Twickenham Rediscovered - architects competition

In 2015 we invited architects who had a track record of delivering high quality town centre ‘mixed use’ schemes in sensitive town centre areas to enter a design competition. The procurement and competition process was undertaken in accordance with our contract standing orders and procedures.

What were the architects asked to do in the competition?

The architects were given the following briefing to feed into their designs. This was based on feedback from residents received during previous local surveys and consultations.

Introduce a town square on King Street and at the top of Water Lane, and one that is sufficient in size to support commercial and potentially local market activity
Introduce the opportunity for niche restaurants, retail, arts and crafts, commercial activity within the overall scheme and be complementary in style and formation to surrounding retail streets, specifically Church Street, Twickenham. Including the opportunity for alfresco/cafe dining activity
Connect to, and be complementary of, existing properties not within the ownership of the Council on King Street and Water Lane
Include a proportion of residential including shared ownership options
Introduce, as appropriate, further open space to provide for the relevant connection to existing open space and access to the Diamond Jubilee Gardens
Create a possible area for performance on the Embankment (amphitheatre)
Consider a current/future opportunity to connect with, and develop, the access road at the rear of King Street, with the potential to establish retail activity that is complementary to the overall site
Introduce facilities that could be available for community use including café, toilets, room to hire

How were the architects assessed?

A team of senior Council officers and Cabinet Members reviewed the proposals and considered:

Quality of proposals in relation to the briefing provided
Sketch proposals
Previous relevant experience
Added value of the architect
Team CVs

How much were each architect paid to develop their proposals?

All the architects were paid £5,000 for their submissions.

Was the procurement process for the architects design competition legal?

Yes. It followed the Council's agreed standing orders and procurement rules.

Why did we choose this proposal from Quinlan and Francis Terry?

The brief for the design competition reflected what people had told us during the previous consultations. None of the designs submitted responded to every aspect of the brief. But, we felt that Quinlan and Francis Terry proposals best met the main requirement for the community and public space, that is accessible for all and connecting to Diamond Jubilee Gardens.

See the chosen proposal designs(pdf, 5285KB)

Why did we not consult on all the proposals from the four architects?

We were very clear in the brief that we were looking for one architect who could visualize all the feedback we had already received through the Barefoot consultation, Twickenham Conference, All in One and Twickenham Area Action Plan consultations. We felt that Quinlan and Francis Terry interpreted that feedback most accurately. However, we were also clear that these designs were only a starting point. They were concepts that needed to be developed with the community, after which there would be a further consultation on revised proposals.

Other Proposals

Following a number of recent requests, the architects who submitted proposals as part of the architectural competition for redevelopment of Twickenham Riverside, Water Lane and King Street, have agreed that their proposals can be published by the Council. The below are the key design concepts captured from their submissions

Updated: 24 March 2021

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