Whitehaven Harbour Contest, Cumbria : Information + Images

Frank Lowe, Programme Director at Magnus Homes Ltd said: “I was astounded by the response to the competition and visited the exhibition on numerous occasions ahead of the Judging session so that I could absorb the various approaches proposed for our site. The five schemes we selected all have the potential to create exceptional developments which will transform the harbour-side.”

Stephen Hodder, RIBA Architect Adviser, Hodder + Partners commented: “The five short-listed schemes in their different ways integrate the town with the harbour-front in an appropriate, but contemporary way. I am convinced that any of the schemes could become a worthy addition to Whitehaven”.

Stuart Cowperthwaite, Director at Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria added: “The competition to transform this prime site on Whitehaven’s picturesque harbour is beginning to gather pace, with a hugely impressive 139 schemes now whittled down to five, led by high calibre teams of international renown. The competition has truly captured the public imagination and, like them, we want to see a design that creatively mixes the town’s rich architectural heritage with its ambitions for the future - something which local people can be proud of for generations to come.”

Celia MacKenzie, Chief Executive of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners remarked: "The standard of the schemes put forward in this competition, for this significant site between the Harbour and Town of Whitehaven, have been truly outstanding. The five short listed schemes have come through very thorough scrutiny, and the result are five schemes selected from national and international architectural teams, providing for exactly the high quality development that Whitehaven deserves. The winning design will undoubtedly enhance the regenerated Harbour but equally important connect it further with the Town. This is a most exciting opportunity for Whitehaven's future."

The second stage of the competition will involve a further exploration and refinement of the design proposals in response to feedback from the Stage 1 assessment. The developed proposals will be displayed in Whitehaven in early November 2010. Comments arising from the public exhibition will again be used to help inform the Judging Panel’s decision when they reconvene to select the winning team in late November 2010. The winning scheme will need to be capable of setting a benchmark for creative, contextual design and achieving a sustainable development of long-lasting architectural quality.

21 Sep 2010

Whitehaven Harbour Competition

Whitehaven Harbour Central Site : Exhibition of Competition Submissions for the Mark House and Park Nightclub site, Whitehaven

22 - 28 Sep 2010

An exhibition of the design proposals submitted to the first stage of the competition to redevelop the Mark House and Park Nightclub site are to be displayed in Whitehaven town centre. The competition is being organised on behalf of Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria and Magnus Homes by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions unit, with the support of Places Matter! the architecture centre for the Northwest.

The fantastic harbour-side setting presents a unique opportunity to continue the transformation of Whitehaven’s former working port, via a circa GBP £10m mixed-use development of luxury residential apartments and high quality office accommodation.

The 140 schemes on display have been submitted in response to an open invitation to architect-led design teams and architectural students working towards their RIBA Part 3 qualification to develop initial design concepts for the site.

Speaking about the phenomenal response to the competition, Paul Crooks, Programme Manager (Commercial) at Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria, said: “We have been delighted with both the level of response and the quality of the designs that have been put forward so far for this prime area of Whitehaven’s harbour. We hope as many residents as possible come along to the exhibition and see for themselves the creative ideas which will go on to be judged and further developed. Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria is keen to see a design that demonstrates the town’s ambitions for the future, yet it both sympathetic and celebratory of its rich heritage.”

The schemes will be on display at Unit 2, Pears House, Whitehaven Harbour from 22-28 Sep 2010. Themes arising from the anonymous exhibition will be made available to the Judging Panel to help inform their decision when they meet to short-list five schemes to proceed to the second stage of the competition. The Judging Panel will consist of representatives from Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria, Copeland Borough Council, Magnus Homes, Places Matter! and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, together with Stephen Hodder (Hodder + Partners, Manchester) acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser.

The second stage of the competition will involve a further exploration and refinement of the design proposals in response to feedback from the Judging Panel following the stage one judging. The winning scheme will need to be capable of setting a benchmark for creative, contextual design and achieving a sustainable development of long-lasting architectural quality. The Judging Panel will reconvene to select the winning scheme in late November 2010.

Whitehaven Harbour Design Competition exhibition information from the RIBA

Jul 2010

Launch of International Open Design Competition

Whitehaven Harbour Central Site

13 Sep 2010 - registration closing date
17 Sep 2010 deadline - submission

RIBA Competitions is pleased to announce the launch of a two-stage, International Open Design Competition on behalf of Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria and Magnus Homes. The competition, to select an architect-led team to design a circa GBP £10m mixed-use development on a prominent site adjacent to Whitehaven Harbour, is being organised with the support of Places Matter! the architecture centre for the Northwest.

Whitehaven, situated on the Cumbrian Coast approximately 10 miles west of the Lake District National Park, is one of the most complete surviving examples of a Georgian planned town in Europe. Its character stems from the hillsides which flank the harbour, and the colourfully painted attractive buildings arranged in a grid-iron street pattern.

Over the past decade, Whitehaven’s former working port has been transformed by the installation of a new sea lock into a thriving marina for leisure craft, with significant investment in associated public realm improvements. The redevelopment of the site presents an opportunity to continue this regeneration via the contribution of an active harbour frontage, with improved visual and pedestrian links to the town centre. The winning scheme for luxury residential apartments and office accommodation will need to set a benchmark for creative, contextual design and achieve a sustainable development of long-lasting architectural quality.

Speaking about the Competition’s launch, Sherrie Robinson (Project Manager, Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria) commented: ‘Whitehaven is a Georgian gem which boasts superb architecture and unique character. The development of the town and harbourside is a key element of the Britain’s Energy Coast regeneration initiative, and we will be looking for designs that demonstrate the town’s ambitions for the future while at the same time being sympathetic to its rich heritage’.

The competition is open internationally to architect-led design teams which (at Stage 2) will also need to include the services of a structural engineer and M&E consultant, as a minimum. Architectural students who have successfully completed their RIBA Part 2 studies and are working towards their Part 3 qualification are also welcome to enter the competition. However, such applicants will need to give due consideration to a proposed delivery strategy in the event of them being short-listed and potentially being in a position to go on and win the competition.

Up to 5 schemes will be short-listed from the anonymous Stage 1 entries. Stage 2 will involve further exploration and refinement of the Stage 1 proposals, with the short-listed teams invited to attend an interview and make a presentation to the Judging Panel. Each short-listed team will receive an honorarium of £4,440 (+VAT).

The Competition Brief and details of how to register for the competition will be available by visiting: www.riba-whitehavencentralsite.org.uk from 14 July 2010. Please note that registrations will close on Monday 13 September 2010, and the deadline for Stage 1 design submissions is 2.00pm on Friday 17 September 2010.

Whitehaven Harbour Design Competition information from RIBA Jul 2010