Preview of Model:

The diagrammatic model (right), exhibited at Kensington Town Hall when the planning application was being considered, was intended to show in block form what the then future development would look like.

The London County Council (LCC) attached some importance to recreating this busy area which was, even then, cosmopolitan in character with its wealth of pubs and cafes albeit with no architectural masterpieces but plenty of character.

The model was a guide to the number of floors but not necessarily the the architectural character.

The following sketches (below) were intended to give an impression of what the completed scheme might look like, to someone walking in the street,  and the need to provide variety, movement and colour and at the same time to provide pleasant places to prevent the feeling of being sucked through a monotonous corridor of a street.

Junction Transparency:

The junction of the future Newcombe House (a) and the 2-storey shops below (b) presented a visual problem often badly handled.

The transparency of the corner building, now Waterstones but previously MacFisheries, was an important townscape element as it drew the eye through to other developments round the corner.

However, as built, this transparency was lost.

Pedestrian Enclosure:

Having turned the corner, a 50ft wide pavement at this point, plus the enclosure provided by Newcombe House (a) an excellent backdrop, the transparent corner building (c) and the link block (d) could have made this the heart of the whole area, especially if the paving had been taken back into the space between (c) and (d) with a fine tree as a feature.

This was one of the two places in the scheme which lent itself to sitting down, having a drink and resting your feet. The more invitation there was (pub (d) and cafe (d) the better.

A proposed canopy at the kerb (e) would complete the visual sense of enclosure and contain the site.

Pedestrian Enclosure (alternative):

If, as then seemed likely, the problem of servicing the shops required vehicle access at a lower level under the link (d) and connecting with the car park behind Newcombe House (a), the pedestrian space between (c) and (d) should not be sacrificed but merely jacked up to become a platform (g) in order to provide an interesting change of level, an overflow from the cafe (c) with an excellent vantage point, and also a street entrance to Newcombe House through the link (d). The pub was then shown at the end of block (f).

Pedestrian Link:

A pedestrian canopy (e) could be used to define this pedestrian territory and act as a transparent barrier to protect them visually from the traffic. It could be a continuation of the canopy over the exits from the new Underground Station (h) and could contain and control all the paraphernalia, such as barriers, lamp-posts, paper bins, bus stops etc, and also flower kiosks, newspaper stalls and posters.

View from Enclosure:

The view from the shopping arcade under the adjacent lower level office block (f), showing the exit from the Underground Station (h) and across the road, offices over the 2-storey shops (j) with 40ft pavement (o) in front forming a second pedestrian area for sitting out and watching the crowd. The then existing Devonshire Arms pub (i) on th right.  A roof garden restaurant above 2-storey shops is shown (m) to which the tall maisonette block - now Campden Hill Towers (l) - forms a background.

Contrasts between old and new:

One of the many interesting contrasts of old and new building: the ornate detail of the then Devonshire Arms (i) finding a foil in the smooth curtain wall facade of the 4-storey block (f) - 3-storey offices over shops opposite.

A horizontal emphasis to the treatment of the latter would, it was suggested, contrast well with a vertical treatment in the tall office block (a).  The colour of the curtain wall panels was regarded as important - too often they are garish and there was a lot to be said for sticking to white, grey or black and getting the colour with things which change, such as posters, sun blinds and people.

Tunnelled View:

This was intended to be one of the most interesting parts of the new Notting Hill Gate, where the proposed 18-storey Campden Hill Towers (l) comes right down at right angles to the pavement and assists in breaking the corridor feeling of the street.

The view through under this building (n) is most important, guiding the eye on to the next, tree-lined, area of the site.

The 176ft tall block was intended to have showrooms on the first floor (p) and a restaurant on the second floor (q) which could be connected to an open-air extension on the roof of the 2-storey shops (m).

At ground level the 40ft pavement (o) was intended to give ample opportunity for outdoor eating.