The City of Leicester was in the news last year after the discovery of Richard III's remains under a council car park. The incredible find has also led to some impressive street scene improvements, Transport Network reports.
Larsen Building Products recently won a contract for the Cathedral Gardens, close by on Peacock Lane. This public realm scheme is just about as prestigious as it gets, due in part to its association with last year’s discovery.
The public realm areas around the Cathedral and pedestrianised part of Peacock Lane are adjacent to the Richard III Visitor Centre close to where the remains were found.
Areas around the Cathedral will be paved in high quality Porphyry and Granite, all laid on Larsen Building products BS 7533 paving mortar system, to provide a visitor friendly pedestrianised public realm and civic area.
The design is fully in keeping with the location, using a mixture of modern materials and concepts but with a respect for the cathedral and ancient royal connections.
Richard III’s statue, currently residing in the castle gardens will be moved to a location at one end of the cathedral gardens outside the Richard III visitor centre.
The whole ethos of both projects is one of quality of design and finish and this is reflected in the selection of materials for paving and installations.
Hard on the heels of the Cathedral Gardens project follows another impressive public realm scheme. Larsen recently supplied its BS 7533 compliant paving mortar system to P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd, contract winners for Jubilee Square. Works on Jubilee Square, to celebrate the Queens Jubilee, commenced in August last year.
This is a major public realm scheme which has been designed to enhance the city centre by the creation of a new civic square and public open space with pedestrian links close to the commercial and retail quarter. High quality porphyry and granite paving will be the main feature of these works which are located on a site previously used for car parking and park and ride facilities.
Leicester City’s focus on quality also extends to the soft landscaping which will sensitively punctuate the public realm areas with lawns and common green areas plus the planting of high specification pleached trees and acers.
The whole of Jubilee Square will be lit by a variety of street and feature lighting to give a rich feel to the surroundings and provide a safe comfortable environment for visitors, residents and the surrounding commercial and retail community.
