REINVIGORATE – HIGH STREET QUARTER – HOUNSLOW

Published in 2013, The Hounslow Town Centre Masterplan promised a bright future for the borough with High Street Quarter as the catalyst for future investment.

Designed by tp bennett for Barratt London and Wilson Bowden, the major town centre development represents a £210m investment in Hounslow and provides a new heart for the town.  Bucking the trend of shop closures across the UK, the development includes 95,000 sq ft of commercial space with a 10-screen multiplex Cineworld cinema, and a selection of retailers. As well as creating 745 new jobs for the local community, it offers residents vibrant doorstop amenities suitable creating a day and evening economy.  The development’s four residential blocks, offering almost 600 new homes of which more than 40% are affordable, surround a new town square which  serves as a meeting point and events and performance space, for cultural and  religious festivals, and seasonal sporting events, delivering a sustainable community space for all. Externally, the individual apartment blocks are intended to represent the exuberance and cultural diversity of Hounslow with cultural references on the façades representing the diversity and vibrancy of the local population. At the centre of the square, the new cinema is clad in gold-tinted aluminium and its striking façade has been perforated in a complex pattern that reflects both the area’s links to light industry and its cultural diversity – a combination of computer punchcard perforations superimposed over a traditional Indian motif.

The proposal was developed in conjunction with the London Borough of Hounslow and extensive public consultations with stakeholders and town centre groups. High Street Quarter benefits from excellent public transport links into central London and residents have access to dedicated storage for circa 1,000 cycles. Further sustainable travel is encouraged with dedicated car club spaces and electric charging spaces provided.