Napper Architects work with Creative Central NCL and architecture students from Newcastle and Northumbria Universities

This week Napper Architects worked with Creative Central NCL and architecture students from Newcastle and Northumbria Universities to develop a conceptual scheme to reinvigorate Waterloo Square, an underused city centre space, as part of a wider initiative to encourage cultural engagement within the west area of the city. This new initiative developed by Creative Central NCL, and supported by Newcastle City Council and the North East Combined Authority, invited architecture practices Napper Architects, Mawson Kerr, Harper Perry, Mosedale Gillatt and Topo to each run a design charrette with students. Each practice investigated a different site within the ‘Creative Central Zone’, and all teams produced fantastic ideas to show how these spaces could be reinvented and energised with the engagement of local cultural institutions.

Our team of students worked incredibly hard to produce an experimental scheme for our site, entitled St James’ Junction. The area of Waterloo Square presents an interesting ‘junction’ between creatives and the community. Surrounding the site, many well-loved cultural institutions have made their home, such as the Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Alphabetti Theatre and Dance City. Our initiative focused on engaging the existing community, fostering collaboration, and encouraging new participation to bring life to the underused public space.

The proposal focused on three different strands: market, dwell, and node. The market principal re-uses and extends an existing vacant retail unit facing onto the square to create a pedestrian thoroughfare. This new ‘street’ caters to and offers a huge range of experiences and services. The formation of the market installation allows for a connected series of event, workshop or studio areas.

The existing landscaping and steps are reimagined and utilised to create a natural amphitheatre, overlooking several live event spaces created by the installation. The flexible spaces cater for a range of activities by local artistic and cultural institution to help bring their activities outdoors to a wider public audience.

Finally, tying together the site, the central node, or bandstand, aims to act as a focus and point of orientation for both activities and for navigating the site.