Forgotten Spaces Preston shortlist revealed
The Royal Institute of British Architects has unveiled 22 finalists for the northern leg of the Forgotten Spaces competition, a nationwide ideas contest which aims to increase awareness of disused or abandoned spaces across the country.
The competition, now in its fourth year, saw architects, students and designers put forward innovative concepts for turning overlooked spaces or derelict plots of land into useful and community building areas. The contest, which has previously been hosted in London (2010, 2011) Sheffield (2011) and Newcastle (2012), sought to change the fortune of redundant and neglected spaces across Greater London and Preston in 2013.
The Preston shortlist, selected from 57 entries, features the work of recent graduates and seasoned architects alike. Entrants were able to choose from six suggested plots put forward by organisers, or suggest their own 'forgotten space'.
Entries included a floating market, a wrapped car park, and a disused tunnel refurbished to provide dwellings for the homeless. The winning entry, due to be announced in November, will receive £5,000, with £2,000 for second place, and £1,000 for third.
The judging panel included RIBA president elect Stephen Hodder, Bob Allies of Allies & Morrison, Architects Journal news editor Richard Waite, architect Alex McCrickard of the Eric Wright Group, Places Matter! design review manager Charlotte Myhrum, and Creative Tourist editor and founder Susie Stubbs.
Stephen Hodder, jury chairman for Forgotten Spaces Preston, said: "The judges were greatly impressed by the amount of thought that had gone into each proposal. It was not an easy task to draw up a shortlist but we believe the 22 selected will stimulate debate and get people thinking about how spaces that are overlooked can become central to the local community."
All of the entries will be displayed in an exhibition which will take place during November in Preston.
The North West contest was sponsored by the Eric Wright Group, Booths and Lancashire County Council, and supported by the University of Central Lancashire and Preston City Council.
Finalists in the RIBA London Forgotten Spaces contest have also been revealed.
The full shortlist is:
Ascension, Kate Nicholson
A 28m-tall structure arch on Lancaster Canal with an interactive weather exhibition
Braker's Yard, Rob Paton
A multi-purpose facility, housed in boat-like structures on the Guild Wheel cycle path
canaLIDO, Aynsley Gray, Jamie McAllister
A proposal to bring a dying area of the canal back to life through a community lido
Canalside Community Garden and Floating Market, Nina Esmund
A community growing space and market garden on Lancaster Canal
Car + Park, Skinn, Jekaterina Porohina, Ivan Rabodzeenko, Goran Vodicka
Low-cost interventions to turn an under-used car park rooftop into an exciting public space
craYarc, Calderpeel Architects; Kathryn Timmins, Shona Scales, James Mellor, Michael Park, Patrick Taft, Ewen Miller, Andrew Lightfoot
A scheme to save the native white clawed crayfish on Avenham Viaduct
Finding Courtyard, Francis Roberts Architects; Dominic Roberts, David Cox, Sally Stone, Ida Mikolajska, Michal Karol, Tomasz Kisilewicz
Transforming the forgotten courtyard of St Joseph's Orphanage into a new public space
Forgotten_Synergy, Wood Associates; David Cox, Sally Stone, Dominic Roberts, Michał Karol, Ida Mikołajska, Tomasz Kisilewicz
Bringing life to the edges of Avenham car park through a café, gym and public gardens
Green Garage, Joanna Wozniak, Barbara Clark
Revitalising Avenham car park by creating a green public space on the roof
G-SEXY, Superhistory – Daniel Kerr
Celebrating the English Electric Lightning fighter aircraft as a sculptural form in Old Cock Yard
Hop To It, Designplay – Peter Lay
A microbrewery and greenhouse snuggled into Old Cock Yard
Miley Living, John Bridge
The creation of living units for homeless people in and around the Miley Tunnel
PARK & PARK, Urban Unit – Mark Foster, Itziar Vinagre, Christian Nielsen, Rodrigo O'Malley
Interventions on the facade of Avenham car park which change to create a public attraction
Promenade, Daniels Thiede Architects – Ralf Thiede, Caroline Barker, Jack Doyle, Mike Daniels
A looping board walk reminiscent of a seaside pier wrapped around Avenham car park
Shelf Life, OSC Design – Oliver Beasley, Chris Blake & OSC Design
Transforming Avenham car park into a multi-storey farming estate
The Hive, Keith Raymond Tasker, Joe Cook
A series of modular Archigram-like housing pods for students in the Miley Tunnel
The Water Grocers: a Floating Market and Community, Andrew Lees with FFLO, Claire Fernley and James Fox
A combination of homes, farmers' market and a transient urban space in the form of a floating market square
Tulketh Allotments, Panter Hudspith – Jack Lines and Michael Smith
The creation of allotments and a café/market at the forgotten end of Lancaster Canal
Unearthed, Emma McQuillan
A scheme that transforms the Miley Tunnel into an urban park
Woven in Cotton, Luke Petty & Gillian Harrison
A celebration of Preston's creative heritage through a 16-day programme on the Weinds & Yards
Wend on up the Weind, Philip Etchells
Celebrating the historical significance of an ignored alleyway with timber roof structures
YES 'CAN'al DO, Vinay Patel
A vantage gallery / café on Lancaster Canal at the southern terminus point
