Victoria Square in Woking reaches practical completion

We are pleased to announce that the public realm at Victoria Square in Woking has reached practical completion and is now open to the public. The development, which is part of the multi-million-pound regeneration of Woking Town Centre by Woking Borough Council and Moyallen Woking Ltd, will see the town transformed into a flagship destination for living, shopping and leisure, providing 429 residential apartments, a new four-star Hilton hotel, and 125,000 sq. ft. of retail space including a 50,000 sq. ft. flagship Marks and Spencer store.

Gillespies was commissioned to deliver public realm and landscape design for several phases of the regeneration, including the previously completed Jubilee Square, Peacock Market, Commercial Way and Albion Square.

The new areas of public realm include a multi-functional public square which will act as a key gateway to the town centre and a counterpoint to Jubilee Square, completing the town centre's retail loop by redefining the former Bandstand Square as a new covered square named Henry Plaza, linking Wolsey Place shopping centre with the Peacocks Centre. This new series of spaces greatly improves the permeability of the town centre whilst enhancing the user experience through high-quality, carefully considered design.

To support the demands of such a development, a new car park has been designed and built with a heavy focus on sustainability, ecology and urban greening. Whilst hosting a series of extensive and intensive green roofs, the car park also achieves a strong visual impact across its façade through a 1720sqm living wall. Upon arrival into the town, visitors are met by a vibrant expanse of green which not only softens the visual impact of the development but assists with air purification, and noise attenuation and contributes towards lowering the town's urban heat island effect.

Additional new landscape spaces found above ground level include residential communal roof gardens and private terraces, which are set to achieve practical completion in Spring 2022.