BUTE STREET, LONDON
Putting the Bute in beautiful
Products: Trentino Porphyry, European Granite Kerbs
Contractor: FM Conway
Client: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Landscape Architect: WSP
Bute Street in South Kensington has had a makeover as part of the RBKC’s efforts to make “even more amazing spaces” in Kensington and Chelsea.
Since 2020, the street has been closed to traffic to allow access for shoppers and patrons of the local eateries to use the outside space. The council has now made the changes permanent so that it can “thrive” with more weekend market stalls and outdoor dining spaces in this bustling corner of South Kensington. In doing so, a revamp of the layout to a more pedestrian-friendly area and new paving to modernise and add warmth to the space.
Working alongside landscape architects WSP and contractor FM Conway, Tectonix supplied a suite of natural stone from Europe including sawn-edged Porphyry from Italy and Castro granite kerbs from Portugal. The full works included a continuous level footway, additional planting and trees to help improve air quality, and sustainable drainage to intercept rainwater and help reduce potential flooding.
A unique aspect of this scheme was the waterjet trapezoidal cuts of porphyry to create channels bordering the main thoroughfare.
Alex Sampson of FM Conway said "The work done at Bute Street has really given the street a lift and a distinctive look and feel which gives local residents, cafe owners and shoppers a real sense of pride in the area. We worked with Tectonix on this project as we knew this scheme needed a quality product, delivered on time to meet the tight schedule we faced on site"
Take a scroll through our gallery of pictures from this project:
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