Our aim was to evoke the same emotion from both the station and square, despite the centuries that separate them. The station’s roof arches and façades, filled with light and intricate detail, share a cohesive design language with the modern architecture of Paddington Square.”
– Joost Moolhuijzen, Project Partner in Charge, RPBW
At the heart of the 430,000 sq. ft development, stands an environmentally conscious and energy-efficient 18-storey mixed-use building with 33 retail units and bespoke Grade-A workspaces. With 360 degree city-views and exposure to daylight, the crystalline architecture offers a fresh, ethereal quality and stands in gleaming contrast to its grey, Victorian-era surroundings.
Connectivity and accessibility are improved for the existing underground lines with step-free entrance and ticket hall areas, while the piazza and new street-level spaces provide easy access to Paddington Station and to the broader development from many vantage points.
Since PSQ’s launch – marked by Queen Elizabeth’s last public appearance in May 2022 – it has become a vibrant meeting point for millions of domestic and international commuters, visitors and residents. Providing a new gold standard for public facilities, evocative public art and welcoming safe spots for respite, site users are welcome to dwell with purpose and leisure.
RPBW’s visionary response to this complex site and the changing environmental and economic realities of 21st century urban design personify the making of a ‘good’ public space. PSQ articulates this critical point:
‘Good’ architecture, coupled with ‘good’ governance and ‘good’ art, create healthy desirable places to live, work and play. In 21st century cities, cohesive communities are built on shared experience, pride in place and ongoing collaboration, connection and communication through civic life and contemporary culture.
Stay tuned for Reflections on the PSQ Public Art Program.
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PADDINGTON SQUARE, LONDON
Commissioned by Great Western Developments
Masterplan and Architecture by Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Public Art by Lacuna
