Appraisal

Mercers Walk

The 2016 Mercers Walk development comprises a group of three new four-storey residential and retail buildings and one new one-storey retail building, located on the north-western and south-eastern sides of a newly created ‘Z’-shaped, attractively paved open space which links Langley Street to Mercer Street. In addition there is a new, four/five storey high building to the rear of the 19^th century, former brewery buildings fronting Shelton Street and the conversion and refurbishment of the former brewery building at no. 13, Langley Street.

Two of the four-storey, residential and retail buildings occupy part of the site of the former Chertsey Chambers that once fronted Mercer Street and are located to the north-west and south-east of the south-western end of Mercers Walk, while the third of the four-storey, residential and retail buildings occupies a site closer the Langley Street on the south-eastern side of the central part of Mercers Walk.

While each of these three buildings – comprising three floors of residential units above retail units at ground floor level – is entirely sensitive in height, scale and elevational design to the adjoining buildings and to the newly created open space, the cumulative contribution of the three blocks and the new building to the rear of the 19^th century former brewery buildings fronting Shelton Street, is massively compromised and diminished by the questionable choice of facing brick. The use of precisely cut, coloured brick in white, charcoal-grey, light-yellow, red and buff, laid precisely in stretcher-bond, is in marked and unhappy contrast with the prevailing use of traditionally laid London Stock brick in this part of the Covent Garden area.

While the extensive use of green folding metal grills across the window and balcony openings of the upper floors adds legitimate interest to the scene, it is the bland brickwork of the new buildings that reduces what might otherwise have been a very successful development.

By contrast, the beautifully crafted ‘Spirit of the Garden’ bronze by Ian Rank Broadley, FRBI set at high level on the block on the south-eastern side of Mercers Walk nearest to Langley Street really raises the spirit.