Page 15 - Demo

15AROUND AND ABOUTNATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMURBAN NATURE PROJECTFollowing the Urban Nature Project%u2019s hugely successful opening in the Museum%u2019s 5 acre garden, the new entrance from the underground%u2019s tunnel in Exhibition Road opened in the Autumn. Crowds have been flocking to enjoy the beautiful calm of the Nature Discovery Garden in the west, and the Evolution Garden in the East. This should help to reduce the pressure on the Museum itself which at half term and school holiday times can be even more intense.IMPERIAL COLLEGE QUEEN%u2019S TOWERMembers may remember from the 2023 Annual Report that the tower was in serious need of repairs and renovations. Here you can see it swathed in scaffolding. Works are apparently progressing well and the scaffolding is scheduled to come down in early 2026.LANCELOT PLACE At last after a long gestation period both residential developments on the west side of Lancelot place (above right) are coming to fruition. A feature of the two buildings on the upper end of the west side, the vertical greening of the facades, is already well established. A separate development of five town houses on the lower half of the terrace is also nearing completionPARK MANSIONS2%u201320 Brompton Road The scaffolding surrounding much of the ground and 1st floors of this pivotal building at the Knightsbridge junction heralds the advent of a new French restaurant, which will be opening in the new year, and a boutique hotel on part ground and 1st floors. Together with two new two new Turkish patisseries, Knightsbridge seems to be becoming one vast new eaterie.31-32 RUTLAND GATE Eleven years on from planning permission being granted for redevelopment and still nothing seems to happen. Scaffolding and hoarding remain in place. In recent months workmen have been repairing the roof, but it seems that completion of the work to transform the building back into two luxury houses, complete with basement swimming pools, is a long way off.Meanwhile we continue to press the Council to get the scaffolding removed. It has disfigured the street for far too long.WHITE ELEPHANTS2%u20138 Rutland GateThe grandiose mansion appears to be on the market for %u00a3205m %u2013 down %u00a35m from when it was last sold. The Association is attempting to contact the agents drawing attention to the dilapidated appearance and the poor effect it is having on Rutland Gate generally. It has been seriously neglected