Exhibition of short-listed design proposals for the regeneration of Redcar's Seafront Zone
An exhibition of the five short-listed design proposals for the regeneration of Redcar's Seafront Zone is being held in Redcar until Saturday 15 November 2008.
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, working in partnership with the Environment Agency, invited design professionals to generate ideas for the public realm on the landward side of the proposed new sea wall, together with a coherent set of proposals for the Seafront's backdrop zone. The latter consists of the area immediately behind the promenade - the public highway, footpath, building façades and the plots between them.
The first stage of the competition attracted an excellent response, with 53 submissions from Competitors based in the UK, Eire, Iran, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden. The Partnership was delighted that so many designers were interested in shaping the future of Redcar's Seafront zone.
The Jury Panel consisted of Elected and Executive Members of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, together with representatives from the Arts Council North East, the Environment Agency, Hartlepool Borough Council, One NorthEast, Redcar Business Association, Redcar Town Centre Management Executive and Simon Warren (Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd) acting as the RIBA Adviser. The Panel was impressed by the very high standard of the presentation material and the varied responses to the challenging Competition Brief. Panel members selected the schemes which they felt would have the greatest ability to put Redcar on the map, to raise its profile amongst potential visitors and provide a distinctive offer in comparison to other UK Seafront towns. Competitors also needed to have proposed viable schemes that struck a balance between creativity and pragmatism, which will be capable of acting as a catalyst for Redcar's regeneration.
Following the anonymous Stage 1 assessment, the authors of the five short-listed schemes (in alphabetical order) were identified as follows:
DKS Architects
FL&S landskap/arkitektur
Smeeden Foreman Ltd
Studio 8 Architects
W.A.P. Architects
Members of the Jury Panel commented:
'The quality and originality of the design competition submissions were exceptional. It was important to ensure that technical and environmental constraints were considered when judging the entries. I am convinced that the shortlist will provide Redcar with an attractive and exciting seafront and amenity, whilst protecting the town from erosion and flooding well into the future'.
Paul Stainer (Environment Agency - Project Executive, Redcar Coastal Defence Scheme)
'This exhibition follows on from consultation on a wider scale about the regeneration of Redcar & Cleveland and already we can tell that the public wants to have their say. We're delighted about that - and that's why we're moving into Redcar's Central Library so more people can give us their views'.
Cllr. Sheelagh Clarke (Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council - Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Tourism)
'The Competition Brief sets a difficult challenge. The response was excellent and I was impressed by the range of visions created for the seafront. In the shortlist Redcar have got a variety of propositions all of which will greatly enhance the place and be uplifting for people from Redcar and visitors alike'.
Simon Warren (Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd - RIBA Adviser)
Members of the public are invited to comment on the design proposals which will be displayed anonymously in the foyer of Redcar's Central Library until Saturday 15 November 2008. R&CBC staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public between 2pm and 4pm daily. Themes arising from the exhibition will be collated and made available to Jury Panel members to help inform their decision when the designers present their proposals at final interview.