Gustafson Porter has won its eighth award for their £7 million transformation of Old Market Square in Nottingham after winning the first ever RIBA CABE Public Space Award. Announced on 11 October during Channel Four's Stirling Prize ceremony in Liverpool, the award acknowledges the 11,500m² public square for its outstanding integration of functional design in a communal area.
Gustafson Porter Director, Neil Porter, said, "We are very pleased to have received this inaugural award and commend the RIBA and CABE for raising awareness about the value of quality design in the public realm.
"It was especially important that we provide a flexible space that can change character from day to night, from season to season and as varying events require. It connects the various districts of the city and aims to bring the communities of those districts together at its heart," adds Porter. "The new design provides a seamless, easily-traversed space suitable for everyone."
Officially reopened on 03 April 2007, Old Market Square is not only one of the oldest public squares in the UK, but also the second largest after Trafalgar Square in London. The space has since hosted some of its largest events including free concerts, fireworks displays, a fine foods fair and a bulb and flower market. The events planned for the future include military displays, sporting events, a variety of markets and public health campaigns, culminating in a spectacular ice rink before Christmas.
Sarah Gaventa, Director of CABE Space (sponsors of the prize) and a member of the judging panel, said, "With a history going back 800 years this large space retains its own distinctiveness and sense of place through its sympathetic response to existing site conditions. The presence of traffic and trams to two sides of the square provides connections to the wider area without compromising the visual integrity of the central space. The new square is also doing much to rid the city of its violent image in the media. The community has clearly given life to the square with the diverse activities and human interaction acting as a constant cabaret and source of visual excitement. It is a worthy first winner of this important new award."
Other shortlisted buildings for the award included the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Observatory in London.
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