The Circus Street development has been named as Building of the Year 2022 by Architecture Journal.
The 2.4 acre Circus Street site was formerly home to the municipal fruit and vegetable market and university annex building. It has been transformed as a mixed-use scheme and ‘innovation quarter’.
This £130 million Public Private Partnership between developers U+I and the council is delivering 142 new homes, of which 20 per cent will meet the Government’s definition of affordability. Sustainability attributes include BREEAM Excellent standards across the entire development.
The scheme also features 450 new student bedrooms; 3,000 square feet of flexible office accommodation, and the Dance Space. This new dance studio and headquarters for South East Dance is expected to attract 70,000 visitors and users a year.
It is hoped that the modern office space will increase the opportunities for creative and digital businesses to remain and flourish in the city.
The award’s judges said that the whole project ‘had the feel of a real labour of love.’ They also praised ‘the big and simple spaces’ of the office and workplace interiors, one describing the Dance Space as ‘wonderful’.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “I am thrilled that Circus Street has won this important national award, highlighting the quality and beauty of the city’s newest neighbourhood, which sits so well in its proximity to Valley Gardens and The Royal Pavilion.
“The development has brought much needed homes and top spec office space, which will help draw companies to our shores.
“Circus Street is key to unlocking the potential of our city. To become one of the favoured places for a satellite office outside of London, and the best place to begin a start-up. So, this is about supporting creatives, scale-ups and emerging innovation too.
“The regeneration in the city is a powerful reminder of the partnerships we have with a wide range of organisations all of which help keep Brighton & Hove a brilliant place to live and work.
“Having been involved in this project for a decade it is particularly gratifying to see the awards starting to come in and I would like to congratulate the architects shedkm and the whole team at U+I.”
The leading UK professional architecture magazine chose Circus Street from a shortlist of national schemes, which also included Plus X Brighton.
Photo credit DCoolimages.com
