Clayton - Masterplan Design

URBAN DESIGN PROGRAM

CLAYTON ESPLANADE OBJECTIVES

VISION

1

In keeping with the founding principles of its Sport City neighbour, Clayton Esplanade will serve as a new gateway for active living and sustainable lifestyles.

Capitalise on the canal-side location and activate an under-utilised asset through a new waterfront development.

4

Maximise the potential of green infrastructure within the site - to improve landscape character and recreational value, whilst integrating it within the wider green network.

movement and legibility integrate the existing community to 2 Strengthen 5 Successfully through upgrades to existing public the north and south, creating a gateway between

The adjacent Ashton Canal boasts heritage and natural assets to be realised for a unique and ambitious waterfront development creating a distinct and characterful place.

realm in order to improve sustainable links to the city centre and other key destinations

As the sport city region continues to grow, the site will be endorsed for its new high quality public realm, integration with wider green and blue networks, and innovative mixed-use design.

on the high footfall and 3 Capitalise activity produced by Sports City to

create a new hub of for sustainable enterprise and leisure in Clayton

ACTIONS

6 7

Develop a seamless transition between the high-activity Sports City and the low-rise residential area through diverse urban blocks

5 7 Taking advantange of the tram connection and Church landmark to create a green, pedestrian boulevard linking Ashton New Road and the canal.

Develop an active waterfront with highquality public realm and pedestrian routes

Sports City and East Manchester

1 2 3

Promoting sustainable lifestyles extending beyond the boundaries of Sports City.

Georgia Missen (ID: 10276054)

Create a strong heritage network through the site, linking the surrounding areas to reinvigorate local pride and identity

4 7

2 5

Focus on creating a mixed-use neighbourhood that creates its own character areas; following the loud-quiet concept

Creating green routes and spaces across the site to increase permeability, and provide an attractive pedestrian environment

1 2 5

Enhance legibility by tackling the poor frontage along Ashton New Road and the canal, and the physical barriers such as the tram line

2 3 6

1 5 Develop the site to be a pedestrian priority zone to promote the ideals of healthy living and community-building

2 7

Using design interventions such as lighting, frontage and orientation of buildings to increase natural surveillance and tackle safety concerns around the site

DESIGN ANALYSIS ZONE A hotels, offices and ACTIVE street-level retail, fronting onto to key esplanade and central boulevard

CONCEPT

SportCity is a hub of activity; drawing fortnightly crowds of over 50,000

ZONE C focus on density; thus RESIDENTIAL

medium-scale apartments and townhouse rows to boost population

Industrial-Retail edge; small retail park; poor-quality edge conditions (Crabtree Lane is an inactive service street)

ZONE B school & after-school, public CIVIC library, offices, cafes and HEART high-quality public realm to bring people together

A

LAND USE

capturing footfall in the active zone through diverse retail: hotels to cater for football tourism and travelling teams to SportCity communal neighbourhood parking lot to promote a car-free residential area

Residential Hotel Offices Pub/Bar Cafe/Restaurant Retail School (Primary & Nursery) Public Library & After-School Club

transition to more leisurely, quieter activity; shift towards offices and shared leisure spaces promoting interaction

HEIGHTS 2F 3F 4F 5F 6F 7F 8F 10F

Hotel as zone landmark; visible from Tram Square to draw footfall

key corner; fronting the esplanade and promenade use as cinema will cement this building as a major convergence point

elevated frontage; limited to 5F to avoid dwarfing the opposing frontages (2-3F) strong frontage onto central residential boulevard to affirm the character zone

stable building heights and strong block formations; enforced character as shared community area

A’ undulating heights to limit overshadowing and offer unique views for residents

ROUTES Major Pedestrian Secondary Pedestrian Local Pedestrian

major GI link to Clayton Hall

WATERFRONT LONG SECTION (A-A’)

Shared Road (pedestrian priority) Major Vehicular Minor Vehicular adapted lock: crossing point

Retail Offices Residential School Retained Pub

Strong green pedestrian esplanade; with strong retail frontage along the major waterfront route; encouraging use as a linear park and leisure area

green central promenade transition to resi neccessitates a change in priority and scale of route

FRONTAGE & SERVICING integrating the activity from the tramline into the gateway to form a key access point and small square

B see cross section B for

A connections to Ashton New Road remain strong, though routes here are coded as quiet/residential

A’

more detail

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC REALM integrated GI into tram route to trap noise & SUDS

servicing done through block interiors to maximise pedestrian useage of the excellent central boulevard- shared street surrounding GI and public realm with pedestrian priority; limited parking for deliveries or visitors

EXISTING NEIGHBOURHOOD CHARACTER Central Promenade Major GI Route Minor

VERNACULAR STUDY A Clayton Residential - attractive red-

brick terraces (predominantly 1940-50s), with particularly strong frontage along Ashton New Road

C Industrial Zone - character is currently

Frontage Residential Educational (semi-active) Offices Retail (active, with passive/semi-active frontage from offices/resi above) nodes Dominant Secondary Major Gateway Minor Gateway

poor; abundance of derelict land on-site, and limited frontage or interaction with the streetscape creates a very empty, unattractive, character-lacking zone

large spill-out / seating zones along esplanade within the active retail areas large play space outside entrance to school strategic frontage network ensuring eyes on the street from every side of the block while respecting privacy distances and prioritising waterfront/view frontage

Greenspace

Major

Minor

Public Realm Hotspots

Major

Secondary

D SportCity - hub of sports and leisure activities, full of large infrastructure with abundant public realm esplanade transitions from a pedestrian highway to a more linear park; with pocket parks feeding off the main linear walkway into the complex block formations

traditional:

Clayton Residential Palette brickwork

B Clayton Green - access to high-quality X greenspace and heritage assets; Church of St Cross is a major local landmark, and Clayton Hall is a grade II* listed asset

E Openshaw Residential - simpler red-

brick terraces (pre-1940s), with limited neighbourhood greenspace barring a few playing fields

SITE CHARACTER

detailing

Outdoor Leisure; internal block servicing and excellent exterior public realm & GI encourages users to mingle along the promenade or esplanade

roof

A typical house on Ashton New Road imitation slate tile (likely ceramic) large south-facing windows with white / cream stone cill & heads Servicing done via front

modern: SportCity

high-quality brickwork arch with ornamentation

attractive wrought black iron fencing

industrial

small front garden: typically only <2m setback from pavement little cohesion between palette or materials

while there is little remaining infrastructure within the site, using surrounding vernacular and palettes will help integrate the site “zones” with their respective neighbourhoods and create character.

Strong Ashton New Road frontage; matching Clayton’s vernacular to enhance movement corridor effect Active Mixed Use; hub of movement and retail; potential 24h zone

Playful Community; use of interactive public realm, clear palette change, and socialisation-oriented furniture to encourage community interaction Green Residential; medium-density apartment blocks and diverse “green fingers” of public realm; creating pocket parks or meeting spaces

CLAYTON ESPLANADE

ZONE A: THE HIVE

ZONE B: CLAYTON HALLSIDE

ZONE C: CLAYTON LOCKS

Clayton Green The Vic

Davy Jones Square

Library Square

highlighting retained pub; the Victoria Inn, and using enclosure to create an outdoor space for pub-goers

Naming new hotel & pocket park in Memoriam of Clayton local and Manchester Icon; Davy Jones of the Monkees

retaining existing high-quality terraces and expanding this character zone; adding 33 new 3-storey townhouses and 7 corner maisonettes to form a clear residential entrance along Ashton New Road

as the block is internally serviced, this encourages users of this block to B go out into the (excellent) public realm along the green promenade or esplanade

Ashton Frontage

Residential Block

taking advantage of the slightly quieter block interiror to create a quiet working or leisure space for surrounding office users or library-goers

B’

1

interior servicing allows for pocket parks to be formed within block formations

C

9

A’

C’

ii A

8 2

Hallside School

i

Canal Wave

i

3D Model: Esplanade-Promenade Corner

dominance of hospitality (bars and restaurants) along the waterfront within this zone would further support late-night activity

5

3 using the block edge as a local -scale landmark: a cinema/theatre to offer evening/night-time activity, and activate the promenadeesplanade intersection

key entrance point from SportCity and Ashton New Road; using a cafe (and spill out) to activate the building front, and incorporates the tram as an active asset - rather than its much more hidden design presently.

Manchester City have recently announced a desire to expand SportCity even further; incorporating a hotel into the stadia grounds

strong character in this zone is essential; to help distinguish it as a high-activity area and draw in footfall. Thus, strong frontage along the waterfront is essential; especially as the blocks here are particularly large and differentiation/complexity at the human-scale will be essential.

wetland rain garden with communal seating and scenic bridge; activating SUDS and GI and integrating into the public realm

slightly raised (0.25m) deck for spill-out space (with regular ramps to facilitate crossing) and to differentiate between the central pedestrian route over the more retail-oriented route along the building face

A

VERNACULAR & CHARACTER

Clayton Locks: Pocket Park

CENTRAL PROMENADE cross section B-B’

key pedestrian highway from tram stop to canal; capturing views of St Cross church

A’

while the previous zones have highintensity movement corridors (as well as rest areas of course), the residential zone removes this direct linear route in favour of a more indirect, meandering route through the parklets or around social spaces

casual recreation zone; play or seating under the shade of the tall trees

as a mid-activity zone, this area will cater to more leisurely / laid-back socialisation compared to the Hive the area outside Hallside school will be especially oriented towards community meeting

examplar waterfront block

Hafencity, Hamburg

use of trough planters to segregate vehicular traffic from pedestian routes

using pocket parks integrated with SUDS as sponge gardens - can be modified to facilitate play or recreation, and offer a bespoke piece of public realm & GI on residents’ doorsteps

Hallside Play Area

using colourful, supportive and flexible materials (such as absorbant resins or rubber) to differentiate zones within a playground, or in the form of tiling and paint to help wayfinding towards the area and integrated GI, shade and seating options for parents/visitors to the area

C

Soller, Mallorca

Integrating a busy public tramway between (very tightly-nestled) cafe spill-out and wider public realm; forming paternoster chains of small public squares and nodes of activity

“natural” brickwork tones to add character and link to neighbourhood context

C’

VERNACULAR & CHARACTER in order to create a somewhat cohesive zone character, this area should use similar tones for the main building palette - however architectural detailing, or wider public realm detailing (e.g murals along the street level) to help differentiate between apartment buildings exemplar building ornamentation/ detailing (all in Seestadt, Vienna)

a clear change in character from the Hive; favouring playful design and public realm; especially surrounding Hallside School. Thus, mixed materials and palette would be suitable; a transition from more traditional colours fronting the promenade.

Bridleyplace, Birmingham

this could accomplished through coloured balcony glass, murals to activate blank building frontages, or public realm detailing

integrated seating and planters; used as additional spill out / seating for footfall from surrounding retail

cross section C-C’

B’

B’

VERNACULAR & CHARACTER

BEST PRACTICE

This zone will aim to link back to the Manchester City / SportCity Hub; using Man City Sky Blue as a direct visual link through ornamentation / palette

BEST PRACTICE

detailing - linking to SportCity with the sky blue, but creating new character with additional colours and materials

regenerating the canal with active retail and hospitality; and open-air spill-out space along the canal. Subsequently, it has revitalised the canal, and now draws up to 10,000 visitors per day

Lollipop Village: Shanghai

rain and sponge gardens greatly increase biodiversity and ecosystem services within a greenspace, and add significant diversity to the landscape (compared to the more standard lawwn and lollipop tree)

BEST PRACTICE Nordbahnhof, Vienna

warm and lively colours which should stay appealing year-round (especially crucial in rainy Manchester)

a regenerated railway station; with unique and complex block formations and strong pedestrian movement corridors, while offering high-density apartment living and high-quality public realm interventions & GI

a public space activation project that aimed to create a trendy outdoor play area as a welcoming and gathering point for the community, right at the front of a major plaza in the Pudong District

Ascension Paysagere, France

using unique apartment typologies and strong block angles to maximise available vistas for residents, while also significantly upgrading the waterfront public realm to generate community activity within an otherqise quiet neighbourhood

Champs D’Elysee, Paris

using GI and pedestrian infrastructure to create highly attractive pedestrian highways, with strong retail frontage and seating facilitating a mix of use; from daytime shopping, casual recreation or leisure examplar medium-activity waterfront retail

Allenburg, Pennsylvania

Pocket Park Network, Athens

block typology is medium-rise; 5-7 floors, with abundant balcony space (or rooftop gardens in zones with poor frontage)/views; with high quality public realm along the canal steps away from residents’ front doors

using small GI and recreation zones to interlink residential buildings through shared public realm; while also offering significant micro-environment benefits for residents (shading, temperature + wind control etc)

2 Victoria Inn Junction

3 Green Promenade

4 Hallside Esplanade

5 Waterfront Play Area

6 Clayton Locks; Green Waterfront

7 Split

8 Crossing Central Boulevard

9 Ashton New Road Gateway

active retail spill-out helps define the character of this zone, with green walls along ground-floor inactive zones to visually mark a change in building line and a new path towards the Victoria Inn

cinema/theatre captures the corner, with large spill out space to accomodate crowds; frontage into the promenade should be strong and fairly consistent to clearly frame the green promenade from the church to canal

while spill out space continues to accomodate for retail, this is more leisure-oriented; cafes and small shops to promote community meeting in this zone

large public play area along the waterfront helps to form a clear zonal boundary (amplified by the strong residential building line opposite), while also integrating the public realm into daily school run

strong residential character; emphasis on recreation and socialisation, through numerous parklets feeding off the main spine of the esplanade; with Strawberry duck pub visible at the terminus

use of building line to further split the esplanade; with a direct pedestrian route connecting to Ashton New Road, or continuing on to the Strawberry Duck

strong residential character along the central boulevard; while vehicle access is permitted, onstreet parking is highly restricted, and pedestrian priority creates a highly walkable central route

connection back onto Ashton New Road; pedestrian route has strong residential frontage to offer security, and enforce the character of this zone; semi-private, quiet residential space.

SERIAL VISION

1 Gateway Square

Waterfront Transition

C CENTRAL BOULEVARD

A ESPLANADE cross section A-A’

relocating this to the Hive instead would have many benefits; such as drawing footfall to an otherwise neglected site, strengthening the presence of the club within the local community, and offer significantly more retail opportunities for everyone; not just match attendees.

B

retained local pub with expanded garden & public realm, taking advantage of key (visual) terminal point on esplande as a local hub and landmark

7

large spill-out space to accomodate influx crowds

use of GI to segregate the bicycle lane, while also integrating shading and seating / rest areas for walkers

Gateway Square

ii

3D Model: Green Promenade

6

using colourful and fun architecture to highlight local school and give it unique character and landmarking power within the zone

4

Using adjustments in building height to create an undulating / wave effect with the building line along waterfront; tying back into context and offering complexity along the long block

The Strawberry Duck

key entrance into the site; integrating the tram into the public realm while offering multiple, heavily green routes of travel.

Hotel landmark is clearly visible, with a direct path adjacent to the pictured tram

ZONE A: THE HIVE

ZONE B: CLAYTON HALLSIDE

ZONE C: CLAYTON LOCKS