Rochdale Riverside development - key views

Date published: 10 January 2017

The vision for Rochdale’s new flagship shopping and leisure development - Rochdale Riverside - is to provide an attractive, vibrant and revitalised town centre that can offer an excellent range and choice of shopping, leisure, living, working and cultural facilities that meets the needs of, and provides a focal point for, the Borough. Re-establishing Rochdale as a major sub-regional shopping destination.

Here we take a look at the key views of the development which will transform the current open 'hole' in the heart of town with a range of buildings and scale to provide contrast, variation and interest within the setting of the town centre and reform links into the existing urban fabric and remove the harm from the existing cleared spaces.

The scheme has been designed to incorporate a contemporary architectural form and material palette, not featuring the traditional red brick appearance of Rochdale and providing greater distinctiveness as a major redevelopment of the area whilst tying the scheme to the contemporary and distinctive approach taken to the design of Number One Riverside and the Bus Interchange.

Rochdale Riverside - proposed new retail view towards Baillie Street

Rochdale Riverside - proposed view from Smith Street towards The Butts

Rochdale Riverside - view north east from the corner of The Esplanade and Packer Street

Rochdale Riverside - view north from the junction of South Parade and Drake Street

Rochdale Riverside - view south along Milton Street

Rochdale Riverside - proposed cinema block view along Baillie Street

Rochdale Riverside - proposed cinema block north towards Smith Street (day)

Rochdale Riverside - view east from the junction of Constantine Road and Baillie Street

Rochdale Riverside - view south east from the junction of Yorkshire Street and Penn Street

Rochdale Riverside - proposed view south along the new Penn Street link

Rochdale Riverside - view north east from Number One Riverside along Smith Street

The site constraints of the southern elevation of the development onto the Metrolink and bus terminals (see the view north east from Number One Riverside along Smith Street above) mitigates providing an active frontage opposite the Metrolink platform. To bring visual interest and activity a unique moving tile wall is proposed which will move with the wind to create rippling effects. It will create a truly distinctive piece of public art and feature at a key entrance point to the town for tram and bus passengers.

Phase One of the development is programmed to complete over a 19-month build starting in summer 2017 to allow for opening in early 2019. Phase Two will provide the office, hotel, residential and other commercial uses and is anticipated to take 24-months to complete. Phase Two will not commence until after Phase One completes.