In August 2007, the BBC announced: ‘It’s another big day in Derby’s development as work starts on the £3.8m Cathedral Green, creating a modern new footbridge as well as seating and space for outside events.’ Two years later, Derby is proud to see the swing bridge nominated for the Prime Minister’s award for Better Public Building.
Derby City Council and its partners understand the importance of green lungs within dense urban areas, and the key role that green spaces play in creating sustainable communities. Cathedral Green was identified in the Derby Cityscape Masterplan and Public Realm Strategy as a major open space within Derby city centre.
The masterplan recommends residential-led development on the sites surrounding the green, with some active commercial use on the ground level. The open space is seen as a driver for the delivery of approximately 920 new residential dwellings on ten sites within 450 metres of the Cathedral Green. The enhancement of this valuable green open space was conceived as part of the sustainable regeneration of the city centre.
Wilson Bowden, one of the most active property development companies in the region, has prepared plans for what will be one of the city’s highest profile residential-led mixed-use schemes immediately adjoining Cathedral Green. They are currently revisiting plans to meet demands imposed by the economic climate.
The concept for the design is drawn from the local textiles industry for which Derby is world renowned, an industry that in turn owes its success to the fast-flowing waters of the River Derwent. The basic bridge form is derived from a tailor’s shears or scissors, in particular the action of the hinged blades as they open and close. When in its closed position, in times of high flow or floodwater, the bridge is in use along a north-south axis – the Riverside walk running alongside the Mill and southwards toward Exeter Bridge. The bridge serves as both a pedestrian link and a cycleway, but has also been designed as a place to meet and greet: a destination in its own right.
The introduction of seating within the body of the bridge encourages people to linger and take in views of the Cathedral, Silk Mill, the river and the surrounding areas. Emphasising that good design and public space management adds value in real terms, the local authority has recorded the total number of visitors to the Silk Mill Museum as increasing by more than 50 per cent, from 13,780 between April and August 2008 to 21,223 in the same period of 2009, since the new space opened. This significant result underlines the role that well designed public space can play in enhancing the setting of major public buildings. It also proves that investing in quality public place brings increased footfall leading to positive financial returns, as well as raising awareness of important local heritage.
The Bridge design came about through an open design competition. Three innovative entries were considered by a joint team of Derby City Council and Derby Cityscape officers with representatives from Opun (Regional design review panel, Regeneration East Midlands). A team led by Rambolls was selected to execute their final design.
Creating a distinctive place
It is not only the sun that brings out the best in this popular new place. The rain emphasises the subtleties of the design: the lost arm of the river that extended round the Silk Mill island is reinterpreted in an artwork by Nayan Kulkarni. A collaboration between artist and designers, the artwork is an interpretation into landscape of the Mill Race, a waterway that once ran through the site and powered the Silk Mill. The themes of water, movement, light and energy are explored within a ground surface marked by dark grey granite, interspersed with sparkling pofyrey stones. This element provides a contrast in colour and texture to the surrounding york stone and incorporates lighting and a mosaic of paving features. Not only does it shimmer with water, the underground lights accentuate the ripple effect of water cast in stone. After dark, the special effect of underground lighting adds a distinctive touch that adds greatly to visitors’ experience of place.
Cathedral Green provides a focal point, a viewing platform and a meeting place from which to appreciate the three gems of Derby – Derby Cathedral, the River Derwent and the Silk Mill. Evoking the rich textiles heritage of the area, the bridge and Cathedral Green together enhance the setting of the Silk Mill – part of the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
The bridge is used all day by a wide range of the public, from young people on skateboards to elderly couples resting on benches. The success of Cathedral Green as a place for people lies in the welcome that the public of Derby have shown it, quickly adopting the new space and making it their own. Being a key public place and a major area of city centre green space, it has attracted a high profile, and the consistent flow of people throughout the day has increased natural surveillance in the area, with positive effects for reducing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
The new green has highlighted one of Derby’s previously forgotten assets, the River Derwent that flows through the heart of the city centre. Be it the birdwatchers viewing peregrine falcons nesting on the Cathedral tower, children chasing ducklings on the riverbanks, or the elderly feeding the fish in the river, the bridge brings people from diverse backgrounds to the river and has made the riverside more accessible. It is an oasis of green in the city, an urban open space that caters to all.
Pranali Parikh is the urban design manager with Derby Cityscape
