RAW VIDEO: Ruins Of Nottingham's Broadmarsh Shopping Centre To Be Transformed Into Futuristic City Hub

Record ID: 595291
  • Title: RAW VIDEO: Ruins Of Nottingham's Broadmarsh Shopping Centre To Be Transformed Into Futuristic City Hub
  • Date: 10th December 2021
  • Description:A derelict shopping centre in Nottingham, England is to form the basis of a striking £500 million revamp for the heart of the city. UK architect Thomas Heatherwick, who created the 2012 Olympic Cauldron has come up with a vision to transform the city’s Broadmarsh shopping centre - which finally closed last year (2020) having been partially demolished as part of redevelopment plans abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic. Heatherwick Studio's design will bring together Nottingham’s heritage - including its caves and castle, which will sit alongside the new development, and a modern design that bathes parts of the existing frame of the old shopping centre in greenery and light, as well as providing utilities including markets, a climbing wall, a giant trampoline and an events space for boxing and music. There will also be 750 new homes and investment in a library and college, shops, and offices - while the caves will also get a facelift to ensure they remain a popular tourist attraction. In a statement, Heatherwick said that the project on the ‘Broad Marsh’ site, branding that reflects the historic name for the area, will restore a pivotal part of Nottingham without destroying its character and history. “When you bring together this pivotal site with the heritage of the castle and caves, alongside the existing investment in the new library and college, we think there’s an amazing chance to reimagine this part of the city and bring it alive again,” he explained. The architect went on to reveal that he hopes the project becomes a model for how to regenerate inner cities without building soulless identikit shopping parades that have become obsolete during the pandemic. “Urban centres in this country have been failing fast through a combination of conventional high street shopping that’s been swallowed up by the online world and bland gentrification, which has eliminated local character,” he explained. “ Added to this, the pandemic has made many people feel lonely and isolated. We need to regenerate the hearts of our cities and towns as places for us all to come together.“ He and council leaders have also talked up its green credentials - as it utilises existing structures and Nottingham hopes to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city by 2028. “Urban green public spaces can also play an important part, not only socially and experientially, but also by contributing something towards solving the climate crisis,” Heatherwick added. “Nottingham has the chance to lead the way like it has done many times in its rich creative history.” Work is now underway to secure the investment needed to implement the scheme from public and private sector partners.
  • Collection: Cover Media
  • Genre:Entertainment
  • Producer:Cover Media
  • Transmission Date:10/12/2021
  • Decade: 2020s
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