A new architecture team is to take over the designs for Smithfield Market in the City of London, after Kohn Pederson Fox’s plans for a new office space are rejected.
Thornfield Properties has appointed John McAslan and Partners to take over the redesign of the Smithfield Estate after unsuccesfully fighting a public inquiry over their plans to demolish the existing Smithfield General Market site and develop new state of the art retail and office space in it’s place.
Thornfield and the Freehold owners, the City of London formed a development agreement for the disused west side of the market in 2002. Plans for the retail and office space were halted when Kohn Pederson Fox’s designs were rejected by Secretary of State, Hazel Blears on the grounds that scheme would “significantly detract from the market complex as a whole, dominate the historic facades and be detrimental to the character of the building.”
Thornfield have reportedly been in talks with English Heritage as well as the City of London. Peter Bennett at The City of London Corporation said: “As property owners, we would like to see the regeneration of this site and positive proposals for it being implemented. We will be working alongside Thornfield and its new design team at John McAslan & Partners, to ensure that a successful scheme is brought forward.”
Tags: English Heritage, John McAslan and Partners, Kohn Pederson Fox, Thornfield Properties