Kings Gate Walk SW1
Kings Gate Walk sits at the base of Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street in central London. It is a quiet pedestrian passage, connecting another public space, Wilcox Place - to the south of Victoria Street - to the Seaforth Place, and a network of alleyways that link The River Thames and Pimlico to St James Park and the Palace of Westminster. Kings Gate Walk situates the entrance to a residential building, Kings Gate, in close proximity to the town hall. This extreme juxtaposition of domestic and public uses is mediated by an ornamental and actual garden, by art works and planting, and by the shifting scales of various actual and implied colonnades. For the first time, Westminster City Hall has a civic presence on Victoria Street, and at the same time, this tall building is grounded in the urban grain of Victoria. A massive art work, Silver Forest, 30m x 8m, forms the base of city hall, adding character and delight to the experience of walking at Victoria.
