Charlotte Fernández
UKIMEA Press Office,Leeds
City Park in Bradford, designed by Gillespies and Arup on behalf of Bradford Council and supported by a multi-disciplinary design team, will be officially launched on March 24th2012.
This landmark public space contains the largest city-centre water feature anywhere in the UK, a 4,000sq m mirror pool, and the UK’s tallest urban fountain which reaches a spectacular 100ft.
City Park stems from a city centre masterplan drawn up in 2003 on Bradford’s behalf which provided a vision of opening up the city centre and creating a public space that would act as a focal point.
Bradford Council took the lead role in turning this vision into a viable plan and Gillespies, Arup, Sturgeon North, Atoll and The Fountain Workshop developed this early concept into a detailed design which was submitted for planning permission and funding in 2007 before construction started in late 2009.
The final design builds on the original vision of a city centre for Bradford and has created a flexible dynamic centrepiece in the form of a vibrant 2.4ha public space including the mirror pool, fountains and public art.
The park centres on the Grade I Listed, 19th Century City Hall and helps to connect major visitor attractions like the National Media Museum and the Alhambra Theatre with transport hubs and the rest of the city centre. It enhances the overall image of Bradford and helps create a landscape for investment by setting Bradford apart from other cities.
Lighting has an important role in extending the use of the park after dark. Arup designed the lighting to provide a subtle and understated lit backdrop to the park, allowing the interactive colour and feature lighting to shine.
“City Park promises to bring great long-term benefits to the city and the Bradford district as a whole.
City Park promises to bring great long-term benefits to the city and the Bradford district as a whole.
City Park promises to bring great long-term benefits to the city and the Bradford district as a whole.
- David Green, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration and Economy