Over several years, Stories has been providing The Crown Estate's London team with a range of support, including strategic masterplanning, delivery of public realm projects, procuring partners, convening stakeholder groups and advising on project and organisational strategy.

The Crown Estate (TCE) is a unique business which has served the nation for more than 260 years. Responsible for a diverse portfolio which encompasses some of the most remarkable places and spaces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, TCE's purpose is to create lasting and shared prosperity for the nation and over the past ten years has generated more than £3 billion for the benefit of the nation’s finances.

Key projects:

Haymarket District Plan

Piccadilly Circus

Heddon Street

Glasshouse Street

Haymarket District Plan

Stories helped The Crown Estate (TCE) transition to taking a District-led approach across its estate. This identified the need for a much more strategic plan for its assets along Haymarket. Working with the development team, we established a clear district identity and a implementation plan to develop a masterplan and to enable individual development projects to move forward as well as assessing the wider triple bottom line outcomes (social, economic and environmental).

The opportunity at The Haymarket is to invigorate the West End’s newest district, offering world class entertainment, culture and workplace in the heart of London, bringing Haymarket will be brought back to life with street performance, next generation brands and iconic, people-centric public realm. East and west, the intimate spaces of St James’ Market and the Arts Quarter can offer diverse art, culture and food, mixed with performance.

Stories led a limited competition to find a masterplan partner, which led to the appointment of Prior + Partners. The public output from this stage - the Haymarket Engagement Report - is available here.

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus has been an iconic meeting point at the heart of London for generations. Stories worked alongside TCE to convene a working group of the key landowners. The overall objective of group was to support improving and enhancing the area around Piccadilly Circus for all users, working collaboratively with wider stakeholders and the community.

The Steering Group's role was to lead the strategic direction for the area, considering core decisions and programme activity, as well as establishing and maintaining a programme of activity across different work streams including technical elements, engagement/communications and projects. 

Stories helped the group set its own, long-term vision for Piccadilly Circus as a place of ‘spectacle, enjoyed by all.’

This vision sets out three priorities:

•       To widen the appeal and be more inclusive.

•       To preserve and enhance the character.

•       To improve the pedestrian experience

Heddon Street

Heddon Street, like other dining destinations suffered during the pandemic. The Crown Estate is progressing a longer term improvement plan for Heddon St, but Stories was tasked with developing a Meanwhile strategy for the street and then overseeing delivery of the project over 3 months, in time for a summer launch.

The aim was to re-establish Heddon Street as a fun, vibrant and iconic outdoor dining venue, benefitting from the buzz of a diverse workspace offer and amenities.

Stories worked closely with existing tenants and creative agencies to deliver a range of public realm improvements, planting and artwork drawing on the street's rich heritage. We worked collaboratively with Casa do Frango (a current tenant) to curate a summer series of outdoor dining and music to activate the street.

Glasshouse Street

Glasshouse St plays an important part in TCE’s Central London portfolio, as a major pedestrian route connecting Piccadilly Circus with the West End, and serving as the portfolio’s entry into Soho.

With the launch of TCE’s Regent Street District Strategy, Glasshouse St East was identified as a major opportunity to deliver a complimentary offer to Regent Street and the surrounding area, as an activated dynamic space that brings art and culture to the wider district.

Stories appraised the potential of the street and developed a brief, setting out the strategic context and an analysis of Glasshouse St East as it currently operates.

We then ran a limited competition to find a creative partner to work closely with TCE and its existing wider team to deliver an improvement scheme for the public realm of the street, including:

• Infrastructure to enable the street to be easily adaptable to accommodate a programme of events and activations.

• Public realm that enhances the pedestrian experience so that it delights and surprises, is welcoming and accessible, introduces more greening and biodiversity and embodies the character of the surrounding areas.

• Public realm improvements that enable the street to become a destination for physical and digital art and culture.

The appointment is expected to be made public in Summer 2024.