Stratford-upon-Avon is a small market town of 24,000 people in south Warwickshire. As the birthplace of William Shakespeare and home of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) it is also host to nearly 3 million tourists a year.
The main public focus of the town is the waterfront along the river Avon, also the location of the RSC’s main theatres. We were commissioned by Stratford-on-Avon District Council to develop proposals for public realm improvements to the waterfront area as part of a long term regeneration effort in association with redevelopment plans at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The work brought together previous studies and involved a series of public workshops as well as close cooperation with the RSC’s design team and council officers. By setting out a wider strategy for the area and identifying a range of specific more detailed projects, the document was a key tool in helping to secure further support for the later World Class Stratford initiative which has taken a number of the proposals forward to completion.
By far the biggest challenge of the project was to balance the needs of both tourists and residents and develop proposals that are sensitive to the historic town and still strong enough to work with a modern, international attraction.
Client
Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Scope
Masterplan to coordinate regeneration and enhancement of the town’s waterfront
Location
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Status
Completed 1997
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