Park Street Car Park
The big question... In the context of the Climate Emergency declared by Cambridge City Council in February 2019, Cambridge Architecture asks whether the Park Street Car Park site is a prime candidate for leading by example with repair, retrofit and responsible reuse WORDS THE SECRET ARCHITECT / ILLUSTRATIONS ANDREW DRUMMOND
Park Street Car Park is scheduled for demolition. Its replacement will re-provide a reduced provision of car parking (-165 spaces), an increased provision of cycle parking (+70 spaces), a 200-bed Aparthotel, and a bee hotel.
The £90m new build will take four years to complete – the car park will open after two years followed by the above-ground hotel.
26 Cambridge Architecture
One of the primary benefits of redevelopment appears to be the creation of a £10m pot of money for offsite affordable city housing.
In the context of the council’s Climate Emergency declaration, what is the impact of rebuild, and what could an alternative retrofit deliver?
