Gateway 2
2024
Gateway 2 marks one of the key entrances into the Manor Royal Business District.
Once dominated by wide roads, traffic and highway railings, this area has been transformed into a greener, more welcoming space that feels connected to the nearby Terrace Pocket Park.
The vision for Gateway 2 focuses on softening the hard edges of the road and creating a more pleasant place for people walking, cycling or travelling through the area. Mature trees already provide a strong backdrop and native hedges have replaced metal guardrails to help reduce the dominance of tarmac.
Once a neglected and unremarkable grassed area, this triangular area has benefitted from new landscaping and pathways connecting new crossing points to allow cyclists and pedestrians a more direct and attractive journey along the London Road.
Gateway 2 is the entry point in the south-western corner of the business district at the boundary of the nearby residential area of Langley Green and at the junction of London Road and Manor Royal road.
The main sculptural piece here is the large “wavy” monolith entrance sign that helps to define this point of entry. Its shape is inspired by the flowing nature of the Manor Royal “M” logo which is supposed to suggest movement, flow and change.
In the summer when the grasses grow tall, it makes it looks as though the sign is floating in a sea of green.
This was the area that Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, stood in January 1950 to name and open Manor Royal road. A name she chose that later came to be the name by which the entire area was known, combines the name of the farm that the business district was built on (Manor Farm) with the Royal connection.
