Date: 30/03/2005
Source: Wakefield Council
Wakefield's prestigious new art gallery, The Hepworth, Wakefield and the masterplan for the regeneration of the Waterfront, have won recognition for good design in an annual review launched recently by the Commission for the Built Environment (CABE).
The two featured prominently in two categories of the Design Reviewed 2 - On the Waterfront and Art in the Community - alongside some of the most significant building and public space projects in the country.
The Design Review Panel, chaired by Les Sparks, is made up of 34 people including architects, engineers, urban designers, landscape architects, developers, planners and people with a background in heritage and archaeology.
CABE's Design Review Programme reviews around 500 projects a year varying in type and size from large-scale urban masterplans to smaller community-based projects, including engineering and landscape design schemes.
Peter Stewart, Director of CABE’s Design Review Programme, said: "The Wakefield Waterfront masterplan and the Barbara Hepworth gallery schemes were assessed by CABE’s Design Review Panel in 2004. Both were received very well by the panel.
"We thought the gallery proposal by David Chipperfield Architects was both striking and beautiful and should prove to be a catalyst to regenerate the whole waterfront area. I believe the gallery will come to be a much appreciated feature on the Wakefield waterfront for residents and visitors alike, and I wish the project well."
Cllr Peter Box, Wakefield Council Leader, said: "We are extremely proud of the proposals for the Waterfront Regeneration Scheme and The Hepworth gallery. This report confirms that our confidence is well placed.
"We will be submitting a new funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for The Hepworth in the near future and are optimistic about the outcome. Wakefield has a rich artistic heritage. The new gallery will show that talent at its best and give us an outstanding community facility for local people to enjoy."
Detailed planning proposals for the Hepworth and the new footbridge across the River Calder was granted in January 2005. The Waterfront masterplan including restoration and conservation work on the important Grade II* Listed Calder and Hebble Navigation Warehouse, received outline planning consent in December 2004.
The £100 million project by developers CTP St James includes an imaginative mix of and the ground-breaking £20 million Hepworth gallery and centre for the creative arts. The masterplan covers 10 acres and will provide in the region of 500,000 sq ft of mixed accommodation.
