Design your own Piccadilly Gardens!
COUNCIL COMPETITION FOR DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE TEAMS TO CREATE ‘A PLACE FOR ALL’
MANCHESTER council is inviting urban design and landscape teams to submit plans to give Piccadilly Gardens a facelift.
It follows an announcement in July, when town hall bosses said they intended to hold a competition that could see the city centre area completely redesigned.
The first phase of this competition is now open. The major revamp plans, which also include nearby Mosley Street, Parker Street and the section of Portland Street which runs alongside the Gardens, will cost £25m.
It follows years of anti-social behaviour that has plagued the area. Its location means that it serves a wide range of functions as a major route through the city centre, a transport interchange, a space for markets and events, a meeting place and a green space.
The competition design brief has been shaped by views sought from more than 1,700 people and businesses.
It aims to make the Gardens ‘a special place with a strong sense of identity’ – ‘a place for all, incorporating space where children can play, and that full access and inclusivity will be integral to the design process.’
Retaining a green space in the centre of the city and planting to encourage biodiversity and improve air quality are also part of the plans.
The design will need to retain the existing listed monuments, statues, tramlines and infrastructure as well as the existing Pavilion structure. Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “Our clear ambition is for the Piccadilly
area to be an outstanding public open space – a place that people are talking about for all the right reasons.
“It has huge potential to be a welcoming, flexible space which makes a positive contribution to the life of Manchester. The opening of this international design competition is a significant step towards this aspiration.
“We look forward to hearing from some brilliant designers and, once the winner has been chosen, seeking further views from the public.”
The deadline for expressions of interest is January 10.
Next year, shortlisted candidates will be asked to produce concept design proposals.