Winning design to create neighbourhood revealed

St George’s Church in Wolverhampton is set to be surrounded by new public squares for pop-up cultural events

The winning design to regenerate an area of Wolverhampton has been revealed.

Architects have been working on plans since spring as part of a competition to design a neighbourhood in the city centre.

London-based firms Mikhail Riches and Periscope were announced as winner for their collaborative design to transform the five-acre site at St George’s.

The project would form the basis of a St George’s masterplan, with a pre-planning application to follow later this year, said City of Wolverhampton Council.

Parts of the former Sainsbury’s building there are set to be saved and repurposed to reduce embodied carbon.

Plans also include surrounding St George’s Church with new public squares featuring pop-up cultural events, intimate courtyards and social spaces.

The competition was overseen by Angela Brady OBE, a former president of Royal Institute of British Architects.

Ms Brady said: “The Mikhail Riches and Periscope team had the edge with their vision, particularly with its retrofitting of the Sainsbury’s building in such an imaginative way."

The winning submission proposed a "vibrant and varied" neighbourhood of sustainable new homes, as well as outdoors spaces, boulevards, green streets, shops, cafes and bars and community spaces, said the council.

Councillor Chris Burden said: “St George’s is a fantastic opportunity to create a game changing neighbourhood of which the city can be proud.

"It’s a critical part of our citywide plan to unlock investment in considered development that delivers much needed homes and new opportunities for our communities."