Hundreds of locals flock to see designs for new Wolverhampton neighbourhood
People queued around the block in Wolverhampton to have their say on ambitious designs for a new neighbourhood surrounding the historic St George’s church.
Hundreds of locals turned out to hear from some the UK’s most renowned architects practices, all competing for the chance to see their vision for the 5-acre site come to fruition.
Following the event, further artist impressions have been revealed by the four teams taking part in the competition, hosted by City of Wolverhampton Council, social impact developers Capital&Centric and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The images were on display during two packed out events, that saw each team make Dragon’s Den style pitches to the audience, followed by a Q&A.
It followed an intense design period that began this spring, where 12 practices forming four groups responded to a brief to transform the redundant brownfield plot into inclusive new neighbourhood, with the restored and repurposed church at its heart.
With stacks of feedback provided at the event, developers Capital&Centric are now planning to share the four proposals online, with a chance for people to cast a vote for their favourite at www.capitalandcentric.com/st-georges
John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said:
“We were floored with how many people turned out to grill the teams and put their ideas under the spotlight. It’s a big ask on a sunny midweek afternoon to get people to turnout, but they really showed up for us. It speaks to the enthusiasm and interest in how the city can grow in an interesting and exciting way.
“We’re proud to have worked with RIBA and the council to bring such acclaimed practices to the Wolverhampton and get their take on a new era for the site surrounding St George’s church. There’s still time for people to have their say and let us know if they like what they see. We’ll then choose a winner and progress at pace to get more detailed plans worked up.”
The teams were given a brief to create a diverse and inclusive neighbourhood, with new homes, workspaces, facilities for locals and flexible outdoors spaces where the community can come together. The teams are:
Ash Sakula, Turner Works and Archio [three practices]
Henley Halebrown, Studio Weave and APPARATA [three practices]
Metropolitan Workshop, Studio Bark, Mole and Jan Kattein Architects [four practices]
Mikhail Riches and Periscope [two practices]