Exhibition Road

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Exhibition Road following opening of shared space scheme during 2012

Exhibition Road is a street in South Kensington, London which is home to several major museums and academic establishments.

Overview

The road gets its name from the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was held just inside Hyde Park at the northern end of the road. Part of the road constitutes the border between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster and forms the central feature in an area known as Albertopolis.

It provides access to many nationally significant institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, Natural History Museum (which incorporates the former Geological Museum), the Royal Geographical Society, Imperial College London, Pepperdine University Abroad and Jagiellonian University Abroad. The London Goethe Institute and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meeting house are also located on Exhibition Road.

Shared space

A design competition for plans of how to improve the street's design to reflect its cultural importance was held in 2003 by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The competition was won by the architectural firm Dixon and Jones for a shared space scheme for the road and surrounding streets which would give pedestrians greater priority whilst still allow some vehicular traffic at a reduced speed.[1][2][3] The project also aimed to improve the artistic and architectural merit of the streetscape,[4] and clearly draws inspiration from the work of Gordon Cullen's Townscape.[citation needed] The scheme was completed ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.[5]

Gallery

  • Looking north prior to implementation of shared space scheme with the Science Museum in the distance

  • The Natural History Museum from Exhibition Road

  • The main entrance of the Science Museum on Exhibition Road

  • Journalist Paweł Rogaliński in front of the Polish Hearth Club on 55 Exhibition Road

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Albertopolis: 2012 Map of Dixon Jones scheme". RIBA. Retrieved 2010-12-18. 
  2. ↑ "The Exhibition Road Project". Official Site. 
  3. ↑ Rowan Moore (29 January 2012). "Exhibition Road, London – review". The Guardian. 
  4. ↑ "The Exhibition Road Project". RBKC. Retrieved 2008-09-30. 
  5. ↑ "Albertopolis: 2012 Architect's impressions". RIBA. Retrieved 2010-12-18. 

External links

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Coordinates: 51°29′56.3″N 0°10′27.3″W / 51.498972°N 0.174250°W / 51.498972; -0.174250

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