Southampton City Council

City Characterisation Project

January 2009 33

02 Grosvenor Square

ContextThis character area comprises Grosvenor Square whichis linked to Bedford Place (CA3) by modern office blockswhich straddle the two areas. It forms the edge of thestudy area.

Grosvenor Square was associated with Regency villaswith a large terrace on its eastern side. Bedford Placewas an area of houses and commercial premises serv-icing the quality houses of Grosvenor Square and CarltonCrescent.

GrainGrosvenor Square is of a medium to coarse grainretaining two of the Regency villas which lined thesquare. It plays an important role of enclosure toBedford Place, forming part of the western edge of thestreet running down to the parks although it does notrespect the grain and plot division of the east side andpresents a largely dead frontage to the street.

ScaleBuildings vary between the grand but well-consideredscale of the two, and two and a half, storey Regencyvillas compared with the rather monolithic modern threeand four storey blocks of offices and the seven storeymulti-storey car park.

UsesModern blocks are offices with underground parking andvery little integration with the square. The remainingbuildings are converted office space and residentialblocks with a multi-storey car park forming the south-west corner of the square.

Public RealmThe public realm is a mix of hard and soft landscaping tocar park space forming the central focus of the square.There are a number of good trees to the space whichhelp soften the impact of too much hard surfacing butthere is a general feel that the pedestrian is secondaryto vehicles.

ConnectivityThe character area is well connected to adjacent areasand pedestrian and traffic routes are well used.

Building typesGrosvenor Square comprises the survival of two largedetached early Victorian residential villas converted tooffices. The remaining buildings to Grosvenor Squareare office blocks, residential blocks and a multi-storeycar park.

Architectural qualitiesThe two remaining villas fronting the square date from

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Southampton City Council

City Characterisation Project

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c1835 and are good examples of the period with theirplain stucco facades, restrained detailing and tallelegant timber framed vertical sliding sashes with veryfine glazing bars. Their bow windows form particularlypositive elements of the townscape in local views intoand across the square.

Heritage AssetsThe area served as agricultural land until the first half ofthe nineteenth century. The area could be considered topossess a high degree of evidential value due to archae-ological potential relating to prehistoric, Roman and lateSaxon occupation and use of the area. The area lieswithin a Local Area of Archaeological Importance toreflect this potential to yield evidence for past activity inthe area.

The two late Regency villas on the north side of thesquare are Grade II listed buildings and have beenconverted to offices. Despite this change of use, theiraesthetic values relating to their composition, particu-larly their pleasing form, proportions and period detailingremain intact.

To the centre of the square is a small statue commemo-rating Earl Mountbatten of Burma. The statue is dated1998 but will have communal value given the historicsignificance of the subject matter. It is also fitting forsquares to have some form of symbol of commemora-tion or memorial or artistic piece to focus the spaceupon.

MaterialsBuildings to Grosvenor Square are mix of stucco andbrick elevations with natural slate roofs.

ConditionThe character area is in good condition.

OwnershipThere is multiple ownership throughout the characterarea with freeholders and long and short term lease-holders.

Interventionn Reinstatement of part or all of the square to grassed

amenity space for the offices with the opportunity forpublic art.

Key design principlesn Maintain and enhance the setting of the statutory

listed buildings to the square.n Take any opportunity to remove traffic and vehicles

from the square.

01 View looking ne across Grosvenor Square02 Grade II listed Regency Villas, n side of Grosvenor Square03 View e towards Bedford Place from Grosvenor Square

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Southampton City Council

City Characterisation Project

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Southampton City Council

City Characterisation Project

36 January 2009

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Heritage Assets

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City Characterisation Project

January 2009 37

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Townscape