We were asked to develop proposals for a riverside town centre site facing a Grade I listed church. Designed to sit alongside a new piece of public realm being created along the riverside, the proposals will provide commercial units at ground level and apartments above.

The proposals had to negotiate a significant change in level between the street and the riverside. Linked to this, a key aim of the wider project was to improve access to the riverside and the new public realm that will be created there.

Views to the listed church from key locations and along approach roads into the town centre had to be considered.

An existing bank building had already been partially demolished and extended in an unsympathetic manner in the 1960s. However, its original pink hued sandstone façade retains a significant presence on the street.

Unsympathetic alterations to the bank building will be removed and the remaining facades rebuilt in a matching pink sandstone. The public realm to the front of the bank will be reformed to provide step free access.

To the North and West of the bank, two new buildings will provide a mix of commercial and residential accommodation. Between these, a new route takes the pedestrian from Corporation Street down to the new public realm by the riverside.

The North block is designed to address both Corporation Street and the River, providing commercial space at different levels on either side and apartments with different views above.

The South block sits behind the bank building and faces the river. Using the change in level between road and river, the commercial space within extends over two stories. The upper floor is cut back along a line derived from the course of the river, creating an external terrace space.