Southampton Tall Buildings Study 6
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SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.1 Itchen Bridge to St Michael’s Church N Figure.20 STMIC.1 Summary of view View, viewing area Itchen Bridge is a clearly defined, busy and exposed place and assessment point from which to experience a wide panorama of the city centre. The foreground is dominated by the bridge and low rise undistinguished commercial, industrial, large service yards and K residential buildings. The tree line of Central Park provides a break in built form to the northern extent of the view. The wide background of the panorama includes a number of clusters of tall buildings and focal points. Moresby Tower at Ocean Village dominates the skyline. There is little order or prevailing character amongst the groups of large commercial and residential slabs and stepped towers around Ocean Village, Extent of View from Terminus Terrace or Charlotte Place. The view takes in the spire Assessment Point of St Michael’s Church, the spire of St Mary’s Church, the Civic Centre Campanile, the tree canopy of Central Parks and listed Heritage Asset Viewing buildings within the Canute Road Conservation Area. Cranes and Area docked cruise ships (to Western Docks) can be glimpsed on the skyline. Assessment Point The central tower and slender needle-like steeple of St Michael’s Grade I Listed Buildings and/or Church can be clearly made out on the skyline. The tall Scheduled Ancient Monument building cluster at Terminus Terrace however, which consists of Grade II and II* Listed Richmond House, Mercury Point and Duke’s Keep dominate and STMIC.1 Buildings out compete with the church in the central part of the view. Historic Parks and Gardens Kineticism Locally Listed Building The view radically changes on travelling east to west over the apex of the bridge and when viewed from either side of the bridges pedestrian walkways. It should be noted that due to Conservation Area the extended nature of the views length subtle changes in the position of viewing to say either side of the bridge could have Old Town a significant effect on viewing potentially tall buildings at some distance. Waterfront RIVER ITCHEN Seasonal/night-time variations City Centre Trees around the western end of Itchen Bridge partially screen 0 100 500 views of St Michael’s Church. By night, the unlit church is not a RIVER TEST metres prominent feature of the view. 42 SOUTHAMPTON TALL BUILDINGS STUDY SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.1 Itchen Bridge to St Michael’s Church Highly Sensitive Existing View Moresby Tower Goods Shed St Michael’s Cross House (GII) Trees of St Mary’s Church Terminus Station Church (GI) Central (GII) (GII) Duke’s Keep Parks South Western (GII*) Civic Centre Oceana Richmond House Campanile Boulevard House (GII) (GII*) Location of heritage assets in the view Photography information Viewpoint location: 50o53’56” N 1o23’5” W (grid reference) Grade I Listed Buildings and/or Grade II and II* Listed Historic Parks and Gardens Locally Listed Building Date and time: 29/11/16 10.30 Scheduled Ancient Monument Buildings Field of view: 120o 43 SOUTHAMPTON TALL BUILDINGS STUDY SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.1 Itchen Bridge to St Michael’s Church Few historic buildings are spread across the view of the city centre Richmond House, Mercury Point, Duke’s Keep and Capital House Trees around St Mary’s form a group of tall and large slabs in the middle ground, out- Church and Central Parks competing the historic buildings for dominance in the view, adding break up the peripheral a poor aesthetic quality and flatness to the skyline middle ground and provide a contrast from which the historic buildings, including Tall structure of Moresby Tower Silhouette of St Michael’s Church the Campanile of the Civic dominates the skyline located on the skyline Centre rise Tops and rooflines of historic buildings within the Canute Road, Oxford Street and Old Town South Conservation Areas Buff and red tones of Chapel Annexe stand out in the view Low rise industrial buildings with shallow-pitched roofs and large service yards create a plateau of undistinguished rooftops in the foreground Itchen Bridge forms a focus to the view and draws the eye Figure.21 Heritage assets simplified in the view Grade I Listed Buildings and/or Historic Parks and Gardens Scheduled Ancient Monument Grade II and II* Listed Locally Listed Building Buildings River Test 44 SOUTHAMPTON TALL BUILDINGS STUDY SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.1 Itchen Bridge to St Michael’s Church Strategic view values and significance Appreciation • This wide panorama emerges on climbing • These views were not present prior to 1977 the bridge from the east and diminishes although it is possible that similar views of on decending the bridge to the west. The the city may have been had from elevated heritage assets within the view when taken areas of Woolston in the late C19/early C20. as a city group are best appreciated from This view however is very much a late C20 the apex of the bridge although the view construct and so historic association is very to St Michael’s Church is better revealed weak and framed by existing tall buildings on decending the bridge to the west. The Familiarity chosen viewing point does not have heritage • This view is appreciated locally by regular significance given its relatively recent users both bus, car based and pedestrians of inception the bridge generally to and from their places of work. Given its relatively late inception Condition its familiarity has not been cemented or • A number of existing and proposed tall consolidated by age. The view does not tend buildings (either approved but not built or at to be a natural processional route to explore pre-application stage - Nov 2016) sit within the city but is more a functional necessity this panorama. The backgrounds to both for its users. It is unclear how many of these Changes in the view St Mary’s Church and the Campanile of the users would look to appreciate the values and Western end of Itchen Bridge and the Viewing Place where less of St Michael’s Civic Centre have been partially encroached significance of these heritage assets in these Church can be seen in the view. The Church is framed by Erikson House, the upon by tall buildings (most notably Skandia views in any meaningful way lighting column and the bus stop sign. Trees in the foreground are likely to House and University of Southampton screen much of the Church during the summer months. Mayflower Halls). The strong tree canopy Time depth Significance of heritageline of the Centralasset Parks has been broken • SignificanceThis view was not of present heritage prior to assets 1977. Its in the strategic view by a series of buildings to the west. The time depth is very shallow spire of St Michael’s Church is framed by modern tall buildings (Richmond House), recia which is accentuated on travelling west and App tion l H tia descendingis the bridge n 6 to e r i id 5 c h 6 C a t v 4 5 o Association l p E n e 4 3 d • The bridge was opened in 1977. Prior to d 3 i 2 t e 2 this a chain ferry ran from Woolston to the i o 1 1 m n city and before the chain ferry there was a i T ‘ferry’ service through at least the C19. The alternative was Northam Bridge to the north A l e a s n F n u a th m io e m t t ili ia ic om ar oc C ity Ass 45 SOUTHAMPTON TALL BUILDINGS STUDY 5-6 High to Very High 3-4 Moderate to Moderate to High 1-2 None or Very Low SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.1 Itchen Bridge to St Michael’s Church How the significance of heritage can be Figure.22 STMIC.1 N sustained in this view View sensitivity Foreground and Middle Ground • The clear view of the tower, steeple and windows of St Michael’s Church should not be obscured by development in either the foreground or middle ground. Development that blocks views of these features within the Highly Sensitive View should be resisted • The future development of St Cross House on Bernard Street offers the opportunity to pull back the building line of any new development to reveal more of St Michael’s Church in the view Background • The landmark vertical elements of St Michael’s tower and steeple are recognisable in this view largely because they are seen clearly against the sky and are framed by Richmond House and Holiday Inn with a strong horizontal emphasis. It is essential that the clear sky background profile remains • Development that appears behind the silhouette of St STMIC.1 Michael’s Church should be resisted Key Heritage Asset Highly Sensitive View Foreground + Middle Ground Background Heritage Asset Viewing Area RIVER ITCHEN Assessment Point 0 100 500 RIVER TEST metres 46 SOUTHAMPTON TALL BUILDINGS STUDY SENSITIVITY OF KEY HERITAGE ASSETS TO TALL BUILDINGS STMIC.2 Town Quay to St Michael’s Church N Figure.23 STMIC.2 Summary of view View, viewing area This panorama to the spire of St Michael’s Church within the Old and assessment point Town is from the west side of Town Quay. It takes in a number of buildings which form the southern extent of the walled town and waterside features. The view is almost due north but its full F extent is to the north-west and north-east.