Source Description:
The Regent's Quadrant, Regent Street, London
The Quadrant is the part of Regent Street which curved southward from Glasshouse Street on the east side and Vigo Street on the west and terminated just north of Regent Circus South. During the 1880's the area around Regent Circus was transformed into Piccadilly Circus. The Quadrant was designed by John Nash and built...
Source Description:
The Regent's Quadrant, Regent Street, London
The Quadrant is the part of Regent Street which curved southward from Glasshouse Street on the east side and Vigo Street on the west and terminated just north of Regent Circus South. During the 1880's the area around Regent Circus was transformed into Piccadilly Circus. The Quadrant was designed by John Nash and built in 1820, the sixty five shops on both sides of the street were fronted by a sweep of colonnades of cast iron columns supporting a cover for the walkway. The idea was that the nobility and gentry shopping in the Street would be able to purchase just about anything that they desired and to do so in all weathers in comfort. The shopkeepers did not like the fact that the colonnades restricted the amount of light entering their shops, and the Commissioners of the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings acting on behalf of the Crown objected to the number of undesirables, pickpockets, gamblers and prostitutes etc. that were attracted to the covered area.
In 1848 the Commissioners authorized the removable of the colonnades and rebuilding of the shop fronts, this pleased the shopkeepers, as they now had larger display windows and more light, the shoppers were less pleased, in losing their shelter from the weather, the undesirables just carried on regardless.
The Builder magazine for November 1848 wrote "The destruction is complete. One of the most striking features of modern London has been cut off its face, and a great public injury committed, to gratify a score of persons who fancy they will be individually benefited by the removal of the colonnade."
The large building on the right hand side of the view is the Head Office of the County Fire Office and its associated company, The Provident Life Insurance & Annuity Office. During the 1920's the original leases of the Quadrant buildings expired and the Commissioners decided to rebuild all of the shops, offices etc. these are the buildings that one can see today, there are none of Nash's original buildings left in the entire street.
