Two local businesses have been appointed to redesign and refurbish Worcester's Victorian railway arches, transforming a central city area into a modern, 21st Century workplace for creative industries.
The appointments of KKE Architects and structural engineering firm Shire are important milestones in the ambitious £4.5m redevelopment known as The Arches – Worcester.
Earlier this year the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport awarded £3m from the Cultural Development Fund which is administered by Arts Council England, towards the costs of the initiative.
The funding will pay for the design and construction of dynamic work and creative spaces underneath eight of the Arches. A new gateway for the city will also be created, following the line of the Arches from Foregate Street railway station down to The Hive and the river Severn.
"We are pleased to announce the appointment of two local firms to breathe new life in to The Arches-Worcester," said Cllr Adrian Gregson, Chair of Worcester's Cultural Development Fund Steering Group, the body which oversees the project.
"This ambitious £4.5m initiative will provide a major boost to the city's arts and culture offer, creating new space for small creative businesses and also funding a programme of exciting new festivals for Worcester."
Worcester based KKE Architects has already been involved in a number of major regeneration schemes for the city, including the Royal Porcelain Works, The Kiln co-working space and several refurbishment schemes for the University of Worcester.
Local structural engineering firm Shire has worked extensively for the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust at prestigious sites including Blists Hill's new Victorian Street, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and the Jackfield Tile Museum.
A sustainable approach will be taken throughout the redevelopment, ensuring that energy usage and carbon emissions from the refurbished Arches are kept to a minimum.
For more information about The Arches-Worcester, including details of the four innovative new festivals being staged in 2020, go to www.thearchesworcester.co.uk/
Background information
In January 2019 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport awarded £3m from the Cultural Development Fund, which is administered by Arts Council England, towards the costs of the The Arches - Worcester.
The project will be delivered by Worcester Cultural Partnership which is made up of:
Worcester City Council
The University of Worcester
Severn Arts
The Arch Company
Worcestershire County Council
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people's lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.www.artscouncil.org.uk
Find out more about the Cultural Development Fund here
