Research on Landscape Projects

Hulme park
CABE
http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/hulme-park/design
22 Februray 2011

Hulme Regeneration Ltd (HRL) was established in 1992 by Manchester City Council, in partnership with AMEC and others, to develop and manage Hulme's City Challenge renewal programme. Generous amounts of poorly maintained green space with no particular function were identified early on, and a centrally located park accessible to all was proposed as the first phase of a coherent network of open space, on a site with proximity to key buildings and community organisations, and on open space created by the necessary demolition of derelict housing blocks.
Hunt Thompson Associates were retained to run a community planning weekend in November 1992, which addressed the issues of open space and links to Castlefield and the city centre. Its conclusions led to a feasibility study (1993) by landscape architects Camlin Lonsdale, which in turn formed the basis of a competition brief issued early in 1996 by HRL. The winning team included Ian Simpson Architects, Landscape Projects (Landscape Architects) later appointed as lead designers, and Simon Fenton Partnership (Quantity Surveyors) with HRL selecting the main contractor from an approved list.

In response to the detailed requirements of the brief, the relatively low budget and the long narrow site, Landscape Projects' planning concept concentrated expenditure and activities around the perimeter of the park, leaving open spaces at the centre. They soon ran a series of workshop and focus groups, and fundamental changes were made as a result. A full size Premier League specification football pitch was incorporated along with a skate park and a full size basketball court, the shape and location of the performance podium structure was redesigned, the children's play elements were grouped together, and a revised boundary treatment produced well defined edges without acting as a physical barrier or as a mechanism for locking up the park.

Artworks in the northern half of the park were integrated with sculptural elements such as the loggia gateway feature on Bentley Square, but those proposed for the southern half of the Park were not commissioned when HRL decided not to apply for the required separate funding.


Evaluation
The outstanding feature of this park is the relationship between new and established buildings and new public open space and its uses. The edges of the park are integral to the design and great care has been taken to ensure high levels of integration and maximum surveillance by adjacent buildings and uses. Doors, balconies and windows overlook the park, schools are located adjacent to new play areas and sports groups have new pitches near their buildings, many of which have been refurbished.
The wide expanse of open space is defined by surrounding buildings, and in particular by carefully detailed corner buildings, often a storey higher than the rest of the block, which mark the entrances to the park, and detail is added by contemporary lighting and seating.
Clear fronts and backs create clear public and private domains detailed by low walls with railings and steel bollards.