The British High Street has been in crisis for several years, and for several reasons’ retailers were already struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. According to the Centre for Retail Research there are around 50,000 fewer shops on our High Streets than just over a decade ago, and some analysts predict it will only get worse. In the last 30 years, Britain has fixated on the idea that town centres are purely driven by retail and some suggest that this has led to the generic town centre that many cities host today, with all the same shops owned by all the same big chains. The impact of this has meant that the Highstreet is less appealing, with many shoppers favouring large out of town department stores and online shopping and according to figures from retail analyst company Springboard, the number of people visiting the High Street has dropped by 20.5% over the past decade. For the high street to thrive, major rejuvenation will need to occur that does not focus on retail but rather the needs of the public, what will draw the community back and how can the Highstreet be re-purposed to support other local businesses?


THE BRIEF

Our mission was is to reimagine a dynamic new space for the current Top Shop flagship store on Oxford Street. A 60,000 square foot venue arranged over two floors of retail space on their Ground and Lower Ground floors.

We had to propose a design to re-use the space to benefit the local community of residents and workers and entice visitors from afar considering the use of biophilic design.

We responded to the brief by creating a space that would sever as a space where the people can come together to feel a strong sense of community withing the busy streets of London. this centre features community skills sharing sessions that will help connect members of all ages and prevent the loss of valuable skills in traditional crafts.

The dedicated working zones allow for small formal and informal meeting for start up companies and students alike. this area has been specially designed to provide a space that doubles as a study and social zones to provide students with a getaway from their university accommodation.

The hydroponic community gardens and sustainable materials reflect our personal interpretations of biophilic design as well providing members of the community with the responsibility of taking care of the plants.

The ground floor includes a rotating artisanal market that show cases small local businesses, these businesses have access to the workshops on the ground floor where they can provide evening workshops.

The zero waste market and clothing and book swaps allows guests to pick up essential items without the unnecessary plastic packaging while simultaneously contribution to a sustainable way of reducing unwanted goods.

The centre features two coffee shops, one on the ground floor which rescues its coffee grinds as fertiliser in the hydroponic gardens that provides produce to the eco vegan kitchen on the lower floor.