02/11/2007
Eldon Square’s stunning new state-of-the art bus station has captured one of the country’s most coveted design awards, reinforcing its position as a high quality example of the regeneration now being carried out in Newcastle.
Artist Dan Savage has been awarded the Pearsons Prize 2007 in the category of ‘best use of glass in architectural application’ for his large scale installation ‘Community in Motion’, which celebrates the urban, social, architectural and historical context of the city.
The 19 free-standing glass screens and an external balustrade for the Eldon Square bus station and shopping centre, which was opened in March 2007, has drawn gasps of approval from industry professionals, designers and the estimated 1.55 million customers who use the facility each year.
The bus station is part of three linked projects in a 10-year, £170 million refreshment and extension plan which will feature an additional retail mall to be opened in February 2008 and the redesign and restoration of old Eldon Square to create a much more attractive and usable space in the heart of the city.
Savage, who received his accolade at a glittering dinner playing host to some of the country’s leading designers at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff on Thursday November 1, said: “My work is informed by graphic design, incorporating text, photography and hand-drawn imagery which reflects notions of the site, the people and the history of Newcastle.
“The glass is screen-printed using opaque and transparent enamels, which are fired into the glass. This results in a permanent and maintenance free artwork which is not limited by scale.”
Peter Wightman Newcastle City Council’s group manager of traffic and project management, who commissioned the work, said: “The new Eldon Square bus station set the standard of excellence in design, vision and sustainability that we have aspired to throughout the entire Eldon Square extension project and we are all delighted that it has received official recognition.”
Notes to editors
Recent development works have provided an additional 22,000 sqr ft of retail space as well as two new restaurants, Strada and Wagamama, overlooking Old Eldon Square.
The final development phase comprises a substantial extension for 22 large-format stores anchored by a 175,000 sq ft Debenhams to open in early 2010.