Gateshead Quays to lend (quaint) settings

Article posted by Coliseum, September 4^th, 2020

Image: ASM Global

As part of Gateshead Council’s arena-led regeneration scheme, Newcastle Gateshead Quays in UK, new images have been unveiled showing the range of verdant and public open spaces which will be created on the Newcastle: Gateshead waterfront.

The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the North Bank) and Gateshead (South Bank) in the North East of England, United Kingdom.

The 80,000sqft scheme includes a 12,500-seat arena operated by ASM Global, a conference and exhibition center, two hotels, bars, eateries and car parking all linked by over 12,500m² of new public realm.

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The whole design has been lent keeping the biodiversity and sustainability quotients high – the use of planting to link spaces and create a campus around which people can easily walk from venue to venue or spend time simply relaxing and soaking in the lush green view. One hundred and forty four trees will also be planted to create green spaces for wildlife to thrive and to give a range of seasonal color and green roofs will be included on several buildings.

The landscaping plans also include elevated areas with sweeping views across the River Tyne and there will be 40 new seating areas and cycle provision across the site and electric vehicle charging points within the Council’s multistory car park.

Navigation and accessibility for all and sundry are a key element of the design, the new areas include paved walkways along the river, 24 hour accessible lifts and escalators, sign posting and outdoor event spaces which will play host to community activities and promotional performances.

Designed by landscape architects Planit-IE, the public realm forms a key part of the arena-led scheme, which is being delivered by the Council’s development partner Ask:PATRIZIA. The proposals are currently awaiting planning nod after a period of public consultation.

Flanked by the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead, the site will form a hub of crème de la crème entertainment venues creating a new cultural and social destination for the area.

The delivery of the £260m development, which has been designed by award-winning and renowned global architects HOK and AHR Architects, will see the generation of around 1,000 new jobs in the hospitality and leisure sector across the region and a further 1,000 in the construction sector. It is anticipated that it will give a £60m boost to the local economy drawing in a total of 770,000 visitors to the region each year.

Commenting on the designs, Ed Lister, Managing Director, Planit-IE, said, “Newcastle: Gateshead Quays is one of the UK’s most iconic waterfront locations alongside Liverpool and London. We have worked closely with Gateshead Council, key stakeholders and the delivery teams to design public spaces which we hope will provide a memorable addition to this exceptional location.”

Lister added, “It was important for us to listen carefully to the people who already live, work, study and visit the area and that has helped to focus our thinking and influence the design which we hope will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

John Hughes, on behalf of Ask:PATRIZIA added, “We have assembled an excellent professional team to help us deliver this development which is of cultural and economic significance for the regional center. By creating spaces which are comfortable and inviting, Planit-IE’s designs will encourage people to visit and enjoy this new landscaped part of the City.”

Project details

The site for the new waterfront complex at Newcastle Gateshead Quays is being hailed as one, if not the most, truly exciting conference and events settings in the UK. Sitting directly opposite the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and at the heart of Newcastle Gateshead Quayside, the scheme will stand shoulder to shoulder with the iconic Sage Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art whilst being stone’s throw away from the Newcastle City Centre.

The site is well connected in the form of transport links with regional, national and international connectivity through Newcastle Central Station and Newcastle International Airport.

Award-winning global architect, HOK, is designing the overall blueprint for the site, conference and exhibition center and 12,500-capacity arena, while AHR Architects are designing the futuristic hotel, which forms part of the masterplan.

The project team also includes: Project Manager and Contract Administrator, Legends International; Planning Consultants, Lichfields; Landscape Architects, Planit:IE; QS, Gardiner and Theobald; Structural Engineers/M&E, ARUP; and Transport Planning, Vectos.

It’s expected to add over 1,000 jobs and £29m Gross Value Added (GVA) per annum to the regional economy and is one of a kind in the sense that it benefits from the ability to connect directly to a low carbon district energy network on site.

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