{"id":701376,"date":"2026-07-20T10:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/701376\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T10:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:20:09","slug":"squire-partners-unveils-plans-for-mothballed-stratford-sphere-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/701376\/","title":{"rendered":"Squire & Partners unveils plans for mothballed Stratford Sphere site"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plans put to consultation last Wednesday (15 July) on behalf of Hallmark Property Group<\/a> would overhaul the 2.05ha site between Stratford Station and Stratford International, last used as car parking for the London 2012 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

Squire\u2019s scheme includes three towers on the edges of the triangular shaped plot, ranging in height from 31 to 47 storeys, providing a 1,600-bedroom hotel and 2,100 shared living apartments above mixed uses on the ground floor.<\/p>\n

A \u2018yard\u2019 at the heart of the development will host events and provide 1,700m\u00b2 of public realm with 100 artworks and 1,850m\u00b2 of food and beverage facilities in a two-storey circular pavilion building inspired by the surrounding railway architecture.<\/p>\n

According to the plans put out to consultation, the scheme will create two cultural venues with capacities ranging from 1,200 to 4,300 people and there will be a further 20,000m\u00b2 of \u2018large-scale immersive experience venues and interactive spaces as well as gallery and exhibition spaces\u2019.<\/p>\n

Squire\u2019s scheme will introduce new pedestrian routes through the site, including a footbridge from Stratford Town Centre and step-free access through to Montfichet Road.<\/p>\n

Olga Gomez, partner at the firm, told the AJ: \u2018Stratford Junction presents a rare opportunity to reimagine a complex and constrained site at the heart of one of London\u2019s fastest-evolving destinations.<\/p>\n

\u2018The proposals would open up the site for the first time, creating new public spaces, green infrastructure and pedestrian connections alongside performance venues, an education hub and a vibrant cultural neighbourhood featuring public art and outdoor exhibition spaces.\u2019<\/p>\n

Gomez continued: \u2018Inspired by the surrounding railway architecture and shaped through ongoing engagement with the local community, the design aims to create a distinctive new destination that is rooted in Stratford\u2019s character and future ambitions.\u2019<\/p>\n

The tricky site was once set to become home to a 21,500-capacity Sphere-shaped arena<\/a> designed by Populous and backed by former site owner Madison Square Garden (MSG).<\/p>\n

MSG withdrew the application following a planning refusal by London mayor Sadiq Khan and former communities secretary Michael Gove\u2019s decision to refer the scheme to the planning inspector.<\/p>\n

Squire & Partners is expected to submit a planning application to Newham Council this autumn.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile food and beverage uses are planned for the site before construction begins on the long-term scheme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plans put to consultation last Wednesday (15 July) on behalf of Hallmark Property Group would overhaul the 2.05ha…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701377,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,133958,96,232910,10661,232911,39478,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-701376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-east-london","tag-entertainment","tag-msg-sphere","tag-populous","tag-squire-partners","tag-stratford","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}