Jayne McGivern, CCURV Chair, said: “We are delighted to have achieved this very important milestone for the redevelopment of Taberner House and The Queens Gardens. CCURV has formed a successful partnership with Make, who has ensured that our proposals for the Taberner House sites have been designed sensitively, with a focus on high quality architecture and longevity for the benefit of the Croydon community.”
Make balanced local architectural features alongside the need to provide high quality new homes, attractive public spaces and a well-functioning and sustainable building. Set within a Croydon context, the design pays particular regard to the architectural style seen on Chatsworth Road and the Town Hall. The use of brick is due to the residential nature of the area and to provide a calm counterpoint to the civic buildings.
Working in collaboration with landscape architects Gillespies, an important element of the scheme is to enhance The Queen’s Gardens. A series of character areas within the gardens – historic, contemporary and future – will be introduced. The improvement of The Queen’s Gardens will also include new and upgraded pedestrian paths, furniture and lighting, that respond to the new development while respecting the character and historic features of the existing gardens. The design addresses issues such as poor connectivity to surrounding areas and safety, and will provide a range of additional facilities for the public.
David Patterson, lead project architect and partner at Make said: “We are delighted with the positive planning outcome. Croydon is going through exciting regeneration plans and the design of Taberner House supports these plans and will create a new era for the architecture of the town centre. Our hope is for Taberner House to be an important new asset for the Croydon community and the start of the regeneration process.”
The mixed tenure scheme replaces the vacant 1960s ex-Croydon Council headquarters building that is currently being demolished. The re-development of the site is expected to begin in December 2014.
