In 2008 GRID won an invited competition which included MAKE, Eric Parry and Squire & Partners. Directly opposite the Grade 1 St Clement Danes, the site represents a unique opportunity to positively contribute to the Strand Conservation Area. The existing office buildings will be replaced by a new residential led mixed use city block containing 200 dwellings, retail, a restaurant, leisure and a business centre. The proposals controversially remove a street that divides the site but widens and enhances the historic Tweezers Alley. The urban form is strengthened with facades tight to the back of pavement, with active frontages and single surfaced roads allowing better access to local pubs and cafes in the narrow street to temple. The development comprises of a series of urban blocks arranged around two courtyards and connected by an internal colonnade. The facades to Strand and Arundel Street developed through a reading of the Beaux Arts and English Baroque buildings of Aldwych and Kingsway. A layered façade of stone, metalwork and glass are counterpoint with laser cut metal filigree balustrades. The filigree is also used to create the ‘mansard’ roof form, providing a veil to the terraces behind.