Press releases

Twelve exciting and innovative landmark proposals have been shortlisted to go forward to the final stage of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) landmark east international ideas competition.

The shortlist includes projects based around the environment; bridges and waterways; light; the coast; film; and landscape.

The final 12 were selected by the landmark east judging panel from 234 entries yesterday (Tuesday 24 February 2004) and now go forward to the final judging at the end of March. Up to three of the 12 finalists will be selected to share a total of up to £250,000 in funding, to develop and assess the feasibility of the projects proposed.

Anthea Case, chair of the landmark east judging panel, said:

‘We had an excellent range of high-quality entries and the judges had a difficult job to choose just 12 finalists. It was a fascinating day and we have agreed on a wide range of ideas which build on many of the region’s assets.

‘The judges were looking for inspirational ideas with the potential to become a major landmark for the East of England – ideas which could inspire a sense of pride, generate significant economic benefit and really put the region on the map, nationally and internationally. ’

The 12 short listed entries and the location of the project promoters are:
• ‘Dunwich’ – a sculpture-based project recreating the lost city of Dunwich – (project promoter – Germany)
•  ‘interactive bridges’ – a network of ten interactive bridges across the East of England – (project promoter - Peterborough)
•  ‘fields of vision’ – a series of landscape based sculptural light projects – (project promoter - London and Italy)
• ‘Eastgate’ – a feature film set in Suffolk – (project promoter – Suffolk)
• ‘landscape east’ – a bridge of reeds over the A14 near Cambridge, linked to new cycle routes and a new Fenland nature reserve – (project promoter – Cambridge)
•  ‘environmentally sustainable region’ – a project to develop the world’s first environmentally sustainable region – (project promoter – Argentina)
• ‘watermarking the East of England’ – the development of a network of bridges across canals and waterways in the region – (project promoter – London)
• ‘North Sea train’ – a travelling landmark starting at Harwich and uniting the east coast of England with Scandinavia and Northern Europe – (project promoter – France)
• ‘light canvas’ – a three-dimensional sculpture of light and sound in six locations across the East of England – (project promoter based in London)
• ‘star of the east’ – a renewable energy project based in Norfolk and with links across the East of England – (project promoter – Norwich)
•  ‘East reef’ – a coastal defence project in Norfolk – (project promoter – London)
• ‘East light’ – a pair of vertical light sculptures projected from a tower at Felixstowe and a wind turbine near Cambridge – (project promoter – London)

Entries were received from a wide range of people, from architects to artists, and from entrepreneurs to students. Around one third of the 234 entries were from abroad. All entries were anonymous until the 12 short listed entries had been selected by the judging panel.

For further details of the short-listed entries and images please go to: www.landmarkeast.org.uk. 

Ends

Further information:
Marcie Bell/Cheryl Martin
Tel: 01223 307000

Notes to editors:

1 Details of the short-listed entries are as follows:

1.1 Landscape East
A bridge of reeds, spanning the A14 near Cambridge – a sculptural icon offering access from the heart of the region to 6,000 hectares of much needed green space in one of the fastest growing areas of the country. Designed to act as both a physical and metaphorical gateway, the bridge of reeds aims to connect the people of the East of England to the wide skies and big landscapes of the region. Long term development for further sites is included.
Site: spanning A14 to the east of Cambridge
Source: Cambridge/Bury St Edmunds

1.2 East Reef
East Reef is a proposal replenishing and protecting the Norfolk coastline. The reef would be an extended section of an experimental reef previously constructed at Sea Palling as part of a coastal defence initiative. East Reef proposes to use a section of the reef for water sports and holiday activities, bringing a sense of celebration to the area. The reef would be lit at night to form a dramatic red line in the water.
Site: Sea Palling down to the Winterton Ness nature reserve, Norfolk
Source: London

1.3 Light Canvas
A three-dimensional sculpture of lights that allows any form of digital input to be displayed as a living sculpture of light, colour and sound. Reflecting the region’s growing importance in high-tech and digital communications industries, Light Canvas uses renewable energy sources to display ambient sounds of the region or support commissioned events.
Site: six canvases across six counties of the region
Source: London

1.4 Eastgate
Eastgate will be a landmark home-grown feature film building on the region’s links with American heritage. The film is based on the alleged UFO encounter at RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk and centres its plot around a Christmas dinner party, memories of past loves and stories of “strange lights in the sky.” The metaphor: everyone needs to find something to believe in.
Site: Regional location
Source: Suffolk 

1.5 Dunwich
‘Dunwich’ is a dramatic project designed to explain the impact of coastal erosion and the forces of nature which control it. By rebuilding the six major churches of Anglo Saxon Dunwich as steel sculptures at their original place and height, the idea aims to create a unique landmark, giving the original lost city an identity while letting visitors experience the history of the place.
Site: Dunwich, Suffolk
Source: Germany

1.6 East Light
The East Light proposal is a pair of high vertical lights projected from, and by, two beams. The first coastal light is a tower of reinforced glass plate, the second a glass wind turbine. Both sculptures will throw light into the night sky, working together to unify the coastal and inland areas of the region and reminding those in the East of England of their closeness to the sea and its current threat to intrude over landscape defences.
Site: Cambridge and Felixstowe
Source: London

1.7 Star of the east
The star is the Norfolk county node of ‘e6’ a proposal for a landmark in which the six counties of the East of England build county nodes and networks to link across the region, demonstrating leadership in sustainable prosperity.  The nucleus of the Star will be a working integrated renewable energy station, which will be an exemplar of best practice in solar, wind and biomass technologies, providing ‘future-proofing’, education and research.  The main focus will be a giant glass wind turbine but the promoters envisage visible links across the region via ‘county nodes’.
Site: old power station, Norwich + county nodes
Source: Norfolk

1.8 Fields of vision
Made up from fields of slender upright stems, ‘Fields of Vision’ is an evolving series of landscape-based art installations, harnessing wind and light to capture the essence of the region.  The stems are engineered to sway in response to air currents, a by-product of which enables them to generate an audible tone and sway at different rhythms.  The field is not tied to a single location but is intended to be installed at multiple locations with each installation lasting a minimum of one week.  The installations could coincide with local festivals and events and be developed to emphasise the variety of the region.
Site: multiple across region
Source: London/Italy

1.9 First environmentally sustainable region on the planet
This idea is based on six research centres, connected by a physical and virtual network.  The centres would focus on environmental issues of regional and universal interest, eg life in lakes and rivers; earth and agriculture; recycling; energy; industry; land and maritime transport.  A virtual net and transport network linking these centres would be designed. Each centre will have a monitoring station mounted on a tower showing the outcome of research and linking it to educational centres.
Site: one in each county
Source:  Argentina

1.10 Watermarking across the region
This idea interprets the concept of ‘bridging’ in the widest context and highlights the importance of links across rivers as generators of wealth and opportunity.  It is about bridging different sides of a town, communities and cultures and parts of the region.  Links are made both across and along the waterways, celebrating the event of crossing, through theatre and festival.  The example shown in the submission is for Bedford.
Site: Bedford and across the region
Source: London

1.11 Interactive bridges
The landmark east interactive bridges will be a series of eye-catching and memorable bridges throughout the region.  Each bridge would be for pedestrians and cyclists and would be inter-linked to show the activity on every other bridge.  The linking of the bridges would demonstrate the application of modern and innovative technology across the region, whilst the bridge structures themselves will be major attractions. 
Sites: Peterborough, Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Wivenhoe, Purfleet, Southend-on-Sea, Bedford, Bishops Stortford and Luton
Source: Peterborough

1.12 North Sea Train
A symbolic ‘train of sands’ starts from Harwich and from there, travels through the North Sea Ring (the East coast of England, Scandinavia and Northern Europe).  This North Sea ‘phenomenon’ - in perpetual growth - collects regional treasures of the North Sea en route.  This idea is based on regional design competitions to design a railway coach to showcase the region’s assets as well as its involvement in running North Sea scale projects.  The installation is covered with sand from the region as a metaphor of the various networks that run at the bottom of the North Sea.
Site: Harwich/East of England/coast
Source: France

2.  The East of England Development Agency is: The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is the driving force behind economic regeneration in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

3.  The judging panel will be chaired by Anthea Case, former chief executive, Heritage Lottery Fund and includes: Helaine Blumenfeld, artist/sculptor; EEDA’s chief executive David Marlow, Yasmin Shariff, EEDA board member; Professor Sir David King, chief scientific advisor to the Government; Tim Bishop, head of regional programming, BBC East; Bill Macnaught, Head of Cultural Development, Gateshead Council; Alex Lifschutz, Lifschutz Davidson and Simon Loftus, chair of the Business in the Community leadership group.  For a full list of judges with biographies visit  www.landmarkeast.org.uk

4. The landmark east ideas competition is administered by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). If you have an administrative enquiry please call: RIBA Competitions Office on: 0113 234 1335 or go to: www.ribacompetitions.com