The RIBA Competitions Office is pleased to announce the launch of a two-stage Open Design Competition for the regeneration of Redcar’s Seafront Zone. Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, working in partnership with the Environment Agency, invites design professionals to generate ideas for the public realm improvements associated with a new coastal defence scheme at Redcar.
Redcar is a seaside town situated on the bracing and beautiful coast of north-east England. The town is justifiably proud of its past, but now recognises the need to improve the quality, role and economic performance of its key seafront visitor space, to raise its profile as a visitor destination and commercial centre to stimulate investment activity.
The competition offers a rare opportunity to shape the future form of approximately 1.5kms of sea frontage at a UK coastal resort. The anonymous first stage seeks design ideas and approaches for the public realm aspects of the sea wall scheme, as well as a coherent set of associated proposals for the public highway, building facades and sites in the seafront’s immediate ‘backdrop zone’. Up to five schemes will be short-listed to go through to the second stage of the competition, when anonymity will be lifted and the authors invited to present their design proposals to the Jury Panel at a final interview. The winner will need to demonstrate an empathy, realism and understanding of commissioning clients’ expectations and abilities. Each short-listed competitor will receive an honorarium payment of GBP £4,000 (+VAT), with the winner receiving an additional payment of GBP £4,000 + VAT.
For details of how to register for the Redcar Seafront Competition and to view the Competition Brief please visit www.ribaredcarseafront.co.uk. Please note that registrations will close on 20 August 2008, and the deadline for Stage 1 design submissions is 2.00pm on 27 August 2008.