New Broadmarsh Centre designs revealed

New Broadmarsh designs revealed which would combine housing, allotments and performance areas

'The new Broadmarsh Centre is a chance to propel the city to a green and community-focused era'

The latest designs to transform the half-demolished Broadmarsh Centre into open space, housing and a performance area have been revealed.

Josef Stoger, 22, a UCL architecture graduate originally of West Bridgford, created the scheme with two friends he met at university, Loukis Menelaou and Nick Collee, on evenings and weekends during the past two months.

It would feature housing, an open-air performance space to celebrate local artists, parks, vertical farming and workshop space.

Plans also include access to a Nottingham museum and to underground tannery caves to promote the city's unique history.

The scheme gradually rises from the south to north of the site, orienting a large surface to catch the afternoon sun.

A large walkway connects the train station to the city centre and acts as a space for public markets while a tunnel underneath the tram bridge connects the site to the new Nottingham College site.

Josef told Nottinghamshire Live: "The demolition of the Broadmarsh centre creates an enormous opportunity for Nottingham.

"The new Broadmarsh Centre is a chance to propel the city to a green and community-focused era.

"It will be a gateway to the city of Nottingham providing housing, an open-air performance space, parks, vertical farming and workshop space.

"Nottingham is an amazing city and has a great history of innovation which we want to continue with architecture that puts the city at the centre of international attention, boosting tourism and setting Nottingham as the prime example of a sustainable, forward-thinking city."

The site is now owned by Nottingham City Council after former owners Intu went into administration midway through the redevelopment of the centre last summer.

It has since been left partially-demolished ever since.

Nottingham City Council held a 'big conversation' about what should happen with the site and has said it was open to hearing all options.

Josef, now living in Hucknall, added: "Our aim was to create as much space for vegetation as possible in order to create a green lung for the bustling city.

"By utilising a layered approach, the main building has vast terraces dedicated to allotments for the residents with the hope that it can cover much of their food needs on-site.

"I am really passionate about this project because I love Nottingham and the people in it and the Broadmarsh site is an incredible opportunity for us to transform the city in a beautiful way."

Josef said he has submitted the plans to Nottingham City Council for consideration.

Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, previously said: "The Big Conversation has really captured people’s imagination.

"It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine a significant space right in the heart of one of the country’s core cities and build a new post-Covid vision for urban areas that is people-centred and green but also leads to jobs and housing, improving quality of life.

"What has been interesting to see among the understandable desire for green space is the number of respondents who have called for this and something else - small shops, markets, offices, restaurants, entertainment - to complement the new space."

Written by Ben Reid - Nottinghamshire Live