Lathams Architects Appointed for £8m 'Sea Change' Regeneration Project in Great Yarmouth
Derby, United Kingdom, October 16, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Architect and urban design practice Lathams has beaten national competition to design an eight million pound regeneration project in Great Yarmouth.
The practice has been appointed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council to develop plans for the regeneration of the historic King Street area of Great Yarmouth, centring around St George's Chapel, a Grade I listed building dating to 1714.
The plans will include transforming the chapel into an exciting new theatre and cultural centre for the town, adding a new pavilion and transforming the adjoining public square. Lathams will also be advising on the design and landscaping of the surrounding streets, and working on a £2 million grant project to upgrade up to 50 other historic properties in the area.
The aim is to create an exciting and attractive new cultural quarter in Great Yarmouth that will act as a focus for theatre, galleries, specialist shops, street cafes and outdoor events.
Lathams architect Stuart Hodgkinson said: “Seaside resorts are once again becoming a much-loved part of English culture, but many of them no longer have the vibrancy they once did.”
“Great Yarmouth has an outstanding range of heritage assets, and the scope to use these to lead regeneration is enormous. The conversion of a hidden treasure like St George’s Chapel will reinvigorate the whole area and act as a catalyst for further economic regeneration in the town by bringing in new visitors and revenue.”
The project is being put together as part of the national Sea Change programme, a £45 million funding initiative which aims to kick start wider economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in heritage and culture.
Sea Change, from which Great Yarmouth Borough Council will be seeking up to £4 million funding towards the project, is funded through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and led by The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), working with Regional Development Agencies, Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery fund and the Big Lottery Fund.
Peter Hardy, the Borough Council’s Executive Director of Economy and Environment, said: “This is a very exciting and high profile project and the interest from architectural practices to participate was very strong.
“Lathams were selected because of their strong track record and clearly thought-out proposals. We believe they will bring great flair and innovation to the conversion and enhancement of St George’s Chapel and the surrounding areas.”
Following the appointment, Lathams is now working to produce detailed plans for the next stage of the regeneration project by the end of October.
Stuart Hodgkinson added: “As a practice, Lathams specialises in creative renewal and regeneration - understanding and working with existing and historic building fabric and creating sensitive new-build interventions where appropriate.
“In Great Yarmouth we have the potential to regenerate both buildings and spaces and to incorporate them into the context of a vibrant, popular and successful future for the town. We are delighted to be part of this vision.”
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Notes to Editor
1. Lathams is a Derby-based architectural and urban design practice which has pioneered the concepts of creative renewal and regeneration for nearly 30 years, growing steadily from a base in the East Midlands to win wide acclaim across the UK. For more information, please visit www.lathamarchitects.co.uk.
2. For further information on this release, please contact: Marc Sanderson, Head of Marketing, Lathams: telephone: +44 (0)1332 365777 email: m.sanderson@lathamarchitects.co.uk
The practice has been appointed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council to develop plans for the regeneration of the historic King Street area of Great Yarmouth, centring around St George's Chapel, a Grade I listed building dating to 1714.
The plans will include transforming the chapel into an exciting new theatre and cultural centre for the town, adding a new pavilion and transforming the adjoining public square. Lathams will also be advising on the design and landscaping of the surrounding streets, and working on a £2 million grant project to upgrade up to 50 other historic properties in the area.
The aim is to create an exciting and attractive new cultural quarter in Great Yarmouth that will act as a focus for theatre, galleries, specialist shops, street cafes and outdoor events.
Lathams architect Stuart Hodgkinson said: “Seaside resorts are once again becoming a much-loved part of English culture, but many of them no longer have the vibrancy they once did.”
“Great Yarmouth has an outstanding range of heritage assets, and the scope to use these to lead regeneration is enormous. The conversion of a hidden treasure like St George’s Chapel will reinvigorate the whole area and act as a catalyst for further economic regeneration in the town by bringing in new visitors and revenue.”
The project is being put together as part of the national Sea Change programme, a £45 million funding initiative which aims to kick start wider economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in heritage and culture.
Sea Change, from which Great Yarmouth Borough Council will be seeking up to £4 million funding towards the project, is funded through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and led by The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), working with Regional Development Agencies, Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery fund and the Big Lottery Fund.
Peter Hardy, the Borough Council’s Executive Director of Economy and Environment, said: “This is a very exciting and high profile project and the interest from architectural practices to participate was very strong.
“Lathams were selected because of their strong track record and clearly thought-out proposals. We believe they will bring great flair and innovation to the conversion and enhancement of St George’s Chapel and the surrounding areas.”
Following the appointment, Lathams is now working to produce detailed plans for the next stage of the regeneration project by the end of October.
Stuart Hodgkinson added: “As a practice, Lathams specialises in creative renewal and regeneration - understanding and working with existing and historic building fabric and creating sensitive new-build interventions where appropriate.
“In Great Yarmouth we have the potential to regenerate both buildings and spaces and to incorporate them into the context of a vibrant, popular and successful future for the town. We are delighted to be part of this vision.”
###
Notes to Editor
1. Lathams is a Derby-based architectural and urban design practice which has pioneered the concepts of creative renewal and regeneration for nearly 30 years, growing steadily from a base in the East Midlands to win wide acclaim across the UK. For more information, please visit www.lathamarchitects.co.uk.
2. For further information on this release, please contact: Marc Sanderson, Head of Marketing, Lathams: telephone: +44 (0)1332 365777 email: m.sanderson@lathamarchitects.co.uk
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Lathams
Marc Sanderson
+44 (0)1332 365777
www.lathamarchitects.co.uk
Marc Sanderson
+44 (0)1332 365777
www.lathamarchitects.co.uk
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