Whilst Director of Insite Environment and subsequently SLR Consulting, James Brewer led the team commissioned to develop a design concept for a large entrance plaza alongside Sir Norman Foster’s curvaceous Sage building. The original brief called for a sequence of spaces leading from Gateshead Town Centre to Performance Square and the Gateshead quays. Our strategic masterplan therefore including a wayfinding strategy which dealt with complex levels issues to navigate the spaces down the Tyne Valley.

The design for Performance Square, the first phase, needed to include permanent and temporary features whilst still functioning as a successful space from day one. The landscape team therefore needed to ensure the budget was stretched to achieve quality in both the permanent and temporary elements.

Innovation was achieved through the translation of the main concept into the landscape elements. The notion of sound waves and interference patterns rippling out from the Sage Music Centre was considered a fitting metaphor with the wave forms interpreted in 2D as paving patterns and in 3D as ripples across a turf mound culminating in a stepped amphitheatre. The area is now known as Performance Square recognising its adoption as the space to be for open air events and street theatre spilling out from the Sage’s auditorium.

Performance Square forms a pivotal link to a series of other high quality public spaces including the Baltic and Millennium Square as well as functioning as a major events space within the Tyne Valley.

Awards
BALI hard landscape award (2008)

Coming soon

client: gateshead city council
landscape architect: insite environments / slr consulting (led by James Brewer)
architect: foster & partners
engineer: mott macdonald