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04 The landscape strategy showing the elements in context of the design.

STEPPING STONE BOARD – SCHEMATIC PLAN OF THE LANDSCAPE

The paving is designed with two dimensional stepping stones which are replaced by three dimensional ones near the brook(water body).

Steel and blue canopies are used as the signature elements. They scale down the space as well as serve the purpose of shade and shelter for the shoppers.

The reference to a brook which once flowed through the site is kept alive through a water feature. Landscape strategy - A graphic perspective illustrating the landscaping strategy used in the design.

The paving is designed with two dimensional stepping stones which are replaced by three dimensional ones near the brook(water body).

Steel and blue canopies are used as the signature elements. They scale down the space as well as serve the purpose of shade and shelter for the shoppers.

The reference to a brook which once flowed through the site is kept alive through a water feature. Landscape strategy - A graphic perspective illustrating the landscaping strategy used in the design.

04 The landscape strategy showing the elements in context of the design.

STEPPING STONE BOARD – SCHEMATIC PLAN OF THE LANDSCAPE

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Landscaped by Martha Schwartz Partners, the Whitewater Shopping Complex revitalises the derelict industrial region of Newbridge in Ireland.

With numerous shopping complexes cropping all across the world, what is it that distinguishes one from the rest? While in some cases it is the built form itself that is a landmark statement, in others it is features like lighting and material used that make it the talk of the town. Landscape and shopping complex might seem an unlikely combination but in the Whitewater Shopping Complex in Ireland, it is precisely this that has added charm to the structure.

The built form for the Whitewater Shopping Complex along with its landscape has contributed towards regenerating the region of Newbridge in Ireland. Sited in the town centre, the urban language of this region consisted of an array of derelict, industrial buildings. This 80,000sq ft complex comprising commercial units, apartments, parking and an extensive retail area has not just revitalised the region but also added a vibrant tone to its urban fabric. The design has successfully created a sophisticated shopping environment behind a façade of residential and commercial units and has integrated it with the existing urban network of streets. The architecture of the double level mall continues seamlessly from the outside creating a retailing environment which is both dramatic yet legible, visually stimulating and characterised by the quality of natural light within.

The entrance to the complex is through a double-height space with a pedestrian street and an outdoor plaza. With a contemporary architectural language, the landscape also needed to blend in while providing the plaza with an identifiable feature. The landscape in this complex has been designed by Martha Schwartz Partners. The Principal of the firm, Martha Schwartz is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and teaches advanced design studios focusing on urban sustainability. She is an internationally acclaimed designer whose works focus on developing sustainable strategies and public realm design. The landscape at the Whitewater Shopping Complex focuses on a water feature. The firm was inspired by the belief that a brook once ran through the site and has recreated it in the form of a water feature which appears and disappears as one moves around the place. The feature lends a sense of mystery while also acting as a way-finding tool for the shoppers. The movement through the shopping centre is largely pedestrian and the design features provide pedestrian scale, way-finding and upscale ambiance for shoppers.  Limestone and basalt has been used for paving whose stepping-stone pattern reinforces the brook metaphor. The pattern gives way to three dimensional stones as they “step” into the brook water feature. At the back of the water feature stands a glowing backlit green glass wall with water flowing down its face. The back lit wall is flanked with “living planted walls.”

To give an imageability to the Centre, eight canopies have been developed. These painted steel and blue fabric structures are supported by tapered steel masts which appear to be piercing through them, sharpening to a point above. These canopies lend a scale to the complex and also provide the shoppers with shade and shelter during the day time.The curvature of the canopies contrasts with that of the pointed mast and create a dramatic effect. This effect is further enhanced in the dark when the lighting makes them glow and they seem to be floating along the pedestrian walkways.   

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