Atkins turns the Picadilly Two-Way Scheme project into reality with Skape™
4 November 2010
Background
The UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy, Atkins, was commissioned by The Crown Estate (working in partnership with Westminster City Council, and Transport for London) to plan and design the Piccadilly Two-Way Scheme.
The scheme will convert the existing one-way working of Pall Mall, St James’s Street and Piccadilly to two-way traffic with significant improvements to the public realm. The new design will provide traffic with more routes in this part of London and create a more user friendly, clutter free and accessible environment for all road users.
The issue
To ensure the concept design gained the support and buy-in from local government and could progress successfully beyond the planning stage, Atkins needed to illustrate its proposal in a real world context in order to demonstrate what the proposed improved footways and rationalisation to street furniture would actually look like.The solution
Skape™, a 3D city mapping online service provided by Astrium Services, was identified as the best solution to ensure the Piccadilly Two-Way Scheme project and benefits to the local environment were communicated efficiently to all stakeholders.
Astrium provided Atkins with Real Skape 3D city models of central London.
Skape’s fully rendered models allowed Atkins to turn their vision and concept into reality, enabling local authority officers and the local community (the people who would most benefit) to relate to and support the project.
- These models are fully textured with a high level of detail which allowed stakeholders to actually view the development in a real-world 3D environment, demonstrating the true benefit of the scheme.
- Furthermore, Skape’s 3D models are pre-built which means that they were instantly available saving Atkins valuable time in the consultation process.
The 3D images detailed:
- A redirection of roads to deliver a two-way traffic operation and better signal arrangements at Piccadilly Circus and the Piccadilly / St James’s Street junction in order to minimise delays for cars, buses, taxis and deliveries to businesses
- More footway space, better pedestrian crossing arrangements and the removal of guard railing at Piccadilly Circus and along Piccadilly
- Street lighting placed on existing and new central islands along Pall Mall and Piccadilly to create boulevards
- The removal of general clutter on footways to make the area, particularly Piccadilly, Pall Mall, St James’s Street and Piccadilly Circus a more attractive place to visit and be in.
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“We have found that |
 Picadilly looking towards Picadilly Circus |
 Mid Picadilly Looking South |
