An aerial photograph of the Market Place and Guildhall Square
A new competition seeks talented architects and landscape architects to help deliver a landscaping and public realm scheme in the historic city of Salisbury. The competition is being organised by the RIBA on behalf of Salisbury District Council as part of a joint initiative with Wiltshire County Council.
The renaissance of the city’s Market Place forms an integral part of a recently commissioned document setting out a Vision for the future of Salisbury. The overall objective is to design and implement a high quality scheme which improves, enhances and reclaims the Market Place, Guildhall Square and surrounding areas as a high quality focal space for the city.
The promoters are hoping that the successful scheme will provide a vibrant, welcoming place that is a showpiece of modern public realm design in a historic setting.
The focus of the competition will be the development of the Market Place. However, the successful team will also be expected to produce a city public realm strategy.
Councillor Peter Edge, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Tourism at Salisbury District Council, said the winning design for the one-hectare site would play a crucial role in helping the city prosper and grow.
He said: “The aim is to create a grand square to rival any in Europe, a beautiful cosmopolitan space within the core of our medieval city where families and friends can linger in inspirational surroundings.
“We are grateful to RIBA for organising the competition and look forward to seeing the kind of designs that will transform the city’s most important public space for the better.”
Selection will take the form of a two stage process, which at stage one seeks expressions of interest. A shortlist of up to six teams will be drawn up and invited to produce concept designs.
Anyone interested in being considered should contact the RIBA Competitions Office for a preliminary briefing paper. This can be downloaded from the website. The deadline for expressions of interest is September 16, 2008
