Redrock is in the running for Carbuncle Cup Full story page 3
THE Redrock leisure development has been nominated for an award no one wants to win - the Carbuncle Cup.
The annual gong is dished out by magazine Business Design to pinpoint ‘Britain’s worst building completed in the past 12 months’.
And this year the council’s £45m scheme, in Stockport town centre, has made a shortlist of five from across the country.
Redrock’s appearance has split opinion since it was built with its location next to the M60 meaning it is one of the most visible buildings in Stockport.
A spokesman for Business Design said: “Every now and then an unrepentant relic of yesteryear slips through the net. And one of the biggest and most recent of this unhappy breed is Redrock Stockport.”
THE Redrock leisure development has been nominated for an award no one wants to win - the Carbuncle Cup.
The annual gong is dished out by magazine Business Design in a bid to pinpoint ‘Britain’s worst building completed in the past 12 month’.
And this year the council’s £45m scheme, in Stockport town centre, has made a shortlist of five from across the country.
Redrock’s appearance has split opinion since it was built with its location next to the M60 meaning it is one of the most visible buildings in Stockport.
A spokesman for Business Design said: “Of late, leisure centres have undergone something of a renaissance.
“No more the ugly, garish out-of-town container sheds that once encircled British towns and cities and served as the butt of suburban jokes.
“Now, leisure centres are frequently subsumed within shopping centres with genuine architectural ambition.
“But every now and then an unrepentant relic of yesteryear slips through the net. And one of the biggest and most recent of this unhappy breed is £45m Redrock Stockport.”
The award began in 2006 and last year’s ‘winner’ was Nova Victoria, an office and residential building in London.
Redrock’s competition for this year’s award includes 69 Highgate in Camden, Haydn Tower in Vauxhall, Lewisham Gateway and the Iron Foundry in Bristol.
The development, which council bosses say will transform Stockport’s night time economy, has a 10-screen cinema, restaurants, a bar, gym, large car park and public open space.
The winner of the 2018 award, which takes its name from a Prince Charles description of a proposed extension to the National Gallery in London, will be announced later this year.
Councillor Kate Butler, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Redrock is a fantastic addition to Stockport, complete with smart new tree lined streets and public squares for everyone to enjoy,
“Redrock has improved the Bridgefield Street area beyond recognition.
“A once sprawling car park has been replaced with an extremely popular leisure destination.
“What is indisputable is the huge success of Redrock. Since it opened just eight months ago visitor numbers have already exceeded those originally expected in a year.”