Royal Victoria Infirmary Ongoing Redevelopment | Newcastle | Various | U/C

[Newcastle Historian]

The 'Transforming the RVI' Project . . .






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[Newcastle Historian]

Preserving the Heitage of the RVI . . .








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[SCNewcastle]

Demolition at the RVI has quite suddenly made a startling difference to the views of the site from Leazes Park and Queen Victoria Road. The new vistas actually look rather good, though I'm still not sure what I think about surface car parking along Queen Victoria Road. (And if I'd had a choice of what it would be good to see demolished, I'd have picked that dismal seventies(?) building at the corner of Queen Victoria Road and Richardson Road rather than the quite pleasant Victoria Wing - which like Hunters Moor hospital was the kind of Victorian/Edwardian institutional architecture that it's slightly sad to lose.)

The original (April 2004) planning application report on the RVI scheme said:

There is some concern that the removal of these buildings and the replacement with surface car parking would weaken the existing urban character of the street scene. The RVI’s masterplan indicates that in the medium/long term these car parks would be developed with buildings to reinstate the Queen Victoria Road frontage. This loss of building frontage is considered acceptable as an interim solution on the understanding that future expansion of the hospital would involve the redevelopment of these surface car parking spaces at the earliest opportunity.

I don't suppose anyone on this site has any idea whether that "earliest opportunity" is likely to come up any time soon...?

[Newcastle Historian]

Yes, it is disappointing about the Queen Victoria Road frontage.

However, the RVI has been in a continual state of expansion for the last 20 years, so I (personally) don't think these new surface car parks will remain that way much longer than ten years . . . if that.

[Andym]

the leeway in planning permission given to the newcastle trust is amazing.where else would they be allowed to demolish historic buildings and replace them with surface car parks and the horrendous green cladding of the childrens building?the streetscape has been destroyed for cheap gimmicky tatty buildings.

[SCNewcastle]

Originally Posted by Andym

the horrendous green cladding of the childrens building?the streetscape has been destroyed for cheap gimmicky tatty buildings.

I'm guessing that the Children's Hospital is going to be another of those buildings like Haymarket Hub which people have strong and opposing views about. Me I think it's rather fine - and a heartening turnaround from the drearily utilitarian Leazes Wing. Hell, it even shows signs of noticing that it's opposite the Armstrong Building of the university, whereas the Leazes Wing appeared to have been designed by someone who'd not looked at the map carefully enough to spot that there was a park over the road, which poor bordering buildings could spoil. And the cladding's copper, isn't it? Which presumably isn't that cheap?

But then, I quite like the Hub. So I may just have eccentric taste.

[Newcastle Historian]

Yes, I like Haymarket Hub too, I think it's great!

On the subject of the RVI though, I understood one of the main aspects of the original plans was that "Accident & Emergency" would move back to the City Centre RVI location, from the West End (General Hospital) site, as part of the current re-development.

There seems to be no sign of this happening . . . does anybody know anything about this?

[SCNewcastle]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

There seems to be no sign of this happening . . . does anybody know anything about this?

Unless plans have changed, the A&E is going to be in the centre of the site, with ambulances coming in up a ramp from Richardson Road, and helicopters landing on the roof.

[Andym]

the cladding is not copper and it wont age appreciably. there was a sample in the rvi for three years and it looks the same. it was added to the original design as a gimmick as the trust wanted to call it "the big green hospital" in some sort of ill judged attempt to be child friendly. anyway they have acheived their aim of a building that looks as though its been designed by an infant with a crayon! the name was voted out by the public when given 3 options. the rumour at the hospital is that the architect was strongly against the cladding and it was added by the executive board.the open area is unlikely to be built on in the current climate and freeman and the general are more likely to be expanded given the distribution of services
that still leaves a streetscape that doesnt flow but as ever there are always differing opinions.

[SCNewcastle]

Originally Posted by Andym

the cladding is not copper.

It was going to be copper when it first got planning permission (para 12 of the development control committee report here). But I'll take your word for it that they changed their mind. Copper would have been green anyway, though, wouldn't it? (Though I know it's sometimes put up copper-coloured and left to age green.)

[Andym]

that seems odd.the sample seemed like a ceramic of some sort to me- i wasnt wanting to come over as a technical expert! maybe it is some form of copper treated so as not to weather as copper generally does-and usually looks great in doing so.the sample remained the bright green it is now.

[Andym]

im told its actually a prepatinated honeycomb material which has a thin copper overlay which is then treated on its surface which explains its uniformity and its tendency to stay the same colour-apologies!

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Andym

im told its actually a prepatinated honeycomb material which has a thin copper overlay which is then treated on its surface which explains its uniformity and its tendency to stay the same colour-apologies!

This?

[AngerOfTheNorth]

I'm really not keen on that building. I always worry when designers throw on "wacky" colourful panels.

[Geordie Ahmed]

I didnt like that at first BUT the more I see it the more I have started to like it - I think it suits a Childrens Hospital, if it was for the main hospital it would be wrong

[sjhoward]

Originally Posted by SCNewcastle

Unless plans have changed, the A&E is going to be in the centre of the site, with ambulances coming in up a ramp from Richardson Road, and helicopters landing on the roof.

This is absolutely true, and, in fact, the new A&E is fully built, kitted out, and ready to go... but the ramp hasn't been built yet!

Last I heard, the move is due to happen in October.

The logic of moving an A&E from a site out of town and relatively close to the A1 to the traffic-filled centre strikes me as a little odd, though...

[geordiejon]

Originally Posted by sjhoward

This is absolutely true, and, in fact, the new A&E is fully built, kitted out, and ready to go... but the ramp hasn't been built yet!

Last I heard, the move is due to happen in October.

The logic of moving an A&E from a site out of town and relatively close to the A1 to the traffic-filled centre strikes me as a little odd, though...

Well as Newcastle only has one A&E reloacting it in the CENTRE of the city would make sense to me. I am sure those needing to get from the east end- such as Walker will mean that it is easier to get to quicker. Not everyone in Newcastle lives near the A1 and besides the general is not near the A1- if you come off the A1 to get to it you haev to battle your way through the West Road traffic which is shocking most of the time. The RVI is close to the central motorway which filters traffic in from up in Cowgate (easy to get to from West end) and then the east north and central. As well I am sure the massive numbers of dunken accidents on a weekend also mean a city centre location is far more sensible!

The location of North Tyensides hospital being right up in the top end of Whitley Bay means that emergencies from the likes of Wallsend is easie to get to in the city centre.

The Childrens hospital is fine IMO- it is bright and colourful- lets remember this is a CHILDRENS hospital- and is supposed to look anything but a scarey hospital. What i do hate is the name- Northern Lights Childrens Hospital was far better- Great North is put on the front of bloody every name up here- Great North Run, Great North Forest greta north everything. What exactly is 'Great North'? Is it a place? is it a description of the north? What?

[Newcastle Historian]

Details of the New Victoria Wing of the RVI, that were released last year (2009).

The New Victoria Wing is now open, of course, but the below details have not been included on this thread to date, and so may be of interest . . .

[TownPlanningNE]

That is a lot they are going to demolish... I wonder what effect it is going to have on the streetscape.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by TownPlanningNE

That is a lot they are going to demolish... I wonder what effect it is going to have on the streetscape.

Yes, as mentioned in an earlier post, it is going to have a quite dramatic impact on the Queen Victoria Road streetscape, when all the buildings shown below (in the top left diagram) are demolished . .