A design has been selected for the redevelopment of a five-acre brownfield site in Wolverhampton following an international architectural competition inviting proposals for the creation of a new neighbourhood.
The design is a joint venture between practices Mikhail Riches and Periscope, and will see the site on the southern fringe of the city centre – which is home to St George’s Church as well as a former Sainsbury’s building and car park – turned into a new neighbourhood with homes, shops and outdoor spaces.
The competition was jointly organised and judged by City of Wolverhampton Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects and developer Capital&Centric, which will now deliver the new scheme.
It also featured input from the public, who were invited to watch competitors pitch their ideas at an event at the University of Wolverhampton.
The winning pitch involves retaining and repurposing parts of the former Sainsbury’s to save embodied carbon. It also puts the church more prominently at the centre of the area through the creation of new public squares.
The competition was overseen by former RIBA president Angela Brady OBE. She said: “The Mikhail Riches and Periscope team had the edge with their vision, particularly with its retrofitting of the Sainsbury’s building in such an imaginative way. Also, the three distinct zones they pitched could really create a great future for the area.
“I think this sort of collaboration between council, developer, RIBA competitions office and architects allows a more joined-up end result and is a model that other areas should follow.”
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Image © Mikhail Riches and Periscope
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