Throughout the city there are many different levels of privacy. One specific example of this is at Covent Gardens. When you first arrive, you walk into an open, public square. This space was filled with bustling people, street performers, and plenty of families sitting around enjoying the day. On one end of the square is a market. Most of the market is under a roof and there are courtyards tucked in between the stores for people to sit and enjoy their purchases. The roof along with the courtyards help create a semi-public space, as the market is separated from the square but still accessed by many people. At the other end of the square is St. Paul’s Church. Behind the church is another square. This one, however, is much more closed off as it is hidden behind the church. I was amazed at the difference between the two squares. Once you walked behind St. Paul’s the noise of the street disappeared and the number of people drastically decreased, creating a semi-private space. Surrounding the square are many private residential houses. In just this small area of the city one can experience many different levels of privacy.
The square at Covent Gardens
Inside the market
The square behind St. Paul’s
It is interesting that you looked at how the two squares of Covent Garden. With the larger square over the former Piazza, what I found different is how one row had markets lines in the center of it, whole the other row was voided for a lower open space. Given how it is organized, the lack of symmetry is a surprising design decision. I do appreciate the privateness and welcoming atmosphere of the smaller square. To me, it feels more like a public park than an entrance to a church. Having benches lining much of it encourages visitors to stay for a while, and enjoy the space around them.