Oxford

 St Patrick

     Yesterday news reached 'X', Twitter as was, of a proposed new development for Oxford city centre - a place, I think, in sore need of help.  The proposal, by GP Clarendon Square Ltd, and designed by the traditionalist  Quinlan Terry Architects, is for the wholesale replacement of a shopping centre (in America called a 'mall'), the 'Clarendon Centre' dating from the 1984.  The images so far released into the public domain are very interesting.  This is from the planning application:

     "This proposal is for the refurbishment of the existing buildings through the opening up of the existing thoroughfares by removing the roof coverings and the opening of the very centre to form a large 41x42 metre landscaped square.

     "Quinlan Terry CBE has designed new classical design stone facades to the square and the existing elevations. These key elevations are Cornmarket Street and Queen Street."

     They represent a welcome return to traditional Urbanism, with a street and a large public square.  There are stone facades and neo-classical detailing, and correct scale.  All to the good.  (I suppose the usual suspects will complain.)

     And what I wonder will be the knock-on effect on places such as Newbury, in Berkshire, where there is a shopping centre of a similar age - empty and forlorn - awaiting redevelopment.

     Here are a couple of images of the Clarendon Centre proposal.  They have appeared on 'X' and in the Oxford press so not quite sure who to credit the images with except either 'Goldman Properties'/'GP Clarendon Square Ltd' or 'Quinlan Terry Architects'.