Whitecity has a new owner-developer, Westfield Shoppingtowns Ltd.
The images shown here no longer represent Westfield’s intended scheme.
In October 2005, Westfield, Multiplex and Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd agreed the following Press statement:
“As a result of changes in the ownership of The White City project, Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd are no longer involved with the main scheme of retail and leisure. They are continuing as architects for most of the new public transport elements and some external works of the White City project.”
Ian Ritchie Architects were commissioned by Chelsfield PLC in December 1997 to reconceive a Master Plan and Architecture for the urban regeneration of approximately 19 hectares at White City, London, as a local and regional shopping and leisure destination together with the creation of new public transport interchanges for west London.
Our strategy has been based on certain specific objectives :
The development envisages a first phase of approximately 1 million sq.ft. of retail and leisure and the potential to expand this to nearly 2 million sq.ft. The development also involves creating two new public transport interchanges connecting London Underground - in the south east with a new station on the West London Line Railway and future tram terminus; - in the north west through a new Underground station on the Hammersmith & City Line at White City with a new London Transport Bus Station. Other transport infrastructures include a new motorway junction, the relocation of the overnight storage of Central Line Underground trains, pedestrian footbridges and the creation of a new urban landscape and nature reserve.
The proposals incorporate protected and naturally ventilated streets, a large central wintergarden, a nature reserve and a terraced bamboo garden, and the use of recyclable materials for the external envelope of all buildings.
The proposals involved many planning submissions, all of which were completed in 9 months and approval was granted in October 1999. The project has since been enlarged and further planning submissions were made in 2000. Site clearance began in 2003, and the project was scheduled to be completed in 2007, but the Westfield changes have delayed the completion to 2009.