‘Past, Present, & Future – Creating a contemporary building that draws inspiration from the history and heritage of Hexham’ The proposed new bus station sits within the Conservation Area of the historic market town of Hexham, Northumberland. Drawing its inspiration from the history and heritage of the site, the building is designed as a linear element which forms a civic frontage across the axis of the site, strengthening the streetscape and public realm through its layout and landscaping. Whilst the buildings form and detailing are contemporary, the materials of the building and landscaping echo that of the local historic buildings, with a frontage of natural ashlar sandstone inset with a large glazed opening, made up of clear and stained glass elements. The more informal rear face of the building is faced in rough cut natural sandstone echoing the local vernacular buildings. A sense of civic grandeur is achieved through a unifying, oversailing planar glass roof, which provides shelter for waiting bus passengers, and sustainable power generation through integrated photovoltaics. The design of the proposed scheme has evolved over many years, taking into account a wide variety of constraints and opportunities whilst seeking to simultaneously meet the needs of users and operators and make a positive contribution to the historic market town of Hexham. The new bus station provides the opportunity to deliver a wide range of social and economic benefits including the following: Social Benefits: • A new ‘gateway’ – An opportunity for the new bus station to become a ‘gateway’ building for the town • Landscaped setting – A new ‘pocket park’ to improve the appearance of the site and create a sense of place at Loosing Hill • Regeneration – Regenerating an area of Hexham town centre and providing a new bus station facility which meets modern day standards and expectations • Strengthening connections – Improving and reinforcing linkages between key retail areas within the town through the strategic location of the new bus station.