New 30 acre, mixed-use, retail-led scheme to move ahead in the centre of Swansea

A masterplan from BDP has formed the basis for a successful bid by developers Hammerson and Urban Splash for a 30 acre, mixed-use, retail-led scheme in the centre of Swansea. They were selected by The City Council and the Welsh Assembly Government to deliver the masterplan for the city centre following a nine month competition process.

The masterplan is designed to fully integrate with the retail circuit in Swansea, extending it towards the waterfront and with the existing Quadrant shopping centre.

The scheme will provide over 60,000 sqm of new retail space. It will also provide 1,000 new apartments, hotels, new leisure and conference facilities and parking for 3,000 cars.

The scheme will provide six acres of public space and creates a new city square between two landmark churches, St Mary’s and St David’s.

A main thoroughfare, Oystermouth Road, which currently separates the town centre from the sea, will be transformed into a new European Boulevard and emphasis is placed on reinforcing new pedestrian routes across Oystermouth Road through a number of ‘crossing squares’, providing a safe and attractive route to the new waterfront.

Open retail streets will be created with residential accommodation above as part of the mixed-use scheme. Improvements in pedestrian links to the waterfront, the Marine Quarter and the SA1 development form the basis of a public realm strategy.

The masterplan relies on views and vistas along every street to guide the visitor and to provide a clear sense of location within the scheme, reinforcing the vision to create a vibrant, exciting, sustainable, European Waterfront city.

The team will be working with The County and City of Swansea over the next 18 months towards gaining planning consent for the scheme.