
Highcross Leicester and Westgate Oxford shortlisted for 2019 ICSC European Shopping Centre Awards
Two Chapman Taylor projects have been shortlisted for the 2019 ICSC European Shopping Centre Awards.
Highcross in Leicester has been nominated in the ‘Established Centres (Extra Large)’ category, while Westgate Oxford, for which we acted as Delivery Architect, has been named as a finalist in the ‘New Developments (Large)’ category.
The ICSC European Shopping Centre Awards honour the best and most innovative retail schemes across the continent. The awards ceremony will take place at the ICSC European Conference in Barcelona on 10 April.
Highcross is a mixed-use urban regeneration scheme in the heart of Leicester. The 93,000m² development by Hammerson PLC comprises 52 new shops, including a John Lewis department store (designed by Foreign Office Architects), restaurants, a multi-screen cinema, housing and associated parking. Our concept for the masterplan was to create a series of city blocks designed around a hierarchy of new streets and public squares which respond to the existing urban grain.
The design for the retail element of Highcross extended the existing Shires shopping centre at all levels to create an additional two-level enclosed mall. The interior of the Shires also underwent a significant refurbishment, which seamlessly integrates the existing centre with the new mall extension to deliver a naturally ventilated environment with a much-improved level of sustainability.
Chapman Taylor provided the concept masterplan and designed the main mall at Highcross Leicester.
Westgate Oxford shopping centre replaced a 1970s shopping centre, and provides 74,300m2 of contemporary fashion, film and food. Westgate Social, a street-food and leisure hub sits on the lower ground floor, while restaurants and a cinema complex can be found on the roof terrace, offering wonderful views of the city’s spires.
The innovative design of the development introduced a mix of covered streets, lanes, arcades and squares, while retaining part of the existing centre. Two public squares - Bonn Square and Leiden Square – were created as places for visitors to relax, in which pop-up events and exhibitions are hosted. The scheme won a 2018 Revo Gold Award in the ‘Re:new’ category.
Chapman Taylor, supporting Laing O’Rourke, delivered the landmark regeneration project on behalf of a joint venture between Landsec and The Crown Estate.
Congratulations to everyone involved in both projects for these well-deserved nominations.