A City Reinvented – Newcastle East End by SJB, Durbach Block Jaggers and Curious Practice

In 2013, the first stage of the Newcastle East End master plan project was designed by SJB as the executive architects in collaboration with Durbach Bloch Jaggers and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Stages three and four will see SJB and Durbach Block Jaggers return to the city along with Novocastrians Curious Practice, with the three practices winning the design competition for these final stages.

Great results come from great collaboration. Large-scale urban architecture requires collaboration not only from the minds of the creatives conceptualising and designing it, but from all stakeholders, especially the governing bodies of the local council. The collaboration between the Newcastle City Council and the architects behind the first stage of the East End master plan set a new precedent in this regard. With a number of arbitrary planning constraints made flexible, the firms were allowed a certain freedom within the design process, improving the project’s outcomes.

Representing a family of mixed-use buildings, the final stages of the East End project are set to breathe new life into a once-neglected part of Newcastle’s urban landscape.

In the final stages of the East End, Newcastle’s existing landmarks and architecture are celebrated, with inspiration drawn from key heritage buildings in the vicinity. Aiming to create a design that understands, interprets and reflects the city’s nuances and personality, and in recognition of the site’s prominence, the design for stages three and four reactivates the East End as a pedestrian and retail hub.

A major focus is on connecting the Christ Church Cathedral to the harbour, a critical link long desired in this vital part of the city. Enlivening the precinct further, a cradle of thriving indigenous flora will help frame the cathedral when viewed from the harbour. Stages three and four will also see the establishment of the marketplace, with three new buildings all following simple yet sculptural architectural gestures. A sunlit ‘public heart’, formed by a new laneway through the area, will allow for greater pedestrian activity through the new retail area.

In the final stages of the East End, Newcastle’s existing landmarks and architecture are celebrated, with inspiration drawn from key heritage buildings in the vicinity.

Representing a family of mixed-use buildings, the final stages of the East End project are set to breathe new life into a once-neglected part of Newcastle’s urban landscape.