New Street Square

New Street Square is a landmark development in the City of London, creating a vibrant new destination between High Holborn and Fleet Street. Conceived as a contemporary counterpart to Broadgate and Paternoster Square, the scheme transforms a previously enclosed site into a network of buildings and public spaces that bring new life to the ‘midtown’ area of the City.

At its heart lies a generous new square, animated by cafés, shops and a programme of public art and performance. A fine-grained pattern of pedestrian routes connects this space with the surrounding lanes and courts of the Fleet Street Conservation Area, restoring permeability and urban character to the site.

The masterplan overlays a clear geometry of routes onto an irregular boundary, generating four major plots and a smaller pavilion that serves as the management suite and cycle hub. Each building varies in height and form, ranging from a north-side tower to a low-rise block to the south, ensuring sunlight reaches the square throughout the day.

Careful modulation of scale and materials creates a coherent yet varied ensemble, with the tower’s distinctive pointed corner announcing the development from Holborn Circus and giving the new square a confident civic presence.

The recently completed retrofit of 5 New Street Square upgrades the building to meet net zero carbon targets through the reuse of existing structure, renewal of central plant and services, and a transition to all-electric operation. Retaining the façade minimised embodied carbon while revitalised shared spaces enhance wellbeing and biodiversity – continuing its legacy as a benchmark for civic, enduring city-making.