Press releases

Four exciting and innovative ideas for visionary and ambitious projects to put the East of England on the map have been chosen as winners in the East of England Development Agency’s (EEDA) landmark east international ideas competition. The winners (in alphabetical order) are:

Project name: Dunwich
Steel sculptures to mark the site of the lost city of Dunwich
Location:  Dunwich, Suffolk
Team: Anne Niemann and Johannes Ingrisch

Project name: East Reef
Proposal to replenish and protect an area of the coast
Location:  Norfolk coast
Team: Agnieszka Glowacka/Eleanor Rennie and Arup

Project name: Landscape east
Proposal focused around a bridge of reeds over the A14
Location:  Nr Cambridge
Team: National Trust, Greater Cambridge Partnership, Marshall Group and Landscape Design Associates

Project name: Watermarking
A movable bridge which would be a focus for events and riverside performances
Location: Throughout the region
Team: Urban Initiatives
 
The four groundbreaking winners share £250,000 in funding for feasibility studies.  Subject to the outcome of the studies, EEDA will assist teams to turn their ideas into reality.

The winners were selected by a judging panel chaired by Anthea Case, former chief executive, Heritage Lottery Fund.  The panel interviewed the teams behind the 12 shortlisted entries yesterday (30 March 2004). 

Anthea Case, chair of the judging panel said:
“Choosing the winners was a huge challenge given the range of entries in the shortlist.  All the teams had worked extremely hard to develop their ideas and the standard was very high.  However, the winning ideas demonstrated that they have the potential to be major landmarks that the people of the East of England could be really proud of.  We decided to choose four ideas because they were all so strong.  It was impossible to choose between them.”  

Richard Ellis, EEDA’s chairman said:
“Landmark east has reached an important turning point.  All the winning entries are exciting ideas with the potential to bring significant economic benefit to the East of England but the feasibility studies will establish their viability.

“We are also planning a public exhibition in the autumn to celebrate the huge range of entries we received.”
 
The landmark east international ideas competition was open to anyone with the ability to develop and deliver a visionary idea for a landmark – a sustainable icon representing the region to the rest of the world. The judges were looking for ideas that would attract significant funding, stimulate tangible economic benefit and inspire a sense of pride and unity in the region.

The judging panel was chaired by Anthea Case, former chief executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund and comprised of: Helaine Blumenfeld, sculptor; Tim Bishop, head of regional programming, BBC East; EEDA’s new chief executive David Marlow, Yasmin Shariff, EEDA board member, leading landmark east; Professor Sir David King, chief scientific advisor to the Government; Bill Macnaught, Head of Cultural Development, Gateshead Council; Alex Lifschutz, Lifschutz Davidson and Simon Loftus, chair of the Business in the Community leadership group.  In addition, Anne Marks and Charlie Nightingale were elected by participants at the BBC focus group.

For more information or for images of the winning or shortlisted entries, go to the press centre at: www.landmarkeast.org.uk

Ends

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

Notes to editors:

• EEDA is the regional development agency for the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). It acts as a regional catalyst for economic development and is leading the project at this stage but once a winner is agreed, it will become more of a facilitator.

The four winning entries are:

• 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 the lost Anglo Saxon city of 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 educating visitors about the history of Dunwich via an exhibition and open air stage for festival activities or concerts.
Site: Dunwich, Suffolk

• East Reef
East Reef is a proposal to replenish and protect an area of the Norfolk coastline. The reef would be near a previously constructed reef at Sea Palling. East Reef proposes to create a tropical reef protected from the elements for diving and other 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. A new town ‘East Reef’ would provide sustainable housing and energy for the community would be provided by a wind turbine sited nearby.
Site: Sea Palling down to the Winterton Ness nature reserve, Norfolk

• 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 will see series of whispers’ sculptures sited across the region.
Site: spanning A14 to the east of Cambridge

• Watermarking across the region
This idea is about bringing different communities, cultures and parts of the region together with a movable bridge which would be a focus for events and riverside performances. 
Site: Throughout the region

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