Shortlist Announced: JCB Competition Uttoxeter

A shortlist has been chosen in the competition to select a team to develop a masterplan for the redevelopment of JCB’s Heavy Products site in Uttoxeter. Six design teams were selected from 47 applicants and will now go through to the design stage of the competition.

They are :

• Bauman Lyons Architects, with ARUP, Witraz (Copenhagen), and Latz & Partner Landscape Architects (Munich)
• DEGW with Camlin Lonsdale, Peter Brett Associates, Hoare Lea, Arup Planning, Buro 4, Gardiner & Theobald
• Glenn Howells Architects with Buro Happold, DBK Group and Colvin & Moggridge Landscape Architects
• Letts Wheeler Architects with Whitelaw Turkington, Martin Stockley Associates
• McDowell & Benedetti with Alan Baxter Associates, Whitelaw Turkington, Max Fordham Consulting & Dickon Robinson
• Robert Adam Architects with Gillespies Landscape Architects, WSP, ESD

JCB is intending to relocate its Heavy Products facility to a new site which has presented the opportunity to redevelop the town centre site and contribute to the wider renaissance of Uttoxeter, where the Bamford family has links stretching back almost 200 years.

JCB Chairman, Sir Anthony Bamford, has already stated that he wants the redevelopment to leave a legacy to the town. Speaking about the competition, Sir Anthony said: “I have no doubt that this competition will result in a scheme of outstanding quality. Most importantly, it must be a scheme that will enhance the centre of Uttoxeter for the benefit of everyone living in the town”.

The teams will present their initial design concepts to the judging panel on 8th May.

Herzog & de Meuron: Exhibition on new Parrish Art Museum

Studio as Muse:
Herzog & de Meuron's Design for the New Parrish Art Museum

The Urban Center
457 Madison Avenue, New York City

Opening Reception
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
7:00–9:00 p.m.

The exhibition will be on view from March 12 - May 2, 2008.

Herzog & de Meuron’s design for the new Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York will link together individual pavilions to create an innovative spatial experience that tells the story of art on the East End of Long Island. This exhibition presents more than one hundred thirty study models, material samples, and videos exploring the design development of the new building, expected to open in 2010. For more information, click here.

Installation by Herzog & de Meuron.

Studio as Muse: Herzog & de Meuron’s Design for the New Parrish Art Museum was first presented at the Parrish Art Museum. The presentation at the Architectural League is made possible, in part, by the generous support of Ian Schrager Company.

League programs are also made possible with support of the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Image: Exterior Rendering of The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY. View from Montauk Highway. © Herzog & de Meuron, 2007.

Shortlist: Concept Designer for the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station

The shortlist was announced by the RIBA for the selection of a Visionary Concept Designer to develop the overarching building vision for the redevelopment of Birmingham’s New Street Station and surrounding area.

The New Street Gateway partnership, which involves Network Rail; Birmingham City Council; Advantage West Midlands and Centro (West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive), was delighted by the response to the first stage of the competition. Forty-seven Expressions of Interest were received from designers in the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States of America.

The six short-listed teams (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
- CRAB Studio
- Foreign Office Architects
- IDOM UK Ltd
- LAB architecture studio
- UNStudio
- Rafael Vinoly Architects

The Jury Panel consisted of representatives from the partner organisations together with Christophe Egret (Studio Egret West) acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser. The Panel selected designers which they felt would have the vision to create something special, resulting in a rejuvenated New Street Station that will raise Birmingham’s profile, act as a gateway for passengers to the City and a catalyst to the ongoing regeneration and economic development of the region. Furthermore, the Panel needed to be confident in each short-listed team’s ability to generate an inspirational design, with a legible external presence.

Commenting on the shortlist, Clive Dutton (Director of Planning & Development, Birmingham City Council) said: ‘The station is the beating heart of the city. Its design must be breath-taking and lift the spirit. Any one of these architects is capable of creating something mind-blowing. What an unbelievably exciting prospect.’

The six short-listed teams will present their vision for a regenerated New Street Station to the Jury Panel at final interview in mid-April 2008. The winner will aim to produce an exceptional and functional design that will portray the dynamic, international character of modern day Birmingham.

Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum: Winner Announced

The RIBA has announced the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum Competition has been won by by Berman Guedes Stretton, an Oxford-based firm of architects.

The competition judges were unanimous that Berman Guedes Stretton’s submission was a worthy winner. They considered that the design “possessed clarity of vision and an uncomplicated consistency which gave it a simple elegance and logic”. They praised the design’s eco-friendly aspects, including use of reclaimed and self-finished materials, ground source heat pumps and natural ventilation. They also felt that the development would enhance the surrounding area, by creating a link through to Cheltenham’s oldest building, medieval St Mary’s Church.

The new development will transform Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum by greatly increasing its exhibition and display space and other facilities. Notable features include a large temporary exhibition gallery, additional space for collections (including accessible storage space which will benefit both the public and researchers), and, for the first time, dedicated space for the Art Gallery & Museum’s extensive education, outreach, life-long learning and arts development work. The design also includes improved and fully-accessible visitor facilities, including lifts, shop and café.

The competition judges were informed in their short-listing and judging by a consultation process involving a range of organisations and hundreds of visitors and residents who gave their views on comment sheets and at a series of road-shows throughout Cheltenham.

Councillor Diggory Seacome, Cheltenham Borough Council Cabinet Member for Arts & Culture, said: “The winning design will enable the Art Gallery & Museum to move into the 21st century in terms of its facilities. The arts and culture are important to Cheltenham and are valued and appreciated both by its residents and by those who visit the town at all times of the year. The Design Competition has given everyone the opportunity to examine all the possibilities and we look forward to progressing to the next stages of this important project with a design which has been so well-received.”

Jane Lillystone, Museum & Arts Manager, said: “We are delighted that so many people have shown such an interest in the design competition and in the future of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum. The development will not happen overnight, but we are greatly encouraged by the support we have received so far, including by organisations such as the Friends. We are very grateful to the Royal Institute of British Architects and to the judges for their time and expertise, which has taken us this far.”

Congress for the New Urbanism XVI

This year's Congress for the New Urbanism will address today's top community--building challenges -- from overcoming anti-urban codes to curbing greenhouse gas emissions – all of which demand truly cooperative action. CNU's annual Congress brings the essential pieces of place making and sustainability for anyone who is interested in architecture, planning, transportation design, or development.

CNU XVI: New Urbanism and the Booming Metropolis will be held in Austin from April 3-6, 2008. The program is nearly set and is full of experts and expertise from urbanisms cutting edge — where the best in walkable neighborhood-based development meets big challenges from the turmoil in the housing market and global climate change to the rapid growth of mega-regions like Central Texas.

See leading thinkers and practitioners such as Pulitzer-Prize winning author Robert Caro, innovative former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, plus Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Ellen Dunham-Jones, Doug Farr, Christopher Leinberger, Emily Talen, Robert Fishman and many more.

Learn more about the program and register at http://cnuxvi.org.

Giles Worsley Travel Fellowship

Giles Worsley, the distinguished architectural historian and critic, died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 44. He was an enthusiastic visitor to Italy and a great believer in the importance of Italian architecture of all periods in understanding the development of Western architecture. He was concerned that architecture schools do not give adequate emphasis to the teaching of architectural history and that architectural historians should be encouraged to experience the reality of influential Italian buildings.

Each year, the Fellowship will be awarded to an architect or architectural historian, who will spend three months (October to December) at the British School at Rome, studying an architectural topic of their choice. Travel, accommodation and board and a monthly stipend of £700 will be provided. Each Fellow will be required to deliver a public presentation on their return.

Applications are invited for the 2008 Fellowship. Applicants must have British nationality or have been living and studying in Britain for at least the last three years. They must have completed or be registered for a post graduate qualification. Please apply by February 29th 2008 to:

The Giles Worsley Travel Fellowship
British School at Rome
c/o The British Academy
10 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AH

http://www.bsr.ac.uk/

enclosing a curriculum vita, a statement of 500-700 words indicating the subject of your proposal and your suitability for the Fellowship, and statements of support from two referees.

Applications will be considered by a panel consisting of an RIBA representative, a British School representative and one other, appointed by Giles's family. Their decision will be announced at the end of April 2008.�

Renewable Energy in the Urban Environment

Berlin Monday 19 May – Friday 23 May 2008
Renewable Energy in the Urban Environment, a seminar organised by the German Solar Energy Society and Green Dragon Energy, takes place in Berlin, a city in the forefront of renewable energy technology.
Photovoltaics
Solar thermal for heating & cooling
Passive solar buildings
Heat pumps
Bio-energy
Wind energy
Visits to working systems
Solar boat tour

Includes visits to a range of top-quality renewable energy systems and buildings with passive solar features. The seminar will provide an information-rich introduction to renewable energy technology and its application in the urban and suburban environment. It is an ideal opportunity for business people wishing to get involved in this rapidly growing industry, for building engineers and architects and those working in the public and non-profit sectors to get an overview of renewable energy and see some of the best technology. No previous knowledge of renewable energy technologies is assumed.

THE VENUE The Energy Forum, situated on the banks of Spree, is one of Berlin's many low energy /passive solar buildings. It also has a PV system and a heat pump.

See www.greendragonenergy.co.uk/courses.htm for registration

FOOD & ACCOMMODATION A buffet lunch will be served each day during the seminar. Berlin has an excellent selection of reasonably priced hotels. Participants will be provided with contact details.

FEES The seminar costs €1,200 A deposit of € 400 needs to be paid on registering for the course. The seminar is aimed at an international audience and will be in English. The Energy Forum, seminar venue