Weather forecast: extra mist for Salford

A couple of months ago we mentioned the Greengate plans on the our architectural column (click here).

This article focussed on the decrepit state of Victoria Bridge, a grade II listed structure, shockingly neglected, and the original point of contact between Manchester and Salford.

The plans for the redevelopment of Greengate were mentioned. This is the area overlooked by Manchester Cathedral, extending under the railway arches to Trinity Way in Salford.

The plans for the public realm over this huge 13 hectare site have now been approved by both Manchester and Salford.

The scheme is worth £10.4million.

There are three phases with the first going on site in 2010 for completion in 2011. The second phase will then move northwest under the viaducts (where two thirds of the rail viaducts here and the properties on Chapel Street will be demolished) and the third phase of public realm concludes with a large ‘green’ square close to where Abito apartments stand on Greengate.

The latest ideas for the first phase are displayed here.

They include a new footbridge from Manchester Cathedral over the River Irwell into Salford and a landscaping scheme by Whitelaw Turkington.

Confidential talked Phase One through with Nick Putnam of Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company.

“We’re very happy with the plan,” he told us. “It has a range of features designed to grab attention of people on the Manchester side and pull them over the bridge, into Salford and the Greengate area. This first phase of public realm will provide a large public open space, which we will animate on various occasions with events, markets, music and so on. It will have fountains, seating and beacons. These will be lit in an exciting and attractive manner.”

Fair enough. The site presently has a particularly ugly car park planted on it. But there are issues.

The main one is why build another bridge?

There's a perfectly good bridge waiting for cleaning, de-planting and restoration less than 6m away from the proposed footbridge. It seems a weird decision to build this new structure when Victoria Bridge is crying out for attention.

“Victoria Bridge carries a lot of traffic and has narrow pavements,” says Putnam. “We want to create a sense of place for the new public realm and a dedicated introduction to the Greengate scheme. This will take people in a safe and attractive way straight into Greengate from the Manchester side.”

Not sure that makes a sufficient case to justify the expense, so we agree to differ. We move on to the Piccadilly Gardens look-alike fountains? Manchester has a terrible reputation for crocked fountains, spouts that seem to define themselves by not working.

“This isn't Manchester,” says Putnam. “We're putting in place a management company and there will be a dedicated officer to keep the fountains running day to day. This fountain is very different from Piccadilly too, with more fountain-heads, 36 of them. They have a whole array of different features including the ability to light them.”

We like fountains, so as long as they work they get a big Confidential thumbs up.

Now what are the awful cheap-looking metal structures that are getting in the way in these pictures?

Putnam describes them for us. “They're beacons. They're part of our plan for pulling people across the river into Salford. They can be lit and used for display, have projections thrown on to them as well. The illustration doesn't do the beacons justice perhaps.”

He pauses and then tells us the strange idea.

“Both the beacons and the fountains can emit mist. This will be in the form of a fine water vapour released at high pressure – think of those New York steam clouds coming out of the pavement. A whole show with lights and the mist can be created, programmed in by computer.”

Do we need to create mist in Salford, we ask?

“It looks spectacular,” says Putnam. “In hot weather it'll work particularly well. We have made the decision not to call the effect fog though,” he joshed.

Confidential isn't sure about the beacons at all. They look rubbish so let's hope that they don't get in the way or keep breaking down.

View to the public realm site from the Manchester side. Two thirds of the viaducts and the buildings directly in front will be demolished

The night time graphic shows kids playing in the fountains in the evening – obviously by 2011 global warming will have completely changed the climate. But this gives Confidential the excuse to raise one of its chief bugbears again.

The city centre – and the area bounded by Trinity Way in Salford is becoming effectively the city centre – needs a playground, a proper good one, as in Heaton Park. This site over the river from the main retail area of Manchester would be absolutely ideal. It would also complement the residential developments in Greengate.

We say forget the beacons and stuff the mist, bring us slides and swings. It would encourage families to stay longer in the city centre and guarantee revenue for cafes and bars in the pictured railway arches, whilst giving the exciting Greengate scheme a very human, very sympathetic introduction. The changes in the area are very much needed, but it will need constant animation to ensure the public realm doesn't look like dead space: a playground would provide that animation.