The Vibrant Colour of Culture project site is situated in the peninsula between the North Sea and the River Yare in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It is primarily concerned with the transformation of a derelict post-industrial site into a vibrant cultural hub. The town centre to the neighbourhood of South Denes was once a thriving coastal resort, fishing harbour and port for offshore oil rigs. It has degenerated due to the change in the economic climate within South Denes, including a decrease in the number of tourists to Great Yarmouth and a downturn in oil reserves resulting in less port activity.

Context section drawing of Great Yarmouth (north to south)

Attractive views from the site

The aim of the design is to redevelop the site for both temporary users and residents. Temporary users could be artists, artisans, new entrepreneurs, migrant creatives or anyone who feels the urge to become more creative. These activities are a low-cost, bottom-up form of urban development known as tactical urbanism which includes small, pin-point changes to the space. These urban acupuncture events produce a new vibrant, creative culture within the space by people coming together to do something spontaneously to benefit the community. Local communities can help to bring more stability to the place and increase the value given to the land which will help secure the future of the project.

The South Denes Cultural Hub will contribute towards making Great Yarmouth a more vibrant and cultural place to live, work and visit. The development is phased, working towards a significant contribution from the ideas of creatives who will act as a catalyst for the town’s strategy creating a more vibrant cultural identity. Together creative people, such as artists and entrepreneurs, will be the catalyst for the creation of a series of small urban development events. The design will allow more opportunities for strong and vibrant interactions between creative people and the formation of new social, economic and cultural networks.
The provision of the space for these activities is the starting point for allowing opportunities for creative synergies to transform a once derelict urban landscape into a more vibrant place.

Borrowing Shapes, Forms and Systems from the history of the site

Overnight tourist numbers

Spatial strategies and intervention

Planting strategy

STRATEGIC-DEVELOPMENT-MASTERPLAN-FOR-SOU

Autumn (section C - C’)

Winter (section D-D’)

Artisan Road - Spring to summer view (section A-A’)

Planter: Tamarix spp. (Tamarisk), Betula pendula (Silver Birch)

Planting bed: Eragrostis curvula (Weeping Love Grass)
Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-mist)
Papaver rhoeas (Common Poppy)

Street trees: Pinus ssp
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)

Spring - Summer (section B-B’)

Dock Garden key plants species: Populus alba, Populus nigra and Betula pendula

Populus nigra ‘Italica’

Autumn (section C-C’)

Winter (section D-D’)

Salix alba ‘Chermesina’

Programmes and activities

The main entrance and street planting view / Inclusive waterfront

Transforming the heavy industrial seaside mood to a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere.

Column Garden / Recycled red brick art sculpture wall

The red bricks from the former boundary wall surrounding the shipyard are rearranged for a unique atmosphere. It is a reminder of the site’s history whilst bringing the site into the future.

Green Community Garden / SuDS

This gathering space suggests a better method for harvesting water with the community garden creating a multi-functional space.

Inland bridge / Reflection / Materiality

People are relaxing on the lawns, sunbathing, taking treetop walks on the Inland Bridge from where visitors can enjoy the reflections off the water features in the Water Garden.

Social Enterprise Container Grid Unit Space / Multi-functional / D.I.Y space / Health and wellbeing

The changeable form of the space accommodates temporary uses with the opportunity to move planters and the position of the containers. It maximises the flexibility of the site and supports the community to form different memories. This space provides areas for the local market, festivals, pop-up shops, mobile businesses, and for people to exercise when the space is not being used.

Concept Garden / Sub-entrances with container pergola

This space provides unique experiences along the street within the boundary of the park. It can be fully opened and enclosed depending on the activities happening in the park. Planting spaces in front of the container pergola can be designed by the original communities or by new types of temporal communities. For example, it can be used for a showcase space during a garden festival. This space generates changeable memories during daily routine activities.

Inland bridge / Water Garden

Recreational activities are on the ground with the water splash feature and on the bridge with transferable mesh material. The inland bridge is an observatory, recreational space, and a linkage to the other gardens within the park. The park creates different types of joy within the different hierarchy of the areas.

Water feature / Bioremediation planting

Mainly birches and poplars are planted for their ability to clean the soil within the site. This helps to grow other plants next to them. This view shows that the bioremediation planting comes with the different layers of design features and materials to create a cheerful mood in the space.