GALLERY: Is this how Jersey could look in the future?

Wednesday 22 March 2023

Jersey-based architects have shared their vision for how Jersey's buildings could look, taking inspiration from the island's French heritage as well as nodding to the present.

Flexing their creative muscles, a group from Socrates architects have come-up with a series of hypothetical designs that aim to shed some light on what Jersey's future buildings could, and should, look like.

The 'St Helier Urban Character Appraisal', which lasted over a year, saw the architects set themselves the task of designing a series of sustainable and innovative public spaces, while also remaining sympathetic to the unique character of St. Helier. 

Using the Jersey Harbour and Waterfront area as their canvas, the team came up with a series of fully-fleshed out designs, which they said aimed to balance modernity, with Jersey's traditional heritage. 

Pictured: The series of designs by Socrates Architects aimed to create a series of modern buildings that reflected Jersey's traditional style. 

NIck Socrates, the Design Director at Socrates Architects, said: "We were experimenting with designs, without having the restraint of the actual site. We wanted to create a series of modern buildings rooted in the heritage of Jersey."

To Nick, Jersey's architectural heritage has a particularly distinctive influence: "It's French, it's a French style. if you go to Saint Malo, for instance. the building there will remind you of the buildings you see in Jersey, just on a larger scale." 

Preserving this heritage, for Nick, is a necessary step towards preserving Jersey's unique identity, and preserving its history. "It's quite easy to do a modern building, they're square, they're boxy. I love modern buildings, but we're seeing the same stuff over and over again." 

Pictured: Socrates architects wanted to create designs of modern buildings, rooted in the traditional heritage of Jersey. 

"We have so many listed buildings over here, and the reason they're listed is because they're interesting! We don't want Jersey to become anonymous, but equally we don't want to create a pastiche, just a recreation of something. 

"We wanted to create a modern style that hints to the past. Timeless architecture rooted in history and heritage." 

Nick is hoping that other architects, with St Helier's architectural identity in their hands, will use these designs as an example of what's possible. However, Nick said, it was also a bit of fun: "It was us having a bit of creative fun for our own exercise as well, for our own purposes. A little bit like going to the gym." 

More information about the designs can be found on the Socrates Architect website HERE.

GALLERY: Explore the designs below...