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Six Public Space projects are up for a golden pineapple. The projects will be presented live in front of the judging panel at Festival of Place: The Pineapples, 12-16 July, 2021
The first shortlists have been announced for The Pineapples 2021 awards, including the six projects vying for a golden pineapple for Public Space.
The Pineapples are only awards that celebrate the best in making places where people thrive, and are run in association with the Design Council. Launched in 2019 by The Developer, The Pineapples are unique in seeking to celebrate places where people want to live, work, play, shop or learn. Shortlisted projects are presented in front of a live audience and the judging panel. Winners are awarded a golden pineapple trophy; the fruit is a traditional symbol of welcome in UK architecture.
The Design Council has supported The Pineapples since their launch in 2018. This year, with Design Economy 2021, the Design Council is exploring design’s social and environmental impact, as well as its economic contribution, giving us the most comprehensive assessment to date on the state of design in the UK.
The Design Council said: “We are proud to sponsor the Festival of Place and the Pineapple Awards. Our experience and evidence shows that well-designed neighbourhoods can have a transformational impact on us all, improving health and well-being, enhancing the environment and stimulating the economy.”
Get your pass to attend The Pineapples and see 40+ exemplar projects presented by developers and architects as they vie for a golden pineapple for excellence in design, development and placemaking
In 2021, the categories for Place of the Year, Place in Progress, Future Place and International Place are joined by five new categories to celebrate excellence in five specific areas: Community Engagement, Creative Reuse, Public Space, Activation and Sustainable Transport. These five categories replace the former Contribution to Place category.
Shortlisted built projects are visited where possible by at least one judge, who assesses the quality of these places using methodology developed with the Design Council and shaped using the 12 principles of public space by the Gehl Institute.
The shortlisted projects will be presented in front of a live audience during the Festival of Place: The Pineapples, 12-16 July with the winners announced on the final day
Previous winners of the pineapples include Argent, U+I, Walthamstow Council, Urban Splash, Places for People, Wandsworth, Poplar HARCA, St George’s City, Capital & Centric and Allied London.
Manchester City Council with BDP
This new community park in Manchester, is the first UK demonstrator project for the GrowGreen initiative. Its data and management of the flow of rainwater into sustainable urban drainage systems, will be influential in the design of other green spaces in flood prone areas across Europe
Malmesbury Residents Association and Tower Hamlets Homes with Wilder Communities
This community garden in East London has been reinvented from being a derelict mass of tarmac in the centre of social housing, to now being a greener space for children to play, locals to come together and has been invaluable throughout the pandemic. Inspired by the agricultural roots of its Bangladeshi community, it also has a planting scheme focusing on edible plants and bringing the local community together
City of Westminster and Victoria BID with ReardonSmith Landscape
This green space reopened to the public in September 2020, but has a long history dating back to the 13th Century, as a former burial ground near Westminster Abbey, to being bombed in WW2 and was transformed into a public park in the 1950s. Despite its challenges, it’s become a welcoming space for people to explore, enjoy and learn
Qatari Diar Development Company with Squire & Partners
This unique garden dedicates a series of residential buildings as part of a 12.8-acre masterplan in Belgravia, with aims to improve the environment for locals, businesses and the wider community. With 40% (5 acres) of its site dedicated to Belgravia Square Garden, the garden highlights historic views through the site
Create and London Borough of Waltham Forest with vPPR Architects
This project transformed a neglected plot of land behind a café and transformed it into a community amphitheatre surrounded by greenery at the edge of the community playground, adding life to the wider community. Its earthy tones represent its connections to the soil and the wider park
London Borough of Waltham Forest with We Made That
This public space has been transformed from a former landfill site to a new space with woodland area of 467 new trees planted in the park, a BMX track and a bespoke and proprietary play kit used by children of all ages. This reinvention of the space has added to the play and enjoyment of the community
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