Inspirational developments for the 2020s
…this week P-THREE is highlighting a selection of schemes from within the UK and further afield which we believe are inspirational and take an innovative approach...
In a ‘normal’ year this week’s blog would likely have come from the south of France, as thousands of us decamped to Cannes for the annual networking and showcasing fest that is MIPIM. But with foreign travel strictly limited and MIPIM 2021 pushed back to September at the earliest, much of our roaming and networking will for now continue to be virtual.
That doesn’t stop us from contemplating what we might have been talking about in and around the Palais des Festivals. Undoubtedly, the P-THREE team would have been carefully scrutinising future development projects from around the globe to identify best practice and new ideas that are in line with our own mission to encourage cutting edge socially- and environmentally-friendly development.
So this week P-THREE is highlighting a selection of schemes from within the UK and further afield which we believe are inspirational and take an innovative approach which may well be adopted and modified by others. We’ve also categorised them to distinguish their key characteristics:
Ambition – Canada Water, London
British Land’s bold plans encompass a broad swathe of south-east London that will bring 20,000 extra people to the area, revitalise existing green and blue spaces and deliver tangible social, health and economic benefits for the local and wider population.
Photo credit: British Land
Community – Stretford Town Centre, Greater Manchester
The local community has been heavily involved with the proposed revival of the existing town centre to the extent that together with key stakeholders, including joint venture partners Bruntwood Works and Trafford Council, it has co-created a masterplan that adopts a people-centred approach.
Photo credit: Bruntwood
Cultural – Olympia, London
While 2021’s capital of culture will be hosted in Coventry, construction is underway on a new cultural hub for West London. Yoo Capital and DFI’s redevelopment of the former Olympia exhibition site that will include live entertainment and hospitality space is due to open in 2023.
Photo credit: YooCapital / Future Olympia
Green space – Brent Cross Town, London
Parks and playing fields totalling 50 acres are central to Argent Related’s new district for the capital, that will create 25,000 jobs and includes a new mainline railway station.
Photo credit: Argent Related / Brent Cross Town
Innovation – Outernet London
The company is building partnerships with property owners to create multi-sensory immersive experiences using the world’s largest high-definition wrap-around screens. The Now Building above London’s Tottenham Court Road tube station demonstrates what is possible.
Photo credit: Outernet Global
Re-imagine – The Bottleworks District, Indianopolis, USA
Despite the global pandemic, the first phase of the transformation of a former Coca Cola bottling plant to a new downtown district was completed at the end of 2020 and further openings are expected in 2021.
Photo credit: The Bottleworks District
Local and artisan – The Shed, Bordon, Hampshire
Perhaps the first example of a micro F-hub (link to our F-hub launch blog here) in the English countryside, this joint venture between Taylor Wimpey and Dorchester Regeneration will compactly bring together artisan crafts, food and drink, retail, leisure and workspace under one roof when it opens this May.
Photo credit: The Shed Whitehill & Bordon
Medical and research – Imperial College, London
One of the capital’s most prestigious universities is developing out 23 acres at White City in West London to create a new campus that will provide facilities to allow world-class researchers and business partners to co-create, turning cutting-edge research into real-world benefits for society.
Photo credit: Imperial Collage London
Mixed use – Mayfield, Manchester
The Mayfield Partnership’s vision for the regeneration of a derelict industrial area to a world-class urban neighbourhood came one step closer when enabling works started on the scheme’s first phase at the end of 2020. In total over 2 million sq ft of genuinely-integrated multiple uses will be built.
Photo credit: Mayfield Manchester
Technology – MediaCityUK, Salford
The successful introduction of state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment has created a national media hub where award-winning entertainment and news content is produced from a carefully-networked group of buildings. Construction of a second phase, doubling the scheme’s size, started last autumn.
Photo credit: Peel / MediaCity UK
Some of these schemes will no doubt be on display when we finally make it to MIPIM later in the year (fingers crossed) but what we think is particularly noteworthy is that many (as well as others we haven’t had room to mention here, but may cover in the future) have been steadily progressing, in spite of all the hurdles a global pandemic has thrown up, and a number have either started construction or completed phases in the past few months. This is surely proof positive that the (development and regeneration) show really does go on.
Article by Thomas Rose, Hannah McNamara and Justin Taylor
