Urban Design Strategy

Transcription

UI No: 2605
Date: 08/2007
Report Type: Urban Design Strategy
Gateshead Council
Gateshead Quays, MU9 Site
Urban Design Strategy
Appraisal and Design Principles
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................... 5
01
THE VISION ................................................................................................................................................... 7
02
SITE CONTEXT.............................................................................................................................................. 9
03
SITE HISTORY ..............................................................................................................................................11
04
MOVEMENT................................................................................................................................................. 15
05
CHARACTER & IDENTITY ........................................................................................................................... 29
06
PERMEABILITY........................................................................................................................................... 35
07
PUBLIC REALM........................................................................................................................................... 37
08
LAND USE ....................................................................................................................................................41
09
LEGIBILITY, VIEWS & VISTAS ..................................................................................................................... 43
10
FRONTAGE & ACTIVATION.......................................................................................................................... 46
11
HEIGHT & MASSING ................................................................................................................................... 49
12
SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 51
Introduction
We have been appointed by Gateshead
Council to provide an independent
Urban Design Strategy for the MU9 site
in the Gateshead Quays area. The MU9
site comprises two development sites,
Gateshead Quays phase 2 (GQ2), and Hawks
Road Industrial Site. GQ2 is within the
Council’s ownership and in October 2006
the Council selected Kier Property as the
preferred development partner for this
site. The Hawks Road Industrial Site is
within private ownership and is currently
being brought forward for redevelopment
by the owner’s agent, Persimmon Homes.
GATESHEAD QUAYS MU9 SITE URBAN DESIGN STRATEGY
The Urban Design Strategy will form part of Gateshead
Council’s planning brief for the site, which will guide
development on both the GQ2 site and Hawks Road
Industrial Site. The intention is to bring forward a
comprehensive and holistic mixed-use development
for the area.
Developers of the MU9 site may not be able to deliver
all the design principles proposed in this Urban Design
Strategy, as some of the principles applying off-site
may require assistance by other parties or may only be
deliverable solely by other parties e.g. the proposed
Quayside Walk.
This report compiles the findings of the familiarisation
and initial appraisal phase. Furthermore it confirms
aims, objectives and development principles. It is
based on information made available to us to date and
on the results of a workshop meeting with Gateshead
Council, Kier Property, Persimmon Homes and the
developers’ respective design teams.
This Urban Design Strategy does not aim to produce
a fixed Masterplan, but to establish a flexible
development framework with enough information to
enable the developers’ respective design teams to
produce Masterplans for their respective sites that
complement one another to create a comprehensive
and holistic solution for the greater area of Gateshead
Quays, the Tyne Gorge and Gateshead / Newcastle as a
regional capital.
5
01 THE VISION
THE MU9 DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD BE
HIGH QUALITY, DISTINCTIVE, ATTRACTIVE
AND USEFUL. THEY SHOULD PROVIDE FOR
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES STRUCTURED
AROUND UNIQUE PUBLIC SPACES WITH
A STRONG SENSE OF PLACE AS PART OF
A VIBRANT WATERSIDE COMMUNITY. THE
MU9 DEVELOPMENT SHOULD CREATE AN
ESSENTIAL LINK, DRAWING TOGETHER
GATESHEAD’S CULTURAL AND BUSINESS
QUARTERS WITH THE TOWN CENTRE,
PROVIDING COMPLEMENTARY USES.
7
Vicinity Plan
8
02 Site Context
The MU9 site is located in the Gateshead
Quays area near the south bank of the river
Tyne. This location is physically within close
proximity to Newcastle’s and Gateshead’s
main retail areas and main transport hubs,
e.g. Newcastle Central Station and the
Gateshead Interchange. The site is located
on the steep north facing slopes of the
Tyne Gorge.
While on the northern side of the Tyne there is a
continuous long distance riverside walkway, the
trail along the south bank of the Tyne is currently
fragmented and not continuous. Gateshead Council’s
intention is to complete the link between The Swing
Bridge and Baltic Square. For the purpose of this
study, we have been asked to assume completion of
the riverside walkway between Baltic Square and the
Tyne Bridges.
Via the Gateshead Millenium Bridge, the Gateshead
Quays area is currently better connected to Newcastle
than it is to Gateshead, despite its close physical
proximity to Gateshead Town Centre. Here lies one of
the key challenges for the site.
9
1831
1856
1916
1952
10
03 Site History
1066 – 1600
1856 – 1919
According to “Gateshead – An Archaeological
Assessment and Strategy” (2005) the MU9 site formed
the eastern fringe of the medieval settlement of
Gateshead, the centre of which was located around
St Mary’s Parish Church (west of today’s The Sage
Gateshead). While it is suspected that the area was
mainly used for agricultural purposes, some dwellings
may have been located on the site.
The site has been used by the Park Iron Works with
railway sidings until 1919. The riverside quay area
was used for timber yards and warehousing. Later a
marble works set up on the south bank of the Tyne.
1770 – 1830
Physically Gateshead had not significantly altered
or grown in this period. High Street clearly formed
Gateshead’s high street spine that lead orthogonally
from the river Tyne up towards today’s Gateshead
Town Centre. The settlement widened along the
river, with today’s MU9 site forming the fringe of
the settlement. Thomas Oliver’s Map of 1831 shows
evidence of buildings on the site.
1830 – 1857
1920 – 1940
While most of the MU9 site was cleared and most
train tracks were removed by 1920, after the Park
Iron Works ceased operation, a wire works remained
in operation with buildings along the southern side of
South Shore Road.
1940 – 1991
A survey map from 1963 shows the division of the MU9
site into today’s GQ2 and Hawks Road Industrial Site.
In 1940 a rope works set up on the GQ2 site. This use
remained in operation until 1991. A machine tool works
operated on the Hawks Road Industrial Site. Along the
riverfront the Baltic Flour Mill was built.
The impact of the railways and industrial development
in the late 1830s and 1840s was significant in
Gateshead. The First Edition Ordnance map from
1857 reveals the dramatic intensity of change and
development in the area. At this time the Park Iron
Works set up on the MU9 site.
Above top:
Park Iron Works
Opposite:
Historical plans of the site.
Above:
St Mary’s Church
11
Cities Revealed copyright by The Geo Information Group, 2005 and Crown Copyright © All rights reserved
12
Today
The rope works ceased operation in 1991. The site
was cleared and is now used as a surface car park.
Industrial uses north of the MU9 site, along the
river Tyne, ceased operation. With the arrival of the
Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the reuse of the
Baltic Flour Mill to a Centre for Contemporary Art, the
area has changed dramatically. High rise residential
apartment buildings, Baltic Quay Apartments, have
been completed south of BALTIC and immediately
to the east of the MU9 site. To the west, The Sage
Gateshead with Performance Square to the east has
been completed. With the remaining railway tracks
removed from the former railway depot, this platform
is now used as a surface car park. Industrial buildings
remain on the Hawks Road Industrial Site. South of
the MU9 site, the area of the proposed Baltic Business
Quarter has been cleared and work has begun on the
construction of Gateshead College’s new premises.
The street patterns of Hawks Road, Mill Road, Maidens
Walk and South Shore Road seem to date back to preindustrial times.
Fragmented historic character can be found in
the wider area, dating back to the industrial and
pre-industrial era.
The Urban Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge
suggests the conservation of the important industrial
archaeology and railway history of the area within any
respectful new development of the sites.
According to Jennifer Morrison, Tyne & Wear
Archaeology Officer, an archaeological assessment of
the site will be required.
Ground gas protection measures may have to be
incorporated into building designs.
13
To Edinburgh
A186
To Edinburgh
N
A186
N
Manors Station
6 buses/ h
per direction
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
10min
800m
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
to Newcastle Central
Station
93, 94, Q1
10 buses/ h
per direction
h
e
93, 94
j
g
i
k
c
GATESHEAD
f
Study area
Urban area
Green area
Water Course
d
b
GATESHEAD
Main Road, Trunk or Dual
Bus route and stop
Carriageway
Secondary Road
Carriageway
o Carlisle,
Secondary Road
arlington
nd York Railway and Station
A184Metro and Station
A184
Gateshead
Interchange
00m
5min
400
A167
To Middlesbrough and
Hartlepool
Public Transport
A186
N
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
73
378
200
273
50
Study area
Urban area
Water Course
300
28
GATESHEAD
57
Carriageway
600
52
Railway and Station
Underground Metro
and Station
Public car park
Private car park
256
A184
To Carlisle,
for public use
Darlington
Possible future public
and York
car parking
A184
opportunities
500m
Parking
500m
Street Hierarchies
To Edinburgh
Secondary Road
Tertiary Road
To Carlisle,
Darlington
Railway and Station
and YorkUnderground Metro
A184and Station
A167
Hartlepool
a
A184
A167
Hartlepool
04 Movement
Public Transport
Street Hierarchies
The MU9 site is within 15 - 20min walking distance of
Newcastle Central Station and within 15 min walking
distance of the Gateshead Interchange.
The southern side of the MU9 site abuts Hawks
Road, a secondary link that connects the area with
the primary A167 Gateshead Highway and Gateshead
Town Centre to the southwest and industrial areas
and Gateshead International Stadium to the east.
Oakwellgate is another secondary link, running to
the west of the site, providing access to The Sage
Gateshead’s car park. Mill Road and South Shore
Road, respectively to the east and north of MU9, are
tertiary links. The A167 leads north across the Tyne
Bridge to Newcastle’s Central Motorway and south
towards the A1. Another primary link, the A184 Askew
Road connects the A167 with the Metro Centre and the
A1 Newcastle Western Bypass to the west. The A167
and A184 are loaded with very high traffic volumes and
intersect in a major gyratory into which both, Hawks
Road and Oakwellgate feed.
There are three services, which provide 10 buses per
hour per direction on weekdays along Hawks Road (93,
94 and Q1). In addition the Q1 stops along Mill Road,
Baltic Square and St Mary’s Square at 10min intervals
and the Q2 stops at 10min intervals on the opposite
side of Gateshead Millennium Bridge. This provides
very good public transport accessibility for the site.
The physical shape of the gyratory and Gateshead
Highway and the very high traffic volumes make this
traffic infrastructure a major barrier for pedestrian
movement between the Gateshead Quays and
Gateshead Centre. Currently there are only five
pedestrian crossing points:
A. Hopper Street underpass under Gateshead
Highway near Nun’s Lane (poor quality)
B. A167/East Street crossing southeast of the gyratory
(poor quality, noise pollution)
C. A167/Askew Road signalled pedestrian crossings
at the junctions of Gateshead Highway and Askew
Road (poor quality, noise pollution)
D. Askew Road and West Street (reasonable quality)
E. A167/Tyne Bridge approach road (poor quality,
noise pollution)
Railway infrastructure provides a gateway but also
constitutes another major barrier between Gateshead
Quays and Gateshead Centre. Crossing points here are
limited to six underpasses/railway bridges:
F. Coulthards Lane (despite recent resurfacing
and closure to vehicular traffic poor quality for
pedestrians - lack of social control and supervision)
G. Hawks Road/Eastgate (reasonable quality)
H. Oakwellgate (very narrow footpaths, traffic noise,
poor quality)
I. Hymers Court/Brandling Street (reasonable
quality)
J. Wellington Street/Hills Street.
K. Askew Road/Hills Street (reasonable quality).
A
G
F
H
H
15
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
11
10
8
9
6
7
2
3
4
h
1
Study area
j
Urban area
Green area
Water Course
Primary Pedestrian Route
e
g
i
5
k
c
f
d
b
GATESHEAD
Proposed Primary Pedestrian Connection
Secondary Pede strian Route
Tertiary Pedestrian Route
Indoor route
Pedestrian Crossing
Carriageway
Secondary Road
a
A
To Carlisle,
Railway and Station
Darlington
Underground Metro
and York
and Station
A184
Main Retail
500m
Pedestrian Desire Lines
Pedestrian Movement
16
A167
To Middlesbrough an
Hartlepool
Parking
There are various public parking facilities in the vicinity
of the MU9 site and some opportunities for sharing
parking facilities. The largest parking facilities in the
immediate area are The Sage Gateshead’s car park, the
Mecca Bingo car park and BALTIC’s car park.
There maybe the option of extending The Sage
Gateshead’s car park to a multi level parking facility.
The Mecca Bingo car park has ceased to be publicly
available due to restructuring and development
of the sites east of Gateshead Highway. Further
parking facilities are planned as part of the Baltic
Business Quarter.
1
Pedestrian Links
1. The main pedestrian connection between
Newcastle City Centre and Gateshead Town Centre
leads across the Tyne bridges towards West Street.
However, there are also strong pedestrian flows from
Newcastle City Centre via Dean Street (11) down to the
Newcastle Quayside area with a well-used continuous
promenade along the north bank of the river Tyne (10).
This pedestrian route connects seamlessly across the
Gateshead Millennium Bridge to Baltic Square, the
BALTIC and to a lesser degree to the eastern entrance
of The Sage Gateshead. There are various other routes
that lead from the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and
Quayside to Newcastle City Centre, including the
shortest route along Sandgate and City Road. These
routes, however, do only serve a secondary function,
due to the severe pedestrian movement barrier of the
Central Motorway / Tyne Bridge gyratory. The High
Level Bridge also provides a primary pedestrian route
to Newcastle City Centre.
Bottle Bank from Swing Bridge
On the Gateshead’s side, pedestrian connections
between the MU9 site and Gateshead Town Centre
are severely harmed because of two major barriers
to pedestrian movement: the railway embankment
and Gateshead Highway with its large gyratory at
the junction with Askew Road. The limited points for
pedestrians to cross these barriers limit the numbers
of possible routes into Gateshead Town Centre.
Currently, possible routes lead:
2. Through The Sage Gateshead building – not intuitive
3. Via Abbots Road – service entrance to The Sage
Gateshead with some noise pollution from air
conditioning units.
Wellington Street towards High Level Bridge
4. Via Maiden’s Walk (under construction)– towards
Hawks Road and the Gateshead Highway gyratory
5. Quarryfield Road – via Coulthards Lane and
A167/East Street crossing or via Hopper Street
underpass – not legible
6. Along South Shore Road and Hillgate – towards the
main route across the Swing Bridge – not activated
None of these routes stand out as being particularly
legible or attractive. At the moment the signed route
is via West Street, Swinburne Street across the A167
signal controlled crossing towards Hawks Road.
Gateshead Council plans to create a riverside walkway
from Baltic Square to the Swing Bridge, connecting
with the long distance trail along the Tyne and
residential areas to the west. This route would have
the potential to become a primary route from Baltic
Square into Gateshead Town Centre, by following the
alignment of the historic High Street along Bottle Bank
and High Street but then diverting towards West Street
to miss the Gateshead Highway gyratory.
Furthermore there are the following routes
connecting the MU9 site towards the east:
7. Hawks Road - towards the future Baltic Business
Quarter.
8. Nailor’s Bank - towards the future Baltic Business
Quarter, via Saltmeadows industrial area
9. Mill Road – towards Saltmeadows industrial area
The formal crossing points have a major influence on
current pedestrian movement patterns through this
part of town. Function and design of these “funnels” or
“bottlenecks “ have a strong effect on the pedestrian
experience.
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Public Transport
20
Objectives & Design Principles
Developments on MU9 should contribute to improved
links with the Gateshead Town Centre and ensure
that MU9 links seamlessly with the town centre study
proposals.
Pedestrian Movement
To improve the overall connectivity and facilitate
pedestrian movement between the Gateshead Quays
and the town centre, regeneration efforts should be
undertaken to resolve the unsatisfactory crossing
situation around the Gateshead Highway gyratory
in particular.
Along Gateshead Highway, additional new crossing
points could be introduced and public realm
and waiting times could be improved at existing
crossings to minimise the negative effect of this
movement barrier and facilitate a pedestrian-friendly
environment.
There are four potential routes of different significance
in facilitating better pedestrian connectivity between
Gateshead Quays and Gateshead Town Centre. All
of these will impact directly or indirectly on the
development of MU9:
1. Gateshead Council has indicated the intention to
complete the waterside walk between Baltic Square
and the Swing Bridge. This route could potentially
provide a primary link from the Gateshead Quays
waterside area to the Bottle Bank Link and on
to Gateshead Town Centre. It would link into an
established historic route from Newcastle via the
Swing Bridge, Bottle Bank, High Street and Hills
Street into West Street in Gateshead Town Centre.
While some public realm improvements have
already been undertaken along this established
route, there is still much potential to improve the
pedestrian environment further and provide better
enclosure and activation along the way.
The establishment of the waterside walk as a
primary link will provide opportunities for the MU9
site to link into this and create structuring throughroutes that connect Hawks Road with the waterside.
2. Hawks Road, along the southern boundary of MU9,
already provides a direct connection between
the MU9 development, the emerging Baltic
Business Quarter and Gateshead Town Centre,
via the Oakwellgate area and a hostile pedestrian
environment around the Gateshead Highway
gyratory. This route will become a significant
route for visitors of the Gateshead Quays area
and the most intuitive route for new residents and
occupants of the new MU9 development and large
parts of the Baltic Business Quarter into the centre
of Gateshead. To facilitate these intuitive movement
patterns and to promote walking, it is essential
to improve pedestrian amenity along Eastgate,
the extension of Hawks Road west of the railway
bridge, and the Gateshead Highway gyratory.
Regeneration efforts of the Oakwellgate area,
west of the railway corridor and east of High Street
should provide spatial enclosure, continuity and
activation along the described route.
The development of the MU9 site can facilitate
the Hawks Road - Gateshead Town Centre route
by improving the public realm along the northern
side of Hawks Road and providing a continuous
and activated street frontage. The relatively
high number of pedestrian counts and exposure
to traffic along this route should drive some
commercial development.
and even if regeneration of the areas west of the
Sage Gateshead takes place, this will not have a
significant impact on pedestrian desire lines and
movement patterns through MU9.
4. The connection via Quarryfield Road and
Coulthards Lane to Gateshead Highway and
across to Gateshead’s centre has the potential to
become a strong link from the emerging Baltic
Business Quarter. However, significant public
realm improvements will be required to transform
the area west of the railway corridor and east of
High Street into a pedestrian friendly environment.
One key element of this regeneration should be
the provision of a safe and attractive pedestrian
crossing of Gateshead Highway.
This route may only have a marginal impact on the
MU9 site development, as the Hawks Road link
remains physically closest and a more intuitive
connection to Gateshead Town Centre. The
existence of this route, however, underlines the
importance of the Hawks Road/Mill Road node.
3. Routes through areas west of The Sage Gateshead
reach Gateshead Town Centre either by following
Oakwellgate and negotiating through the hostile
pedestrian environment of the Gateshead Highway
gyratory or, via Brandling Street, towards the
established previously mentioned historic route
via High Street, Hills Street to West Street.
Regeneration of the area west of The Sage
Gateshead has the potential to improve the
pedestrian environment significantly, by providing
activation, spatial definition, enclosure and
continuity along this route.
From the MU9 site, however, access along this
route to Gateshead Town Centre leads either
through The Sage Gateshead building or through
Abbots Road. While a route through a building can
generally not be regarded as a strong legible link,
the route through Abbots Road is compromised by
service access to The Sage Gateshead and noise
emissions by AC outlets of the building. Neither of
these routes have much potential to improve the
MU9 site’s connection with Gateshead Town Centre
21
22
Any direct, pedestrian movement across MU9 from
The Millennium Bridge to the Baltic Business Quarter
would have to pass through the Hawks Road/Mill
Road junction making this an important node on
the local movement network. Public realm needs
to be improved in this key location to provide easier
pedestrian movement, emphasise views and features,
and to provide orientation and a sense of proximity to
the waterfront.
Create a pedestrian route from the Gateshead
Millennium Bridge to Baltic Business Quarter (the
Urban Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge suggests:
consider providing new access between the top and the
bottom of the gorge and encourage better links with the
historic core of Gateshead and the Gateshead Quays).
A new link between the waterside and the Hawks Road
at the top of the gorge should plug into enhanced node
points at the waterside and at Hawks Road / Mill Road
junction, to maximise pedestrian patronage.
Maidens Walk (coal drops) should provide a pedestrian
link from Hawks Road to The Sage Gateshead.
Create a legible, primary pedestrian route from Baltic
Square to The Sage Gateshead.
Disability access should be provided throughout MU9.
All vehicular access points should have junction
designs that are pedestrian-friendly.
Ramp configuration options
23
o Newcastle Central
Station
93, 94, 1Q
10 buses/h
per direction
93, 94
QuayLink Q1 re-routing option 1
o Newcastle Central
Station
93, 94, 1Q
10 buses/h
per direction
93, 94
QuayLink Q1 re-routing options 2 & 3
24
Public Transport
Currently there is good quality provision of public
transport for MU9. This should be reflected in the
requirements for car parking on the site.
Development on MU9 should create pedestrianfriendly environments that encourage walking and the
use of public transport.
Local re-routing of the QuayLink Q1 bus service
could improve the efficiency on this service and
further improve uptake by new users generated by
development on MU9. The inefficient arm in the Q1 bus
routing that currently serves St. Mary’s Square and
the Sage Gateshead could:
.0
MIL
20
LR
O
1
M
• Option 1 - either be integrated in a continuous route
pattern that may lead through MU9 or
• Option 2 - Q1 would remain a very direct connection
on Hawks Road, with stops at Maidens Walk
(generating significant pedestrian flow along this
relatively level route serving The Sage Gateshead)
and possibly a further stop at South Shore Road
that serves the Sage Gateshead via a lift up to
Performance Square.
• Option 3 - via a cul-de-sac service along Maidens
Walk to serve the Performance Square entrance of
The Sage Gateshead.
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Option 2 - QuayLink along Hawks Road and South Shore Road
Option 3 - QuayLink cul-de-sac via Maidens Walk
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SANDGATE
IDE
AYS
QU
Design to accommodate
safe pedestrian crossing
MI
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Pedestrian Access
Pedestrian crossing
point
Access to MU9
26
T
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TR
S
G
IN
DL
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OA
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KS
W
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New signalised junction
with pedestrian crossing
phasing
ROAD
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QUARR
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AT
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KW
OA
Vehicular Access
LK
WA
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IDE
MA
OAD
TS R
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B
AB
Existing signalised junction
with pedestrian crossing
phasing
Parking building wrapped by other uses
Basement/half-basement parking with permeable courtyard
Basement/half-basement parking with green roof
Vehicle Access
Parking
Vehicular access to Hawks Road from MU9 may have
to accommodate the re-routed QuayLink bus service.
This access should be clear of the Mill Road / Hawks
Road junction and provide a signalised junction with
pedestrian crossing phasing.
In order to allow phased and independent delivery of
Hawks Road Industrial Site and GQ2, the development
schemes for the two sites have to work not only
individually, but also work together, providing a
positive interface across the shared boundary line.
However this may be achieved, the provision of an
east-west through-route is not a requirement, but
a degree of east-west permeability may be seen as
beneficial to the overall site, connecting within the
MU9 site and linking to neighbouring areas.
Design should assist in the control of the penetration
of different vehicle types/modes beyond entry points.
Vehicular access can be managed in different ways at
different times.
The design of South Shore Road should be mindful
of the above principle and to safely accommodate
significant pedestrian movement between MU9 and
Baltic Square.
Each route is to be designed in light of its use (movement
status) and other desired qualities (place status).
Vehicular site access locations are off Mill Road,
Hawks Road (potentially via Maidens Walk), Abbots
Road and potentially South Shore Road.
Access along South Shore Road must not compromise
the operation of the QuayLink bus.
Every route should have a clearly defined function that
is made legible through its design, while maintaining
enough flexibility to accommodate possible changes in
use in the future.
South Shore Road will be closed on occasions for
special events (e.g. Junior Great North Run).
Generally traffic modes should be combined into
single routes to make efficient use of the site.
The central location of the MU9 site, public transport
provision and the provision of parking facilities
in the vicinity should be considered and lead to
less demanding car-parking requirements for
developments on-site. Generally in this location the
impetus should be on creating a pedestrian-friendly
environment that encourages walking and cycling.
It may be, through agreement with stakeholders, that
some of the required car parking could be provided
off-site.
Generally parking facilities on-site should not
compromise the streetscape of MU9. This can be
achieved by providing
• underground, basement and half-basement car
parking or
• car parking buildings on the inside of perimeter
blocks (wrapped by other uses facing the street)
27
-steep slopes
-good Tyne views
-steep footpaths
-ascending roads
Character Area Definitions of the Urban Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge
Character Areas
28
05 Character & Identity
The MU9 site straddles two different character zones,
detailed in the Tyne Gorge Urban Landscape Study,
namely 3E South Shore Road and 5F Saltmeadows.
• The gorge slopes, generally characterised by steep
hills, good views of the Tyne, steep footpaths and
ascending roads and
• The settled hills, with buildings widely visible from
the Gorge, forming a skyline
A character investigation allows division of this part
of Gateshead into seven areas of distinctively different
character:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
A
A
A
A
A
A
Gateshead Town Centre
Area east of Gateshead Highway
Bridges Conservation Area
Saltmeadows Industrial Area
Baltic Business Quarter
Hawks Road Industrial Area
Quays Area
Gateshead Town Centre has high street environments,
wide footpaths and some good public realm. There
are sections of continuous active street frontages
and some historic building stock. The Gateshead
Town Centre Regeneration Framework (2004),
Gateshead Town Centre Masterplan (2006) and further
regeneration efforts will see continued transformation
of this area into an attractive pedestrian environment.
The main structuring routes of Gateshead Town
Centre are High Street and West Street. There
are various clues in historic building stock, public
realm treatment and public art that could inform
development of the MU9 site.
29
The area east of Gateshead Highway is dominated
by traffic infrastructure and irrational block layouts.
Bland, industrial buildings and large surface car
parks provide poor natural surveillance and hostile
pedestrian environments. There is a strong potential
for restructuring this area. Gateshead Council is
currently looking at various potential development
options. Redevelopment of these sites should
strengthen pedestrian links between Gateshead Town
Centre, the MU9 site and Gateshead Quays. Currently
there are no character clues in this area that could
inform development of the MU9 site.
The Bridges Conservation Area still shows remains of
historic building stock, some dating back to medieval
times (e.g. the listed St Mary’s church building). As
a remnant from the industrial era, the locally listed
retaining wall and ramp of The Sage Gateshead car park
should be mentioned. Street frontages, public realm and
pedestrian environments in the Bridges Conservation
Area have become fragmented and discontinuous. Most
of the more recent building stock appears to be of poor
quality and does not address the street.
B
C
B
C
B
C
30
The Sage Gateshead with its curvilinear roof towers
over the Tyne as a strong iconic solitaire statement
that is widely visible. There is a strong potential for
restructuring the area west of The Sage Gateshead.
Gateshead Council is currently looking at various
potential development options. Redevelopment of
this area should strengthen pedestrian east-west
links between Bottle Bank / High Street and The Sage
Gateshead. Some character clues for development of the
MU9 site could be drawn from the historic building stock,
public realm treatment and The Sage Gateshead itself.
Saltmeadows Industrial Area is an industrial area
with sheds, warehouses, service areas, surface
car parks and some residual green spaces. The
area discourages walking. There is potential for
restructuring this area in the medium-long term.
Some redevelopment can already be seen along the
western edge of the area. Currently there are no
particular character clues in this area that should
inform development of the MU9 site.
The Baltic Business Quarter is currently in the design
and construction process, with the Gateshead College
development nearing completion. According to drawings,
the area will be a coherent, planned city quarter with
good pedestrian amenity and modern buildings. There
may be some character clues in the design of the
Baltic Business Quarter that could inform the MU9
development.
The Hawks Road Industrial Area still shows remains of
industrial era building stock. Buildings (and retaining
walls) along Hawks Road start forming an enclosed
street profile. The locally listed coal drops along
Maidens Walk in particular have a strong character
that should provide a reference for the development of
the MU9 site.
D
E
F
D
E
F
E
F
31
G
G
G
32
G
The main feature of the Quays Area is the river Tyne
itself, with great views, opportunities for watching
boats and ships on the water and with a promenade
along the river. Remnants of former port activity
and the industrial era can still be found in the area
(e.g. the listed converted Baltic Flour Mill). The
area is in transition to become a mixed-use quarter
with a strong water focus. The modern Gateshead
Millennium Bridge forms a strong iconic feature that
heralds the new role of the Quays Area. Tall new
apartment buildings, the Baltic Quay Apartments, are
further evidence of this change. There is some good
public realm in the Quays Area, with the potential
to extend this. Character clues can be drawn from
investigating modern and historic materials used for
paving and construction of buildings.
Paving used in recent public realm upgrades around MU9
suggests the conservation of the important industrial
archaeology and railway history of the area and to
respect this in any new development. For MU9 this will
require an appropriate response from the western
frontage of the development within the Hawks Road
Industrial Site with regard to the existing railway
arches and coal drops on Maidens Walk.
Creative reuse project in Cologne
Messehallen, Hamburg
Fischmarkt, Hamburg
Custard factory, Birmingham
encourages native tree planting and the establishment
of a close relationship with the river.
Development of the MU9 site should provide
architectural diversity and sustainability in the choice
of materials, while maintaining a simple material
palette, in line with the principles of the Urban
Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge.
The MU9 site is an opportunity for contemporary
architecture that complements the diverse existing
buildings and forms, but does not try to emulate the
iconic forms and materials of the Sage Gateshead.
Architectural and landscape design should emphasise
design quality in respect of both, materials and details.
To achieve a contextually sympathetic, cohesive
development character that ties in with the surroundings
it should be considered to utilise the material palette of
recent footpath and street refurbishments for ground
surfaces throughout MU9.
33
Ex
isting bilding footprints
500m
Proposed Baltic Business u
Qarter
Figure Ground Plan (Existings including proposed Business Quarter)
34
06 Permeability
A study of the urban fabric of the wider area
surrounding the MU9 site shows fine urban grain
along the Newcastle Quayside area, with a defined
hierarchy of streets and spaces. The main structuring
spaces still seem to be based on historic alignments,
with permeable tissue that allows pedestrians to move
about freely.
The urban tissue on the Gateshead side of the Tyne
appears fragmented, with some pockets of remaining
fine grain, but generally the grain seems dominated by
large footprint buildings set in large, undefined open
spaces that generally discourage use by pedestrians.
Some larger areas of continuous finer grain with
clearly defined streets and spaces are planned for the
Baltic Business Quarter.
The MU9 site has the potential to mend and resolve
some of the fragmented urban tissue.
The MU9 site development must provide a permeable
and legible network of routes that connect between
access points. The network, which should be both direct
and allow for intuative movement, should favour street
gradients over technical / mechanical solutions to
achieve level changes and avoid exaggerated changes
of direction.
Blocks should be sized to provide a choice of routes at
least every 70m to provide permeability and avoid overly
large blocks.
Permeability
Blocks have to be of developable size and of rational
shape to avoid inefficiencies.
35
Development area
Urban area
Green Spaces
Hard Landscaped Spaces
Deficient Public Realm
Water course
10m contour lines
Trunk, Dual Carriageway
or Main Road
Secondary Road
Tertiary Road
Railway Line and station
Underground Metro
and Station
Public Realm (Existing)
36
07 Public Realm
1
There is a continuous strip of soft landscaping along
the steep southern bank of the river Tyne. In the
immediate surrounds of the MU9 site, the green
surroundings form an integral part of The Sage
Gateshead composition and must be retained. There
is a further soft landscaped land art feature to the
southern part of Performance Square, that provides
important open space around the solitaire building of
The Sage Gateshead.
2
There are three hard surfaced public spaces in the
vicinity of the MU9 site:
1. St Mary’s Square
2. Performance Square
3. Baltic Square
St Mary’s Square is the front entrance to The Sage
Gateshead and serves as an elevated viewing platform
across the Tyne. This square also provides space
for The Sage Gateshead in much the same way that
Performance Square does. The sense of enclosure of
the square could be improved by lining the southern
edge of the square with an active frontage, where
there is currently a coach park.
Performance Square to the east of The Sage
Gateshead provides an equally important entrance
to the building. As St Mary’s Square on the other
side of the solitaire, Performance Square serves
as an elevated viewing platform with views across
the Tyne. Performance Square is the linking space
between Baltic Square and The Sage Gateshead. As
the name suggests, Performance Square provides the
opportunity for outdoor events and performances.
2
3
Baltic Square is the point of arrival in Gateshead from
Newcastle, after crossing the Gateshead Millennium
Bridge. The square serves as a forecourt to the Baltic
Centre for Contemporary Art, an excellent area for
viewing marine activity on the river Tyne close up. It
has the potential to become an important node point
along a linked riverside walkway on the Gateshead
side of the Tyne. The potential of Baltic Square could
be enhanced by lining the southern edge of South
Shore Road with an active frontage.
3
Currently Hawks Road and Mill Road provide poor
public realm and pedestrian amenity.
37
Buildings fronting node points
Continuation of green theme along south bank of the Tyne
38
Public Realm Examplars
The development of MU9 provides an opportunity to
improve pedestrian amenity along Hawks Road and
Mill Road.
The spatial quality of Baltic Square, Performance Square
and the Hawks Road / Mill Road node point should be
improved by creating active frontage onto these spaces.
The MU9 developments should be structured around a
hierarchy of high quality, distinctive public spaces that
provide the focus and sense of place for the area and
strengthen the relationship with the river.
The green theme should be extended along the south
bank of the Tyne. The Urban Landscape Study of the
Tyne Gorge encourages native planting in this part of
the Tyne Gorge.
Bull Ring, Birmingham
Spanish Steps, Rome
Bruehlsche Terrassen, Dresden
Bruehlsche Terrassen, Dresden
Schlachte, Bremen
Schlachte, Bremen
It is recognised that with potential re-routing of the
QuayLink bus route and its junction between the
two sites (GQ2 and Hawks Road Industrial Site), the
area for the proposed Maidens Square will be busy
and lively. However, it is also acknowledged that
the creation of a new public square is not a fixed
requirement so long as pedestrian and bus movement
can be accommodated.
39
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Crown Court
The Sage, Gateshead
Gateshead Visitor
Centre
Gateshead College
GATESHEAD
A184
To Carlisle,
Industrial
Darlington
Town Centre
and York
Town Centre Core
Retail Core
A184
Commercial
500m
Existing Land Use
40
A167
Hartlepool
08 Land Use
Restaurants / cafes, Schlachte, Bremen
Retail uses
Street cafe in Hanover
Commercial and residential uses with retail ground floor
Residential, Hurst Street, Birmingham
Residential, Iroko, South Bank, London
The MU9 site is located at the edge of the Gateshead
Town Centre area. It is designated for mixed-use
development and surrounded by mixed-use areas to
the north of the Tyne, employment use to the east and
business use to the southeast.
With BALTIC and The Sage Gateshead, Gateshead
Quays established itself as Newcastle’s and
Gateshead’s cultural hub on the south bank of the Tyne.
The MU9 site development should foster the Quays’
role of a cultural, leisure and entertainment hub with
complementing activities, while ensuring activity
24hours, 7 days a week.
suggests providing residential uses and local services
to bring people back into the area and ensure the
creation of a safe urban community.
Retail, restaurant and café frontages should be
focused around key public spaces, along main routes,
South Shore Road frontage on to Baltic Square and
nodal points.
Entertainment and leisure uses should be focussed
around major public routes and spaces
The location of commercial uses should take into
account possible synergies with the Baltic Business
Quarter, which includes Gateshead College, and
exposure to higher traffic volumes on Hawks Road.
41
iew corridor
erformance
quare - Byker /
useburn
Views identified by the Urban Landscape Study of the T
Tyne Gorge
rimary
r View
Secondary
r or sequential view
Landmarks
Legibility, Views & Vistas - existing
42
09 Legibility, Views & Vistas
There are some outstanding landmark buildings in the
vicinity of the MU9 site:
1. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge,
In addition, MU9 is affected by view corridors on
approaches from the main road and rail links within
Gateshead and from the bridges crossing the Tyne.
2. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
3. The Sage Gateshead,
4. St Mary’s church (now used as a visitor centre) and
5. The Tyne Bridge
These structures and buildings are highly visible from
the Newcastle side of the Tyne, but also from certain
viewpoints within Gateshead.
identifies five different viewing experiences, distinctive
to the Tyne Gorge:
• Panoramic views
• Contained / broad prospect views
• Surprise views
Development of MU9 must recognise the importance
of the views identified in this section and be designed
to complement the overall appearance of the south
bank of the river Tyne.
A. The view from Baltic Square towards The Sage
Gateshead should not be obstructed, as the
building acts as an important orientation point in
the area.
Various view corridors, identified in the study, affect
MU9. These include in particular:
B. There are some excellent views over the river Tyne
from Performance Square. This panoramic view
should not be obstructed by any tall buildings.
There is the potential to extend this viewing
platform along the MU9 site to provide more
elevated views across the Tyne.
• The panoramic view from the 5th floor of the Baltic
(River Tyne, Newcastle and Gateshead)
C. The distant view of Byker and St. Michael’s Church
from Performance Square must be protected.
• Unfolding views
• Terminated vistas
A
In addition to views identified in the Tyne Gorge Study,
the following views and vistas have been identified on
the site, each being important from a legibility and
character point of view:
B
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%\NHU:DOO'HYHORSPHQW
• The broad prospect view from Baltic Square (River
Tyne, Newcastle and GQ2)
• The panoramic and broad prospect views from
Ouseburn and Byker
C
43
Primary View
Secondary or sequential view
Landmarks
Legibility, Views & Vistas - proposed
44
suggests development closer to the river to be lower
rise to allow views from the edge of the Gorge and to
establish a close visual relationship with the river.
It will be important to provide glimpses of the river and
its bridges from within the site.
Development of MU9 must create glimpsed views
of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge from the main
pedestrian entry point into MU9, leading from Hawks
Road / Mill Road junction to provide legibility and
emphasise the proximity of Hawks Road to the river.
The development should enhance the unfolding view
along Maidens Walk by ensuring a series of views along
this route: from Hawks Road to the coal drops; from the
coal drops to The Sage Gateshead and from The Sage
Gateshead to the river and the wider Tyne Gorge.
Development of the MU9 site must protect the
distinctive solitaire character of BALTIC and The Sage
Gateshead. New buildings on MU9 should not compete
with established landmarks.
Tall buildings are not precluded but will require
necessary visual impact justification to be agreed with
Gateshead Council.
Node point at junction of Hawks Road and Mill Road with Gateshead Millennium Bridge visible in the distance.
The addition of a landmark building on the Hawks
Road Industrial Site could enhance the topography of
the Gorge as seen from the north bank of the river. The
location of such a building must be well considered to
maximise its value in creating a legible part of town
and aiding intuitive orientation.
Ensure that site entry points are well marked by
distinctive buildings or public art.
45
10 Frontage & Activation
Investigating and analysing the location of building
entrances, service and car park entrances and private
vs. public faces of buildings (building “fronts” and
“backs”) allows defining different street characters:
• Streets with pedestrian oriented frontages and
• Streets that serve as delivery and service routes
In the immediate vicinity of the MU9 site the following
routes have a positive frontage:
A. The potential riverside walk between Baltic Square
and the Swing Bridge
E
F
E
F
Street frontage along Dean St in Newcastle
Building typologies in Newcastle
B. Mill Road
C. Hawks Road
D. Maidens Walk (potentially)
The following routes currently appear to have more of
a service function:
E. South Shore Road (except for the length fronting
Baltic Square)
F. Abbot’s Road
Streets and spaces should be well defined by buildings
that create a continuity of building frontage and a
sense of enclosure. This includes Hawks Road where
development on Hawks Road Industrial Site should
create a well-enclosed street with entrances from the
street (active frontage).
Building layout should establish a clear definition of
public and private space with no residual spaces or
spaces of indeterminate status / function.
Retail, restaurant and café frontages should be
focused around key public spaces, along main routes,
South Shore Road frontage on to Baltic Square and
nodal points. Other routes and spaces should be
activated by building entrances and fenestration of
other uses.
Main entrances to buildings should always be from the
street (front) and the building layout should establish
a clear definition of public and private space with no
residual spaces of indeterminate status or function.
Along steep sloping routes, building frontages should
be of limited width, to allow buildings to “step up” the
street and maximise street activation. Rather than
mitigating level differences by horizontal blank walls
on pedestrian level, this will lead to a vertical building
pattern with numerous building entrances facing the
street (as can be seen in successful sloping streets
in Newcastle).
46
U
No long horizontal buildings on sloping streets
D
Buildings should step down sloping streets
SANDGAT
IDE
AYS
QU
MI
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RO
AD
AD
E RO
HOR
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SOU
ATE
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L
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BR
Front and back analysis
47
Proposed heights in elevation from river Tyne
Proposed heights in cross section
48
11 Height & Massing
New development should respect existing topography,
buildings should reveal rather than disguise the
sloping ground.
The MU9 site is located on the steep southern bank of
the Tyne Gorge. Through different eras of development
the site contours were altered significantly to form a
series of level plateaus today:
• The Hawks Road plateau with a mound towards
Hawks Road / Mill Road junction,
• Performance Square with the sculptured land art
south of the square
• The major car parking plateau
• The lower car parking plateau
• South Shore Road
• Baltic Square
The different levels are separated by earth
escarpments, retaining walls and around The Sage
Gateshead, with rock filled gabions. A major site
constraint is the approx. 6m high retaining wall,
running east-west through the GQ2 site, separating
the higher from the lower car park.
Consider the skyline as a composite of elements seen in
3D perspective from the opposite bank of the river and
from the main road and rail approaches to the site.
The Urban Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge points
out the opportunity of a landmark building on Hawks
Road Industrial Site – this could be located to mark the
Hawks Road / Mill Road junction.
Appropriate heights on Hawks Road frontage should
respond to the overall height of the new Gateshead
College building and contribute to the street scene.
It is necessary to screen the western edge currently
presented by the Baltic Quays Apartments and car
park (mindful of the principle that blocks have to
be of developable size and rational shape to avoid
inefficiencies).
For the development of the MU9 site, the site contours
pose a challenge and opportunity at the same time.
The challenge will be to integrate retaining walls
and level changes as best as possible with the aim of
minimising earthworks. At the same time there is a
real opportunity to utilise the significant level changes
to create a dramatic urban landscape that creates
different view types and captures views and vistas
from different levels and angles.
Existing level plateaus
Screening of Baltic Quays Apartments
49
This design concept is included to illustrate one possible approach to the layout of the MU9 sites and to
demonstrate how the design principles and objectives set in this document might be accommodated on MU9.
An indicative design concept
50
12 Summary of Objectives
The developments on the MU9 site should:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be attractive and welcoming;
Create a distinctive sense of place;
Create new, high quality public realm;
Be viable and deliverable;
Be relevant and attractive to a range of users;
Provide for flexibility of phasing and delivery;
Establish a clear and legible hierarchy of routes
and spaces;
Contribute to improved connections to Gateshead
town centre;
Help define Gateshead’s identity;
Be accessible to all users;
Provide a development form and layout that can be
easily understood;
Provide a mix of uses to animate the area at
different times of day and evening;
Establish a clear and harmonious relationship to
the Tyne gorge;
Provide a balance of transport modes across the
site and the wider network;
Create views into site, across the site (to the
Tyne) and a series of unfolding views within the
development to create a sense of arrival;
Establish movement links from the Quays to Baltic
Business Quarter (including Gateshead College)
and towards Gateshead town centre; and
Take account of the development principles set out
in the Urban Landscape Study of the Tyne Gorge
and recognise that MU9 is part of two adjoining
character areas identified in that study.
51

Urban Design Strategy

Transcription

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