News
New Open Competition: Sports Academy: Reinvigorating Scunthorpe Central Park
17th May 2006
This new two-stage open competition invites multi-disciplinary design teams to prepare proposals for a high quality sustainable re-development of Scunthorpe’s Central Park and the development of a new Sports Academy for public use.
Introduction
The Strategic Development Framework for Scunthorpe identifies the vision for the town over the next 25 years. The Declaration of Intent is to change Scunthorpe for the better with inspiration, confidence but realism. Steered by the Scunthorpe Town Team the Renaissance Programme has and will continue to develop a portfolio of projects that will deliver the framework. Central Park and the Sports Academy are crucial to ensure the cohesion between the town centre and the urban hinterland.
The Council’s vision is to encourage participation in active recreation, play and community performances through the provision of a new range of quality facilities. These facilities will include the park, sports and community amenities. They should be well-designed, inspirational, be able to be managed efficiently, and created with the foresight to meet current and future demands.
The competition seeks creative ideas and concepts, with the intention of appointing a design team to work in close collaboration with the competition promoters. The competition is being organised by the RIBA Competitions Office and the Landscape Institute, on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council in partnership with Yorkshire Forward.
The competition will be open, and held in two stages.
Site and Context
Central Park was designed and developed in the 1960s. It comprises four elements: ancient woodland, formal public park, public sports facilities and private sports facilities. The approximate area of Central Park is 27 hectares.
The formal garden edges of the park are attractive and well-maintained, and the ancient woodland of Brumby Wood enhances the park considerably. The more central areas of the park and the public sports facilities are however tired and, in places, uncared for and underused.
The key to the reinvigoration of the park is the creation of a public amenity that is fully accessible to all, and capable of attracting visitors of all ages from North Lincolnshire and surrounding areas. The Council’s vision is to encourage participation in sport, active recreation, play and community activities through the provision of a comprehensive range of high quality, efficiently managed sports and community facilities. Part of this vision will be achieved by the provision of a new Sports Academy.
Facilities for the park should include: playground; meeting points; water feature; multi-functional open air venue; sports pitches; exercise facilities. The Sports Academy requires; swimming pool; multi-purpose sports hall; squash courts; fitness suite and dance studio.
Competitors will be asked to consider the relationship between architecture and the surrounding environment, and innovative ideas for interchangeable and complementary functions will be encouraged. The estimated budget is as follows:
£12.95m for the Sports Academy
£2m for the park
A funding strategy for both elements has been identified.
Competition Structure
The competition will take the following format:
Stage 1: Seeks concept designs (presented on a maximum of 2 A1 sheets) which will be judged anonymously. Proposals should focus on initial ideas and thinking. A shortlist of six will be selected and the authors invited to proceed to the next stage.
Stage 2: Stage two will involve further exploration of stage one design concepts.
The Judges
The judges will include a representative from: North Lincolnshire Council; Scunthorpe Town Team; Scunthorpe Urban Renaissance; Yorkshire Forward; Local Councillor and MP; Youth Forum Representative. The panel will also include Cindy Walters, the architect representing the RIBA, and Guy Denton, the landscape architect representing the Landscape Institute.
Competition Timetable
The competition timetable, which may be subject to variation, is as follows:
Brief available: 15th May 2006
Question deadline: 24th May 2006
Replies to questions/clarifications: 30th May 2006
Stage 1 submission deadline: 27th June 2006
Invitation to stage 2: 18th July 2006
Stage 2 submission deadline: 8th September 2006
Prize Money
An equal honorarium of £6,000 (plus VAT) will be paid to each stage two finalist.
It is intended that the winner of the competition will be appointed to work closely with the promoters to take the project through to completion.
Eligibility
The competition is open to multi-disciplinary design teams, led by either an architect or landscape architect. It should be noted that the competition promoters will be looking to select a team with the capacity and resources to deliver the project and competitors should bear this in mind from the outset.
How to Register
To register and receive the competition brief send a cheque for £35 (including VAT), payable to RIBA Competitions. Please note we do not have credit card facilities.
Enquiries
All enquiries should be addressed to the competition organisers:
RIBA Competitions Office, 6 Melbourne Street, Leeds LS2 7PS
T: ++44 (0)113 234 135 F : ++44 (0)113 246 0744
E: riba.competitions@inst.riba.org
W: www.ribacompetitions.com
Source: Landscape Institute
