GALLERY | Designs revealed for Forgotten Spaces competition
Falconer Chester Hall, Studio Mutt and K2 are among the 19 architects that have submitted designs for six sites across the Liverpool City Region as part of a competition organised by former Sterling Prize winner Paul Monaghan.
The full list of sites and the architects that have drawn up conceptual designs for each are:
- Shopping City, Halton Lea – Coffey Architects, ShedKM, Studio Mutt, Studio Weave
- The Strand, Bootle – John Moores University, Morris + Company, Simpson Haugh
- Earlestown Market, Newton-le-Willows – K2, MgMa Studio, Mikhail Riches
- Bebington Road, New Ferry – Gort Scott, Smith Young Architects, Turner Works
- The Band Stand, Otterspool Park – Birds Portchmouth Russu, Harrison Stringfellow, University of Liverpool
- Kemble Street, Prescot – Architectural Emporium, Falconer Chester Hall, Gibson Thornley
The designs are intended to contribute to ideas being proposed for the regeneration of each of the sites.
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “I want the city-region to be somewhere people want to live, work and visit, and the quality of our built environment plays a key role in achieving that.
“We know we have a vibrant and innovative architectural sector and it is really good to see so many city region-based practices taking part in Forgotten Spaces.
“It is important to me that we not only nurture our local talent, but also welcome talent from across the country to be part of our placemaking agenda.”
Click on any image to launch gallery
- K2's Newton-le-Willows designs
- University of Liverpool's Otterspool Park designs
- Coffey Architect's Halton Lea designs
- MgMa Studio's Newton le Willows designs
- Gort Scott's New Ferry designs
- Gibson Thornley's Prescot designs
- Falconer Chester Hall's Prescot designs
- Mikhail Riches' Newton le Willows designs
- Simpson Haugh's Bootle designs
- ShedKM's Halton Lea designs
- ShedKM's Halton Lea designs
- Turner.Works' New Ferry designs
What the architects said:
James Hind, associate partner at Simpson Haugh, said: “We approached this as an opportunity for the proposed regeneration of the Strand shopping centre and as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Bootle.
“Our proposal seeks to re-imagine a framework for a high-quality retail environment and community market space around a central plaza. We have also re-engaged Bootle with the Leeds/Liverpool canal, forming a new marina and community asset.
“The existing Triad and Strand House towers have been retained and a new residential offering is presented alongside the canal frontage.”
Simpson Haugh’s Bootle designs
Quentin Keohane, director at Falconer Chester Hall, said: “We relished the challenge of looking at one of the key vacant sites in Prescot. Our analysis highlighted that the site offered the opportunity to create a multi-generational cultural corridor in this area of Prescot and could build on the work already being undertaken by Knowsley Council to create Shakespeare North.
“Our proposal was to create a village of public and cultural buildings as the other endpoint to Kemble Street and thus provide Prescot with a reinvigorated town centre.
“Part of our proposal was to take the existing library and museum from the shopping centre in Prescot and position them front and centre, making them much more visible and accessible to the whole Prescot community.”
Falconer Chester Hall’s Prescot designs
Graham Burn, co-founder of Studio Mutt, said: “In order to survive, modern retail and civic centres have one thing in common: the need for social functions and communal activities.
“Multi-Story looks to turn the barrier-like northeast car park into an outward-facing entrance point for pedestrians, while reintroducing to the retail-heavy ‘town centre’ a mix of much needed social functions. It uses the the robust existing car park as a framework for social infrastructure, while borrowing from the language of roads and highways to create an informal and strangely familiar new public space for Runcorn.”
Studio Mutt’s Halton Lea designs
