Heart of Slough masterplan revealed
- Published: 23 January 2008 11:23
- Author: Richard Waite
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- Last Updated: 23 January 2008 12:50
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Slough's uninspiring town centre, made famous in BBC2's sitcom The Office, is to be overhauled under new £400 million plans revealed yesterday.
The long-awaited proposals for the Berkshire town, which have been nearly 10 years in the making, include a new 'cultural hub' designed by 3DReid, 34,000m2 of offices by Sheppard Robson and around 1,400 homes by RHWL.
The Heart of Slough masterplan revolves around the notoriously bland and soon-to-be reworked roundabout that features in the opening sequence of The Office, and will see the flattening of, among other things, the old Brunel Bus Station.
Backed by English Partnerships, the scheme will also replace Slough Borough Council's existing library with 3DReid's cultural centre (pictured), which will house a museum, an adult-learning centre, a café and library facilities next to St Ethelbert's Church.
Matthew Bedward, design director at 3DReid, said: 'The design will create an architecturally uplifting space offering modern, state-of-the-art facilities to the people of Slough and beyond.
'The building is planned to engage the community and help foster creativity, knowledge and learning... [and] sets out to create an identifiable and distinctive place within the town centre focused around a sculptural civic building.'
Planning consent for the proposals is expected to be granted by the end of the summer and work on site could begin in spring 2009.
