Chapelfield Norwich wins BCSC Gold Award

Chapelfield, Norwich, designed by BDP, won a BCSC Gold Award at the annual Awards dinner last night (6 December 2006), a major industry event marking the UK's outstanding retail developments and retail destinations.

The BCSC Gold Awards seek to recognise the ever-increasing standards of excellence in the retail industry and at the same time pay tribute to the developers' and designers' response to the complex challenges presented by today's urban agenda

The high profile jury assessed Chapelfield in the In-Town Retail Scheme category based on the following criteria 

·         Overall contribution to the regeneration of the town or city or area
·         Commercial success from the tenant's viewpoint
·         Centre Management
·         Architectural design
·         Integration with the surrounding city centre
·         Contribution to the community

BDP Architect Director Peter Coleman said "Chapelfield combines a mixture of internal and external shopping environments and successfully integrates a very large scheme into an extremely sensitive historic city centre.  Housing is used to give it living edges".

BDP chose a strong urban design solution to integrate the large retail scheme into the urban fabric. The scheme includes ten large stores and 90 new retail and catering units, plus a 13,000 m² department store and 118 residential units, landscaped areas and parking for 1,000 cars. Two ground level entrances take advantage of changes in site level, and the use of housing around the outside of the shopping centre creates a 'living wall'.

Internally there is diversity of form; naturally ventilated and elegantly designed interiors with stone floors and glazed roofs, provide light and open interior spaces. The use of oak throughout creates a warm feel, and a common language unifying the malls' different environments, reflecting Norwich's varied retail history.

The client was Capital Shopping Centres/Lend Lease Projects.  BDP was commissioned as lead consultant to act as architect, interior designer, landscape architect, lighting designer and acoustic consultant on the £275m retail-led development.  QS was Cyril Sweet, structural engineer was Mouchel Parkman, services engineer was Foreman Roberts and the main contractor was Bovis Lend Lease.