Designs revealed for future of Redcliffe Way

Four firms have been shortlisted in a design competition that called for “inspiring and inclusive ideas” to transform a car park opposite St Mary Redcliffe Church.

Disappointingly, however, there is only one hot air balloon within the illustrations for the future of Redcliffe Way, organised by the council-owned Goram Homes and Bristol Housing Festival.

The competition is for buildings to replace Portwall Lane car park, with the shortlisted entries chosen by a panel of judges which included representatives from Redcliffe Neighbourhood Forum.

The car park that Goram Homes hope to build on is located between Redcliffe Way and Portwall Lane – photo: Martin Booth

Stage two of the competition will include community engagement and further development of the four ideas, with the aim to select a winner at the end of the summer.

Goram Homes managing director Stephen Baker said: “We are committed to working with communities in Bristol to ensure that our developments meet local needs and complement existing neighbourhoods.

“This design competition was a fantastic opportunity for us to do just that and to support the Redcliffe Neighbourhood Forum in realising a long-held ambition to regenerate this area.”

Groupwork’s plans for the site – image: Groupworks

St Mary Redcliffe parish priest, Dan Tyndall, added: “After a decade of hard work which kept getting stalled, Goram Homes has injected some exciting momentum into the Redcliffe Way project.

“This must be first part of a larger project that sees the transformation of the area stitching north and south Redcliffe back together again.”

HTA’s proposals, complete with requisite hot air balloon – image: HTA

The four shortlisted entries are from FBM Architects; The Groupwork, McGregor Coxall & Hydrock; HTA Design; and Levitt Bernstein.

FBM Architects (pictured top) say that their proposal “strives to integrate north and south Redcliffe to create a community of dual aspect, low energy dwellings for Goram Homes, that’s active and sustainable through a neighbourhood of spaces, relating to St Mary Redcliffe Church and the wider context”.

“The arrangement creates a series of vennels and courtyards, that are orientated towards the church, referencing the historic urban grain and helping to activate the public realm and wider connections to Temple Meads and (the) harbourside.”

A spokesperson for landscape architects McGregor Coxall, whose Bristol office is in Clifton, said that they “are very excited to be shortlisted for this significant competition and have the opportunity to further develop a parkland vision for Redcliffe Way”.

Another view of HTA’s plans – image: HTA

An HTA Design spokesperson said that their proposals have been designed “to create a new vibrant space that is framed by homes, commercial, retail and community uses which is overlooked by the landmark church of St. Mary Redcliffe”.

“An active ground floor spills out into the surrounding public realm, where retained trees and new landscaping will create a greener urban environment.

“Mixed tenure new homes will be designed to meet the needs of residents, whilst benefiting from natural daylight and being well-insulated.

“A hierarchy of spaces provided from private balconies to communal courtyards and roof terraces, and at the heart Redcliffe Square, a public space for all the community. Reinstating the importance of St. Mary Redcliffe into the fabric of Bristol city.”

Levitt Bernstein’s shortlisted design – image: Levitt Bernstein

Main image: FBM Architects

Read more: Car park ‘first piece of the puzzle’ for redevelopment of historic area

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: