Community consultation drives urban regeneration
The site was a former Nestlé factory; a 50,000 sq m (538,000 sq ft) plot adjoining a medieval city wall, a church and listed assembly rooms.
Community consultation was key: more than 6000 people contributed and there were three exhibitions, an on-site recruitment drive and a website.
We designed a mixed-use retail-led scheme featuring a major public open space, 49,237 sq m (530,000 sq ft) of retail space, 80 shops, 17 cafés and restaurants, 1000 car parking spaces and 117 apartments.
Ventilation is primarily natural, while we mixed contemporary and traditional materials including oak signage, zinc roofing and jura limestone flooring.