Urban Splash Launches International Architecture Competition
for LEX, Walsall Waterfront
13 Mar 2008

Urban Splash is inviting the world’s best architects to come up with ideas for its latest site, known as LEX, at Walsall Waterfront.

Teaming up with partners Advantage West Midlands (AWM), Walsall Council and Walsall Regeneration Company (WRC), Urban Splash have launched an international design competition to find the best ideas to further enhance Walsall’s reputation for attracting some seriously exciting architectural practices.

The competition was officially launched on 13th March at the world’s largest property exhibition, MIPIM, in Cannes.

Urban Splash is already on site with phase one of the Walsall Waterfront development. Located next to the New Art Gallery, designed by Caruso St John, phase one comprises six new buildings designed by award-winning architects, SMC Alsop, shedkm, and Feix Merlin. The new vision is to create a new town quarter for Walsall comprising new apartments, offices, retail and leisure space, a 630-space car park and high quality public spaces.

Sitting a little further down the canal from the phase one site, LEX will form the second phase. Partners, AWM, WRC and Walsall Council, have invited Urban Splash to produce plans for the triangular site that is bordered on two sides by canals.

Tom Bloxham MBE is chairman of Urban Splash and will officially open the competition, ‘Our inspirations for this site are typically high. We’re looking for excitement, flair, and imagination – basically we’re looking for the defining piece of architecture for Walsall.

‘With phase one including incredible architecture such as Stilts and Oysters, we’re keen that phase two will deliver more buildings that are equally successful in their combination of form and function.’

Already cleared, LEX stretches to 2.26acres (0.19ha) and sits on the junction of the Walsall Canal and the Walsall Town Arm. Some of the uses Urban Splash would like to see include possibly a hotel, conference facilities, flexible leisure/performance space and great public realm, along with residential, offices, bars and restaurants.

Nathan Cornish is Managing Director of Urban Splash Midlands, ‘A gateway location, the LEX site is a blank canvas framed by fantastic canals. We’re looking for that wow factor. We’re not looking for the biggest names, but the most exciting designs! The architecture needs to reflect our ambition and reinforce the great buildings that are already being created in Walsall.’

Stuart Kirkwood, Development Director at Advantage West Midlands, said: ‘We recognise the importance of cutting-edge and sustainable design and the strong working partnership we have forged with Urban Splash has resulted in the magnificent Fort Dunlop development.

‘This is a great opportunity for Walsall to benefit from the Urban Splash expertise. The creation of such a world-class development is vital to the future of Walsall as a thriving and vibrant market town of the Black Country and wider West Midlands region.’

Walsall Regeneration Company (WRC) is focusing on delivering the town’s renaissance through the promotion of effective partnerships. Chairman Ben Reid said: ‘These are exciting times for Walsall with work underway on the Waterfront, a new hospital and a new college and plans submitted for the major business centre: Walsall Gigaport. Innovative design proposals for the LEX site will provide further evidence of the renewed confidence in Walsall as a town for enterprise, a fun place to live, work and play.’
Walsall Council has been firm in its commitment to attracting the best developers and architects to the town. Michael Tichford, assistant director for regeneration at Walsall Council said: ‘We see Walsall’s future reflected in an inspiring built environment. With developments such as the New Art Gallery and the Dyer-designed new college, we’ve already benefited from the vision of architects including Caruso St John and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

‘Having worked with Urban Splash on phase one, we know they share our vision and excitement for Walsall. We want to work with them to develop a fitting future for this important site. This new competition will continue the wave of momentum already being created in Walsall and particularly the continuing regeneration of the town centre.’

Open to registered architects or designers in collaboration with other design disciplines, the competition comprises three stages:

Stage One (March 2008) : Submission of site plans, site sections and elevations to describe the thinking and approach. The judging panel will then choose a shortlist of up to six designs.

Stage Two (June 2008) : The shortlisted anonymous designs will be displayed in the Walsall Art Gallery for local people to provide their feedback.

Stage Three (June/July 2008) : Will involve an interview with each shortlisted finalist. This will give the selection panel the opportunity to interrogate the thinking, the ideas and the brilliance. It will also give architects the chance to sell their dream. The winning practice will be announced shortly afterwards.

As well as the winner securing the commission for the work, monetary prizes will be awarded to all shortlisted architects.

Further information about the competition and how to enter can be found in the RIBA’s ‘preliminary briefing paper’ (see www.architecture.com/competitions) or on www.lexwalsall.co.uk, the dedicated website for this competition.

International Architecture Competition for LEX, Walsall Waterfront - info from Urban Splash 130308



Walsall Buildings

Birmingham Building

Walsall Waterfront Regeneration
2008-
Alsop masterplan
ShedKM + Querkcraft

Walsall Library : Bentley Community Library Competition

Urban Splash Birmingham Project : The Rotunda Redevelopment

Staffordshire Buildings

Walsall Bus Station architects : AHMM

Other examples of Walsall Architecture welcome



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Urban Splash Project : Tutti Frutti Manchester

English Buildings

Birmingham Architecture

Buildings / photos for the Walsall Architecture page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk

Walsall Building - page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt