Cathedral Square: Completing Gordon Cullen’s ‘stone axis’

We were appointed to implement the first phase of Peterborough city centre’s public realm strategy. The project, Cathedral Square, involved rethinking the east-to-west ‘Stone Axis’ described by ‘Townscape’ author Gordon Cullen over 30 years ago.

We’ve created an elegant, pedestrian-focused setting for fine historic buildings including the Cathedral Gatehouse, the Guildhall, and St John’s Church with a new space appearing on the site of the demolished eigth-storey Norwich Union building.

The square has no road kerbs, forming a wall-to-wall stone mat. Two triangular groups of in-ground, highly controllable water jets shape a diagonal pedestrian route. The project has transformed local business and many more people now use the space.