Setting a Visionary Framework for St Helier's Waterfront

Heta Architects collaborating with Gillespies to create a unique waterfront destination.

Cities

Development

Plans have been submitted to the Government of Jersey for the significant regeneration of Southwest St Helier (SWSH) into a well-connected, highly sustainable mixed-use coastal community and cultural hub for this unique setting.

As part of the design consortium led by Gillespies, Heta assisted with the overall massing and placemaking of the visioning framework, and lead the development of the architectural character studies and building typologies throughout the character zones of the development.

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(All Images by Heta, F10 Studios, Gillespies © Jersey Development Company)

Project Details

Category: Architecture / Environmental / Insight / Digital
Location: St Helier, Jersey, United Kingdom
Stage: Concept Masterplan

The 11.5-ha development for client Jersey Development Company (JDC) will, over the next ten years, radically transform the SWSH area into a vibrant, energetic, and climate-resilient urban neighbourhood anchored by exciting new destinations and connected by a network of streets and green spaces. The scheme will deliver significant new community spaces, including 32,301m² of commercial, social infrastructure, cultural and leisure facilities, including an indoor kids' zone, up to 1,000 new homes and over 65,755m² of vibrant, fully accessible public realm.

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The Framework allows flexibility for change but also sets in place fundamental parameters on climate, sustainability, biodiversity, connectivity and movement, open space, uses, design, building heights and views to ensure the vision is delivered for the Jersey community.

The central culturally focused square forms a hub for the development with a lively mix of cultural and entertainment uses.

The proposals outline a 'landscape-led' vision for the Waterfront and set the design parameters for establishing how the area could be transformed to deliver significant and meaningful social, economic and environmental benefits for the island community.

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To stimulate movement across the neighbourhood, the site is subdivided into five key zones, each with its own distinct identity and purpose, yet intrinsically linked by a network of green streets, squares, arcades and lanes and a cohesive palette of materials and colour.

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Over half of the site area is designated as public realm providing a broad spectrum of recreational and social spaces for the new and existing Jersey community. These include a rich variety of park and urban spaces:

Les Jardins De La Mer Waterfront Park
Waterfront Promenade
Waterfront Square
Central Square and the Esplanade Square

The residential neighbourhoods are clustered with interspersed green spaces that blend the public and private realm into one seamless and uplifting experience.

Characterful and distinct places and public spaces were defined within the framework, with an interplay of a varied and playful architecture which draws on the mix of vernacular elements local to St. Helier.

'These ambitious proposals are an important step forward for the island and St Helier’s Waterfront. We sought consultation from all areas of the community over a ten-month period and we were very encouraged by the level and quality of the feedback received. We have ensured that these submitted plans responded to the public’s views. This landscape-led Visionary Framework also understands the importance of Jersey’s unique character and identity and will provide the island with a Waterfront that is a destination, and a local sustainability exemplar that has been influenced by today’s islanders, for future generations to come.'

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_{JDC CEO Lee Henry}

Leisure forms an important component of healthy city and town development, and care has been taken here to intermix key facilities with residential as hybrid building types, as adjacent to the numerous greenspaces throughout the development.

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