Press Releases

November 24 2009

Ancoats public realm wins national urban design award

The public realm works in Ancoats, east Manchester, have won the Landscape Institute's Urban Design and Master Planning 2009 Award. The award recognises the significant improvements made to the area including the renewal of the streets and pavements, as well as the introduction of the Peeps art installation and Cutting Room Square, a new public square in Ancoats, that opened in June this year.

The public realm project, which began in 2001, involved the complete replacement and reconfiguring of the roads and footpaths, designed to slow traffic speeds and favour pedestrians. The 7 year project was a £10.5 million investment funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the EU through an ERDF grant. Urban regeneration company New East Manchester, who oversaw the project and commissioned Mid-Wales based landscape architects, Camlin Lonsdale with Manchester based engineers Martin Stockley Associates to design and project manage delivery of the work. The main contractors were P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd and English Landscapes Ltd.

The project also included a strong public art element lead by Dan Dubowitz, Ancoats Artist-in-residence. Dubowitz's work has been inspired by the people he has met and the things he has experienced since first coming to the area in 2003, and reflects his unique insight into an area in transition. With the "Peeps", a series of 15 'peepholes' embedded in buildings around the area, Dubowitz has used these glimpses of the past to stimulate a curiosity for what made Ancoats the place it is. Finding the Peeps is itself a journey of discovery. They are placed in a variety of places including a disused tunnel, a bell tower and a room in a mill which was walled up for over 50 years.

In Cutting Room Square, Dubowitz's art installation is very different to The Peeps. It consists of five evocative images taken whilst the area was still largely derelict, set into 7 metre high concrete frames, placed side-by-side along the south-easterly side of the square. The 9,000 sq ft square, which cost £1 million to build, is next to the former St Peter's church, and is bordered by Hood Street and Blossom Street. At its centre is a sunken space, designed to create the feeling of the intimacy of a room but in the open air. Embedded in the granite setts in the sunken area are movement-activated lights providing interest and animation, particularly at night. Scattered around the square are timber blocks inspired by the shape and size of cotton bales - they can be used for play, as seats or just as interesting objects to look at.

The Judges commented: "This is a simple, yet engaging idea which will encourage the public to connect with the site and uncover the area's secrets. Overall the project provides clarity, texture and imagination in the public realm and a highly appropriate response to context."

Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said: "Winning this award reflects the tremendous amount of work that has been undertaken in Ancoats over the last few years. The attention to detail and quality of the materials used through-out is exceptional and has dramatically transformed this part if east Manchester. Ancoats is now an inviting place for residents, visitors and people who work in the area. This project shows what can be achieved if we work together with our funders, design team and the City Council as one team to deliver a clear vision."

Peter Mearns, NWDA Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, said: "The regeneration programme at Ancoats aims to create a thriving business and residential hub fit for the 21st century, whilst preserving the rich architectural heritage that makes the area so distinctive. Cutting Room Square, and other public realm works, are a great example of this, and winning this award is great recognition of how the area's outside space is just as inspiring as its buildings."

For more information about New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com.

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