Six architects were shortlisted in an architectural competition to redesign the Birnbeck Island and Pier in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
The competition, which opened in August, is run by Urban Splash and RIBA. It received 95 entries from all over the world, including Hong Kong, Canada, Russia and the USA.
Jason Collard, managing director of Urban Splash South West, said: “We are really pleased with the response to the competition for Birnbeck Island and Pier. I think we have selected a very strong short list, the designs are all very exciting and I believe it looks good for the future of Birnbeck.”
The shortlisted candidates will be judged by a panel including Sir Neil Cossons, who will announce the winner in the new year.
The remaining entrants are:
- AOC Architecture Ltd (London)
AOC's design envisages Birnbeck Island as an inhabitable mountain, a‘natural’ landmark. The Island has a hotel, with 1-star cabins to 5 star clifftop retreats. On the mainland the village offers a range of homes perched on the hillside.
- FLACQ Architects (London)
A low-impact, sustainable development using the site’s natural resources to heat, cool, filter, cleanse and grow. It offers public spaces and a collection of markets, restaurants and bars, independent retailers and a music venue for festivals and concerts.
Levitate Architecture & Design Studio Ltd (London)
Levitate propose removing unsightly decks that shroud the island to reveal natural rock. It will create a place where people can explore rock pools and bird watch. Historic buildings will be restored and two linear buildings will sit on retained concrete pads, elevated above the rock.
MOH Architects (Vienna)
MOH Architects aims to make an icon out of the space available while responding to the existing qualities of the site, the historic fabric and the size constraints.
Pierre d'Avoine / White Young Green Planning & Design (Cardiff)
Pierre d'Avoine propose revitalising Birnbeck Island by reconceiving it as a big building in the form of a small island and renaming it Pleasure Holm, making three islands in the Bristol Channel off Weston-super-Mare – Steep Holm, Flat Holm and Pleasure Holm.
Richards Partington Architects (London)
An inhabited ‘pier’ on the south of the island for entrepreneurs and innovators will involve a series of carbon neutral dwellings that hover above the high tide mark. A series of terraced parkland structures will connect the existing town with the new quarter and the island.
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