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St Helen's Square

A vibrant square transforming a historic City of London junction

London, UK

St Helen’s Square landscape architecture blends historic church, modern planting, and curved seating in vibrant public realm design.

St Helen’s Square is a key public space that lies at the historic junction of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe and offers the third largest open space in the City of London.

St Helen’s Square is located at the foot of The Leadenhall Building — designed by RSHP — in the heart of the City of London. A busy thoroughfare, the redesign of this keyspace has transformed it into an exciting public space. The project created a world‑class public realm, befitting its prestigious location.

The design is lively and colourful, authentic to the character of the City of London, but interpreted in contemporary terms. It's not surprising that it was shortlisted for the Public Space Design in the 2014 NLA awards.

Gillespies has created a space where people want to convene, relax, and repose - a versatile space to accommodate different uses and activities, including exhibitions and performances, and an enduring place to be enjoyed for generations to come.

St Helen’s Square landscape architecture with lush planting, curved seating, and activated public realm in City of London.
Modern landscape architecture at St Helen’s Square with tiered planting, stone paving, and integrated seating in City of London.
St Helen’s Square night view featuring LED lighting, soft landscaping, and curving stone pathways in urban public realm.
Evening landscape architecture at St Helen’s Square with urban planting, feature lighting, and contemporary plaza design.
Conceptual landscape architecture plan of St Helen’s Square with curved planting beds, seating, and tree-lined public space.
St Helen’s Square landscape architecture with planting, seating, and public space in City of London masterplan.

Project details

Title

St Helen's Square

Client

The Leadenhall Development Company, City of London and Aviva

Status

Complete

Project team

Gillespies (lead)

Gillespies team

Stephen Richards

Photography

John Sturrock, James Newton

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