Devonshire Square
Public art and wayfinding interventions reimagining a historic urban estate as a connected, inner-city destination.
- Sector
- Public Realm
- Location
- London, UK
Overview
Open, Inclusive, Future-Ready
Tucked between Liverpool Street Station and Spitalfields Market, Devonshire Square (DSQ) is a five-acre campus with deep historical roots dating back to the 18th century. Under the stewardship of Nuveen Real Estate, the estate has been undergoing a multi-year transformation - one that redefines this once inward-looking space as a more open, inclusive, and future-ready destination.
Working in close collaboration with Squire & Partners and Townshend Landscape Architects, we developed a series of design interventions - spanning wayfinding, public art, and cultural programming - that form part of a broader vision to make DSQ a more engaging environment for tenants, locals, and visitors alike.
Every intervention has been developed with community in mind - crafted to tell stories, support local identity, and create spaces that feel intuitive and welcoming.
Our Approach
Transitional Space
DSQ is full of transitional spaces - archways, walkways, and alleyways - that once felt incidental. We saw an opportunity to turn these routes into portals of experience and meaning. A dynamic light installation now sweeps through the arches leading from New Street, inspired by the area’s textile heritage and global trade routes. Echoing billowing fabric, the piece brings rhythm and vibrancy to this key approach, creating a welcoming entrance visible from Liverpool Street.
Sculptural totems - designed in dialogue with the architecture - offer both navigation and narrative. These illuminated forms provide orientation while reinforcing a coherent visual identity across the site.
"We’ve created a place where workers choose to be, rather than where they have to be."
Andy Booth, Director at Nuveen
Our Approach
An Oasis in the City
DSQ is a place to pause. Another key gateway, at Harrow Place, stacked light-framed archways draw people into the square with softness and rhythm. These sculptural forms echo surrounding architecture and frame a renewed threshold into the heart of the site.
Working alongside Townshend Landscape Architects, our creative interventions are now set within a reimagined environment - complete with greenery, informal seating, and amenities that support wellbeing, cultural programming, and outdoor working.
Our Approach
Community in Focus
We embedded community and emerging talent into the heart of DSQ’s transformation. As part of our Creators in Bloom initiative, we invited fashion and photography students from London Metropolitan University to respond to the textile history of nearby Petticoat Lane.
Their garments, made from African Wax fabrics sourced from Petticoat Lane sellers, were exhibited in a meanwhile gallery on-site, with hoardings across the estate showcasing their work. The project gave students academic credit and real-world experience, while enriching the cultural story of the space.
Roger Arcos
Annabel Angelo
???
The vision for DSQ has been to futureproof the site - not just through architecture and landscaping, but by embedding cultural value and storytelling into its fabric. Our work has helped support that vision through a series of moments that enhance approach, orientation, and sense of place. Together, these layers contribute to a deeper narrative - one of evolution, openness, and long-term value.
Credits
Photography
Nikhilesh Haval
Videography
Phillip Rhys Olney
Collaborators
Pecelec
London Met University
