Urban Splash
Date :
2003
Place :Manchester
Client :International competition
Project :Jean Marc Schivo & Lucilla Revelli
Manchester Eco District
With the aid of a series of valid promoters, the city of Manchester has for some time been re-cuperating and reconverting several interesting suburban areas. The aim of the competition was to propose ideas to reconvert an area along the River Irwell’s banks, realizing a series of housing spaces and facilities for commerce and free time.
Instead of the traditional housing projects that almost totally saturate an area, our project opted for a “vertical village”, a particularly articulate structure that takes full advantage of bio-climatic technology. The village is based on four different-sized residences (from 200 – 160 – 80 sqm) collective facilities, spaces dedicated to culture, children, offices and nature, green planted zones and areas for future development.
A new cultural center, mediatheque, a shopping center recalling a green hill, the participation of the river with areas devoted to activities along its banks, all become the protagonist of a space to be experienced in the harmony of nature. A pedestrian footpath completes the whole operation linking all the strategical points of the area.
Green is one of the defining elements of this urban redevelopment, not only with the addition of a series of gardens surrounding the projects, but also by recreating a green continuity with the other bank of the river, all accessible via a pedestrian walkway that mends all the pro-jects. This concept is supported by a large garden roof for the shopping centre and bioclimat-ic gardens throughout the vertical village and its community spaces.