On Saturday 22nd April, twenty architects from all over Scotland spent the day in the town centre talking to local people and discussing ideas with representatives of the Midsteeple Quarter Team, as they researched the way the town centre currently works and the challenges and opportunities the future holds.
The event was hosted in preparation for architects entering the Midsteeple Quarter National Architecture Competition. The competition, organised by The Stove Network and the Glasgow Institute of Architects on behalf of the local community partnership, is open to all architects, designers and urban planners. There are cash prizes for the top three entries and a selection of the entries will be exhibited at The Stove in Dumfries and in Glasgow during the summer. The deadline for the competition is 15th May.
Project producer, David Smith, commented, “We are looking to constantly refresh the vision for the Midsteeple Quarter. Drawing on the collective imagination of architectural talent in Scotland will help us to imagine what is possible and we can take these visions back to the community for their input.”
The Midsteeple Quarter project is led by a diverse and grassroots community collaboration working in partnership with cross-party MSPS and MPs, Higher Education Institutions, the Local Authority and National Agencies, The University of the West of Scotland, Third Sector D&G, Loreburne Community Council, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, D&G Council and Crichton Institute.
Discussing the support of the local council, Matt Baker from The Stove Network commented, “It’s been really important for us to have the backing of our Dumfries & Galloway Council in this enterprise. We fully support the recent announcement of the Town Centre Living Fund, allocated in the Council budget for 2017/2018, which could help support the realisation of this important project for Dumfries town centre and other town centres across the region.”
For more information, please contact David Smith at [email protected] or for information on entering the competition, visit the Glasgow Institute of Architects website http://gia.org.uk.
