At a talk by Hopkins Architects director Jim Greaves yesterday, the audience praised the company for their plans to lower the road that cuts the site off from the rest of St Helier.
Following the Architecture Week lecture last night, Advocate Christopher Scholefield said: ‘It was well received and representatives of various built heritage interest groups left with smiles on their faces.
I think we have turned a corner.’ Mr Greaves said: ‘All we have done is questioned the fundamental ”given” and identified the potential for an integrated new quarter on the waterfront.
You cannot help but be struck by the fact that buildings on the waterfront are of poor quality – the kind of buildings you would associate with an edge-of-town ring-road rather than a prime site.
The road is acting as the major line of severance.
As soon as you take a decision about going over or under something, you have to focus everybody to a point.’ Referring to places like Las Ramblas in Barcelona, he said: ‘We just have to make it happen.
Parking, unless it is on-street, should be underground.
Esplanade Square has two levels of underground parking.
There are two storeys of basement on each site and a fortune would have to be spent holding up the road – so take that with it.
This is all achieveable.’
