Leicester Square

Leicester Square Premiere

On 23rd May, Leicester Square, London's home of entertainment, prepared for its premiere after a £15.5 million makeover.

The transformation took just over seventeen months to complete and is now a space to be celebrated by visitors and Londoners alike. It is also ready to welcome the world to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Design

The new look Leicester Square  is bespoke and design features include:

• unique granite ribbon seating design
• new granite paving for the square and surrounding streets
• state of the art functional and decorative lighting
• relandscaped gardens around the listed Shakespeare Statue and fountain
• bespoke mirrored railings and gates
• refurbished below-ground toilets
• Legible London wayfinding scheme

The square's dsitinctive design by architects Burns + Nice offers a stylish and coherent new look. More than 12,000 square meteres of new granite paving has been laid across the square, it's gardens and side streets. A new white granite ribbon sits on the perimeter of the square and this creates an extra tier of seating for Londoners to stop and enjoy the setting.

There is also a brand new water feature which uses recycled water to send jets two metres into the air surrounding the central Shakespeare statue, a fountain which is itself a listed monument.

Cllr Robert Davis, Westminster City Council's Deputy Leader said: "Leicester Square has long been an international destination for red-carpet film premieres as well as a central meeting place for people visiting the West End's wealth of theatre, restaurants and bars."

"This ambitious regeneration project has breathed new life into the square and has given it a vibrant new feel which is more in-keeping with its international reputation. Central London deserves a state-of-the-art cultural destination, particularly in this Olympic year, and we hope Londoners and visitors alike will be impressed with the results."

Your Square, Your Choice!

Vision: to re-establish Leicester Square as the home of cinema in the UK, and the entertainment gateway to the West End. To make Leicester Square a vibrant London landmark and the West End's principal meeting place where people can relax, sit, watch and enjoy.

History:

1. The council adopted the Leicester Square Action Plan in 2002, following widespread public consultation. A summary of the Action Plan can be found here.

Many of the actions have been successfully completed, including introduce a uniformed council presence on the streets and a new CCTV control room in the Trocadero Centre.

2. In January 2008, Westminster City Council in partnership with the Heart of London Business Alliance launched the consultation for the new design for Leicester Square, its gardens and the nine side streets that surround it. Following a six week public consultation, the Council's Cabinet approved the design in March 2008. The Council is planning to start the phased programme of works in the second quarter 2010. The new design will be completed int ime for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games.

Leicester Square concept design