By Kelly Eve Education Reporter

Published at 05:19, Friday, 11 September 2009

AN INNOVATIVE roof canopy complete with a public walkway, a roof-top restaurant and the creation of new city squares are among the ambitious ideas pitched by architects looking to clinch the deal to design the proposed £70m flagship campus for the University of Cumbria.

Ideas: Architects make their presentations on the proposed new University of Cumbria campus

Three firms outlined their concepts for the key campus site on Wednesday in 20-minute presentations before a group of people representing a cross-section of city organisations.

Yesterday they faced a more detailed grilling from project leaders who will consider the bids before making a recommendation to the university’s board.

It is expected a decision on who has won the bid to design the campus, that will become the main site for Cumbria’s fledgling university, will be made by the board in the next few weeks.

Experts from RMJM, Sheppard Robson and ADP all hope their ideas will capitalise on the skyline views to and from the Victoria Viaduct site, particularly focusing on the city’s historical landmarks such as the cathedral and Dixon’s chimney. They also want to open up the riverside area to the public with outdoor cafes, cycle routes and spaces.

RMJM hopes to create a series of modern buildings with a bridge over the River Caldew and the creation of new ‘university squares’ on parts of the site to attract not only students but the general public too.

London-based Sheppard Robson proposes to create a new ‘green space’ in the city centre with a series of glass-fronted buildings set around a central spine of a new ‘street’ all covered by a roof canopy that would be open for the public to walk over.

ADP architects have drawn inspiration from the city’s historical network of lanes and thoroughfares to create a campus of five key identical buildings linked with courtyards and walkways.

Each suggest that the university’s headquarters will be sited near to Nelson Bridge, with one offering a revamped viaduct/James Street junction to create a ‘gateway’ to the campus.

RMJM and ADP also see the development breathing new life into the arches of English Damside, stimulating new business and overcoming the obstacle of having the campus site split from the city centre by the West Coast Main Line.

Maggie Mooney, chief executive of Carlisle City Council, was among the delegates listening to the pitches.

She said: “This is a recognition that this is the single most important thing for the city by having a group like this together to see the ideas.

“It is about the city and the university linking together. This is central to the future of Carlisle.

“We have to have the sense that it belongs to the community and all of the cities that have universities of this kind have that. They have to get that with the design for this campus.

“We want people to come to the University of Cumbria and we want it to fill us with pride.”

Peter Nixon, the university’s operations director, said:“Key stakeholders including staff and student representatives were invited to listen to the architects’ design concepts to help us decide who will be appointed as the architects for the project.

“All three firms gave us food for thought with some exciting ideas of how this campus might look.”

The university is planning to hold further public consultations after the architects have been appointed and detailed plans drawn up.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk