Urban Splash and Hammerson to regenerate Swansea
- Published: 14 January 2008 12:22
- Author: Richard Waite
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- Last Updated: 14 January 2008 12:54
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Developers Urban Splash and Hammerson have won the £1 billion project to regenerate Swansea city centre.
The massive scheme will create 6,000m2 of shops and 1,000 homes as well as leisure, office and hotel facilities, and is expected to generate a wealth of new commissions for architects.
The project, which the AJ understands has been masterplanned by BDP, is Urban Splash's first project outside of England and has been hailed as the 'most significant' scheme in Swansea since the 1950s.
It is believed the developers – picked ahead of five shortlisted teams – could hold a series of design competitions as the mammoth scheme progresses.
In addition to overhauling the car park sites at St David's, County Hall and in Paxton Street, there are also plans also to transform Oystermouth Road into a 'high-quality European boulevard' and further reconnect the city centre with the waterfront through the 'creation of new destinations and attractions'.
Chosen by the Welsh Assembly Government, Hammerson and Urban Splash have already collaborated on Birmingham's Bullring regeneration project.
Leighton Andrews, the Assembly's deputy minister for regeneration, said: 'We were looking for imaginative proposals, incorporating high-quality architecture and public-realm design, together with a commitment to sustainability, and are confident this will be delivered by the partnership between Hammerson and Urban Splash.'
However, 'given the scale and importance of the investment', the developer-led team does not expect a planning application to submitted for at least another year.
