Student and professional architects team up in bid to redesign city spaces

AEW Architects and Camlins have won a competition run by Corridor Manchester to design two public spaces in the city.

The competition paired seven professional teams with students from Manchester Metropolitan University and the Manchester School of Architecture.

AEW won the contest for Mancunian Way with students Estefanell Maeso and Tughan Toz while Camlins won with proposals for the Whitworth Gateway working with Neha Garg, Arminder Heera and Vinca Olechnowicz-Simpson.

Jury chair Geoff Wood said: “The Jury finally selected AEW’s proposal for the Mancunian Way site because of their vision for how the site could be developed to transcend the current limitations that constrain its appearance and value to the public.

“At the Whitworth site, two proposals were very difficult to separate, despite the huge differences in approach. Landscape Projects produced impressive and detailed proposals which the Jury commended highly, but in the end Camlins sophisticated conceptual response was chosen.

“What we were able to demonstrate through this competition is that Manchester has the skills and the willingness to create a public realm that can live up to the city’s growing international status.”

The other participating practices were Denton Corker Marshall, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios, Formroom Architects and Camlin Lonsdale

Funding to develop the winning designs has not yet been found but Corridor Manchester said the proposals will be sent to Transport for Greater Manchester.

Corridor Manchester is a consortium of organisations working to promote the Oxford Road area of Manchester. The Institute of Place Management will be rewarding students from the winning teams with cash prizes.