Preview Forgotten Spaces Sheffield March 24, 2011 A new design competition is looking for ideas for the unused and neglected areas of the city.

Forgotten Spaces is a new design competition organised between the Royal Institute of British Architects and Sheffield Hallam University. It’s looking for new and innovative proposals for using the forgotten spaces of the city. This could be a small plot of land, an underpass, or an empty building – what’s important is generating ideas for bringing it back to life.

The brief is for a design proposal for a forgotten space in the city. It’s required to respond to the site, and provide a function for the local community. Given this, the scope is broad, and could include new public amenities, a commercial space, or a work of public art.

Despite the fact that none of these designs will be built, what’s interesting about this competition is that it asks members of the public to survey and propose ideas for areas of the city that they live and work in. Rather than business alone being a driver of development, this competition suggests one way in which the public can influence the planning of their city – a concept that ought to be highly valued, particularly given the current state of Sheffield city centre, which has been sold to a private property developer who has let it sit empty for nearly 5 years.

A similar Forgotten Spaces competition took place in London in 2010, and was overwhelmed with entries. If the same happens in Sheffield, there should be a really interesting catalogue of spaces and ideas for creative development.

Forgotten Spaces is open to students, designers, artists, and members of the public working with professionals. There are cash prizes of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 for the best 3 designs.

An exhibition of the entries will take place in September at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with the winner to be announced at the end of September, tying in with the award of the Stirling Prize at Magna on October 1.

Registration closes on March 30, with all competition entries required by May 12.

www.architecture.com/forgottenspacessheffield