Swansea
Print Workshop @
Kings
Lane Warehouse
now viewing: Kings Lane Warehouse / The Existing Building / The Urban Village
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The Urban Village
The City and County of Swansea is currently undergoing considerable expansion and development. The King’s Lane site is part of an overall regeneration scheme being coordinated by the City and County of Swansea in conjunction with the Welsh Development Agency (since April 2006 part of the Assembly and called Department of Enterprise, Innovation and Networks (DEIN)).
The land bound to the west by High Street, to the south by King’s Lane, and to the east by the Strand is being developed by the Swansea Housing Association in conjunction with Holder Mathias Architects. The proposed redevelopment, referred to as the ‘Urban Village’, is comprised of several large housing blocks, retail units on High Street, as well as a ‘cultural cluster’ of shops, restaurants, and cafes referred to as the ‘Urban Village Courtyard’. Off the proposed courtyard, at the southwest corner of the Urban Village site, sits the King’s Lane Warehouse.
For 10 years various parties have attempted to convert the warehouse into a space for arts activities. Until 2006 it was owned by the City and County of Swansea who were prepared to offer a 125 year lease on the site at a peppercorn rent to an organisation that could develop partnership funding. This was mainly orchestrated through the organisation ‘Arts Forum’, formed to develop a dialogue with local cultural initiatives and local government.
When successive schemes failed to find the necessary partnerships CCS sold the warehouse to Swansea Housing for £80,000. In 2005 Swansea Print Workshop were approached by Swansea Housing Association and were invited to occupy the Warehouse and develop it as a new home for the Workshop.
Designs for The Urban Village involve levelling the site’s steep topography to the datum of High Street, which will be regenerated with new commercial accommodation.
The Warehouse will face north onto this new datum, addressing the ‘Urban Village Courtyard’, a pedestrian zone at a height similar to the level of the existing first floor of the Warehouse, and accessible from High Street only. The Courtyard will provide secure access into the new housing blocks, in addition to providing commercial space at ground level. However, it is unknown at this point what type of commercial establishments may rent these spaces.
The ‘courtyard’ will be secured by a gate along High Street, and only open to the public during daylight hours. After hours, access will be restricted by lock and key to staff and residents of the Urban Village. Under the proposed scheme, there will be no direct access between High Street and The Strand to the west.
The Strand will be faced with several storeys of car park, off which the main parking entrance will be located. The narrow laneway to the west of the Warehouse will become a secondary entry to the ‘Urban Village’ car park, providing access for disabled drivers.