Following our work in 2018 on a strategy for Colchester's Key Public Spaces, we were commissioned to oversee the transformation of St Nicholas Square into a lively public square, while respecting its heritage as a fragment of the churchyard belonging to to a Gilbert Scott-designed church which was demolished in the 1950s. The two small plots into which the gravestones were removed were marooned within loading bays and delivery yards, while the space offered little functionality for community use despite its busy central location.

We have transformed the space into an open and welcoming square for markets, events and the spill-out of the cafes, restaurants and bars that surround it. Three new trees have been planted, carefully sited to avoid services diversions or obstructing emergency vehicle access, and an existing mature horse chestnut tree retained. The gravestones have been carefully lifted, cleaned and reset into the surface of curved brick benches, inspired by the similar installation fifty years earlier at St Giles Cripplegate within the Barbican estate. Graduated steps negotiate a one-metre level change across the site, accessibly designed with a sturdy yet elegant handrail. New street lighting is unobtrusive and cycle parking has been introduced in logical places.

The square includes adopted highway land, diocesan land that was transferred to Colchester City Council as part of the project, privately owned land, and Council land leased to the nearby shopping precinct. Below ground, the team negotiated the services undercroft of the shopping precinct; medieval graves; Roman streets and buildings; and a congested tangle of pipework and cables, both live and disconnected. Four Traffic Regulation Orders were required along with a range of legal agreements and technical approvals which required us to demonstrate compliance with highways standards designed for new-build sites rather than historic cityscapes.

Despite this complexity, we have achieved a space which feels effortless - natural, open and generous.

Our office lies just minutes away from the site, and it is truly special for us to be able to contribute to improving a space we use every day. Based on detailed fact-finding about the use of the square by businesses, we were able to make the case for reduced loading bays and implementation of a one-way system in order to narrow the carriageway width and reclaim more space for pavement seating. We were able to work with a local visually impaired user group, wheelchair users, and cycle campaigners to understand and balance their accessibility needs, and - as city centre residents and workers ourselves - contributing our lived experience of different times of day and night. During construction, we could inspect the works closely and at short notice when required. The quality of finish in the final result attests to our team’s care and attention to detail.