3rd February 2009, New Brighton
Antonio Garcia
Antonio Garcia Architecture
38a Hope Street
Liverpool
L19BX
11th February 2009
Dear Antonio
RE:
The Sail, West Kirby
Design Review Report, 3rd February 2009
Thank you for bringing this scheme to Places Matter Design Review. It is an exciting
new regeneration opportunity for West Kirby set in a beautiful coastal landscape. We
applaud the ambition to create a sophisticated special destination for both visitors and
residents. This is obviously part of Wirral Council’s aspiration to improve this area in
order to encourage more tourist visits.
You have given a very good presentation and we are very supportive overall. The
hotel building has a good linear quality but it should fill the full length of the site along
South Parade in order to reinforce that quality. The idea of cutting it short in order to
keep one view open is unconvincing. The gap in the street that this generates
seriously weakens the street at the southern end of the site and there is very little (if
any) gain for the area in providing a view from Morrisons car park to the rear of the
hotel.
We are also unconvinced by the argument for sub-floor car parking beneath and
behind the hotel. This will entail very significant costs which could be better invested
by your client in the surrounding public realm to the greater gain of the local
community. It would also potentially make the design of the hotel entrance much
more straightforward. With the space available on site and on the seaward side of the
sailing club it must be possible to create a managed parking arrangement which will
accommodate hotel guests and users of the sailing club.
In considering the windows along the front it is important not to be too rigid in
predetermining the views. Allow for flexibility to see both Hilbre Island and the lake.
We are not convinced by the entrance ramp to the hotel and suggest as part of tying
the two buildings together the entrance might be better located onto South Parade.
You should pay particular attention to the quality of render specified so that it doesn’t
become streaked.
Places Matter! Unit 101, The Tea Factory, 82 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ
Telephone: 0151 703 0135 Email: [email address]
3rd February 2009, New Brighton
As this is a project of two buildings set across the street from one another it is well
worth considering them together within a shared setting. Consideration must be given
to the surroundings of these two strong architectural statements and the public realm
design should be seen as a setting for them. We feel that the solution to this
landscape is not trees which appear to be apologising for these buildings by hiding
them and creating a screen.
This is a particularly exposed landscape that needs to be treated in a robust way.
Surfaces should be linked across South Parade, between and around the buildings.
The materials used should be capable of withstanding the salt, sand and harsh
climate of this area.
We would recommend that the areas allowed for parking be designed as robust
coastal hard landscape so that when not in use they don’t actually look like empty car
parks. Spaces for vehicles need not be marked at all but if they are this should be
through limited use of studs or similar and not by painting of bays and direction arrows
etc. Space should also be allowed for good cycle and motorcycle parking.
We like the viewing ramp on the Sail building itself. We suggest that with a few
modifications you could extend this onto the roof of the café area as well as to the
same level of the café. Look at how Snohetta Architects dealt with the Oslo Opera
House. You could also consider a seating area at the front of the café overlooking the
whole waterfront.
We would welcome this scheme back at a further iteration.
Yours sincerely
Charlotte Myhrum
Design Review Manager
Cc.
Howard Mortimer, Wirral MBC
Mike Callon, Wirral MBC
Alan
Beer,
Carpenter Investments
Places Matter! Unit 101, The Tea Factory, 82 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ
Telephone: 0151 703 0135 Email: [email address]
