4.
Vision for the Two Squares
Our vision for Ryde High Street is to create great spaces that encourage social activity and facilitate…
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Public Events
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Storytelling
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Play
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Dancing
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Markets and Fairs
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Entertainment
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Filming
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Saturday morning coffee
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Live music
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Seasonal Events
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Social Media
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Celebrations
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Social Gatherings
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Saturday Night Drinks
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A Kiss
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Festivals
Town (Co-Op) Square
Town Square is the larger of the two squares that this project focuses on. It lies adjacent to the High Street and Anglesea Street, with Co-Op facing out onto it. The square is currently comprises metal seating with a few trees scattered throughout and the memorial to Ryde Hospital at the far end.
The proposed concept design incorporates the following features:
an outdoor flexible performance space
interactive street furniture that promotes social interaction and encourages play
outdoor seating from cafes or restaurants that face out into the square
retention of the existing trees and incorporation of more trees and greenery where possible
a unique paving design that incorporates Ryde’s links to film.
What do you think?
Would these changes make a better square?
Tell us what you think here.
Minghella Square
The smallest of the two squares we are focusing on, Minghella Square lies just off High Street, adjacent to John Street. It currently comprises plain metal seating and two planters.
The proposed concept design incorporates the following features:
interactive street furniture that promotes social interaction and encourages play
outdoor seating from cafes or restaurants that face out into the square
retaining the existing trees and incorporating more trees and greenery where possible
a unique paving design that incorporates Ryde’s links to film as detailed below.
What do you think?
Would you change anything?
Tell us what you think here.
Minghella and Film Influences in Ryde
Following the on-site consultation work in Ryde High Street, Town Square and Minghella Square in December 2021, a recurring theme captured by the team was that more was needed to be done to celebrate the links to Anthony Minghella CBE.
Minghella was a British film director, playwright, and screenwriter, born in Ryde with his family being well known on the island. He was chair of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007 and a multi time Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award winner.
The team noted that a steady walk between Town Square and Minghella Square took exactly 60 seconds. This sparked an idea for an opportunity for an “outdoor film school” in which participants can create “one minute movies”.
Young people often feel excluded from high streets, with them often lacking in places to hang out or things to do. By describing/designing this central section of the Ryde High Street as a place for creativity, film-making and for young people, we invite young people to take a more active and participatory role, using Instagram, You Tube and TikTok to combine the physical environment with this youth-focussed digital environment. This space should become multi-functional with use by various demographic groups and could have buy-in from local arts organisations or Ryde Film Club.
The design of the space at Town Square and Minghella Square, and along the stretch of High Street between them, should be a “blank canvas” for film creation, providing the objects necessary to create a dormant “empty stage set” with local people activating the space. They can act out and produce one minute movies in this stretch of town which are then uploaded to a dedicated website. Permanent or temporary projectors installed in Town Square or Minghella Square could then be used for regular public film screenings.
These events can bring people together and generate social interaction. Local cafes could provide food and drinks, and public film screenings could become a regular event to bring the community together and celebrate Ryde’s links to film.
The above images display initial ideas for paving or sections of paving related to the film theme which could cover parts of Minghella and Town Square and High Street to create a coherent and playful street design and link Ryde High Street to its film influences.
Connecting High Street
The proposed concept design not only focuses on improving two key public squares on the High Street, but the public realm between these squares. Interventions proposed here include paving and street furniture of the same style as proposed in Town and Minghella squares, to create a coherent High Street environment with a distinct identity.
What do you think? Would you change anything?
Tell us what you think here.