lw
2011
#1
Liberty
Wharf
St
Helier
dynamic
new quarter
for Jersey’s
capital
plus
❑ historical blends with contemporary in liberty wharf ❑ successful public art is priceless
18
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36
2011
#1
04 History
Jersey’s dynamic history under the spotlight, from the building of
St Helier’s harbours to the arrival of Queen Victoria
11 Introduction
Small island, huge potential: an international financial centre,
distinct from – but linked to – the UK, with a strong French flavour
18 officeS and Apartments
High quality corporate HQs can be game-changing for large
companies, while serviced workspace and apartments make it
so easy for visitors to do business on the move in Jersey
26 Retail
11
Jersey’s unique heritage development, Liberty Wharf, an
unmissable opportunity for retail and leisure operators
32 case study
EXECUTIVE editor: Kirsty MacAulay
editor: Siobhán Crozier
Freelance editor: Sarah Herbert
Art DIRECTOR: Terry Hawes
production Editor:
Rachael Schofield
Contributors: Alex Aspinall,
Paul Coleman, Charlotte
Goodworth, David Gray,
Noella Pio Kivlehan
head of business development:
Paul Gussar
Office manager: Sue Mapara
Managing director: Toby Fox
Images: Matt Porteous, Jersey
Heritage Trust, Jersey Tourism,
Richard Lumborg, Danny Evans,
Gareth Sambridge, Natalie Mayer,
Axis Mason Architects, Antoni
Tycznski, Harcourt Developments,
Roger Kohn, Cliff Hubby
Printed by: Wyndeham Grange
Published by:
Lower Ground Floor
189 Lavender Hill
London SW11 5TB
T: 020 7978 6840
F: 020 7681 3468
For Harcourt
Developments:
How a disused abattoir in St Helier was transformed into a Covent
Garden-style development, preserving its heritage details
36 public art
A firm belief in the value of art is matched by Harcourt
Developments’ investment in original public artworks
41 Markets
A round-up of facts and figures about Jersey, its economy
and its residential, commercial and leisure markets
18/19 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2 Ireland
T: +353 (0) 1 475 3928
F: + 353 (0) 1 475 3943
© 3Fox International Limited 2011.
All material is strictly copyright and
all rights are reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part without the written
­permission of 3Fox International
Limited is strictly ­forbidden. The
greatest care has been taken to
ensure accuracy of information
in this magazine at the time of
going to press, but we accept
no ­responsibility for omissions or
errors. The views expressed in this
­magazine are not necessarily those
of 3Fox International Limited or
Harcourt Developments.
44 Update
Latest news from other Harcourt projects: Belfast’s historic Titanic
Quarter, one of Europe’s largest waterfront urban regeneration
schemes; and Laois Shopping Centre, in Portlaoise, Ireland
32
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 0
historical
SETTING
THE
SCENE
Historical images of St Helier belie Jersey’s image as a quiet,,
uneventful place. Alex Aspinall discovers a turbulent past ...,
0 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
BELOW Jersey’s
residents take to
the streets to mark
Liberation Day on
9 May 1945.
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 0
historical
0 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Left Islanders
celebrate
Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee
in Beresford Street.
J
ersey’s close proximity to
mainland Europe meant it was a sitting duck
- and strategically valuable - when German
forces occupied France in 1940. The British
War Office took the decision not to protect
Jersey, and the island’s residents were given the
opportunity to register for evacuation. Only 6,500
actually left the island; the rest were to endure almost
five years of German occupation, which only came to
an end on 9 May 1945.
There was a large German presence on the island,
with around 11,500 troops in residence by the end of
1941. A curfew was in operation from 11pm to 5am,
and the sale of spirits was banned.
The island’s liberation didn’t arrive until almost
a year after the D-Day landings, as Jersey remained
in German hands until unconditional surrender was
issued. Liberation Day is a national holiday in Jersey
celebrated every year, with people lining the streets
and taking part in commemorative parades, and gala
and memorial services.
But even before Liberation Day, the people of
Jersey were no strangers to celebrating in the open
air. In 1846 Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the
rest of the royal procession caused a great stir on the
island during a state visit.
It was the first visit of a British monarch and many
islanders gathered to see the Royal Yacht entering
St Aubin’s Bay, their interest growing as the royal
party made its tour of the island. Queen Victoria
returned to Jersey for a second time 13 years later,
reinforcing the regard in which she was held on
the island. Her Diamond Jubilee was celebrated
ostentatiously (see picture, left).
England and France fought over Jersey right up
issue_one
➝
Liberty Wharf 0
historical
above Sailing
craft at rest in
English Harbour,
overlooked by
Elizabeth Castle
circa 1900-1910.
0 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
until the 1781 Battle of Jersey, after which English
influences began to prevail. That rivalry fuelled
St Helier’s growth. The island’s capital was originally
a fishing village, with no harbour before 1700. Vessels
unloaded while beached at low tide, their goods
transported by cart across the sands. But from the
eighteenth century, France and England built and
upgraded harbours and by 1800 Jersey’s farmers were
able to take advantage of a commercial harbour to
build a flourishing trade with London and Paris.
By 1900 much of St Helier’s historic Norman
architecture had been torn down to widen roads
for the rapid transportation of agricultural produce
to the harbour. Maritime commerce continued to
sustain the port right up to the opening of Queen
Elizabeth Harbour and St Helier Marina in the 1980s.
Yet much of the four square miles of St Helier parish
is still rural, though it is home to one third of the
island’s population of 90,000. lw
introduction
Jersey’s troubled past is history and the
future is packed with the potential for this
small island to take its place among the
world’s greatest financial centres, writes
Charlotte Goodworth
Harbouring
its heritage
FOR AN ISLAND OF JUST 45 SQUARE MILES, JERSEY HAS
hosted more than its share of trouble and trauma over the
centuries. The largest of the Channel Islands, in the Bay of Mont
St Michel, 85 miles south of mainland Britain and 14 miles off
the coast of France, it has been vulnerable to attack. Plundered,
fought over and occupied, Jersey has irrefutably recovered. The
island has worked hard in developing its position, both as a
world-class financial services centre and a tourist destination.
Its association with France and England dates back to the
10th century. Viking raids on the island in the ninth century
were halted by the intervention of King Charles of France who
offered the French leader, Rollo, the lands around Rouen (later
called Normandy) in exchange for peace. This pact instigated
Jersey’s association with France. Rollo’s son, William, became
Duke of Normandy, bringing the Channel Islands into the
duchy. William was the conqueror of England in 1066, forging
Jersey’s link with the English Crown.
When a descendant of William, King John, went to war
with France in 1204 the Channel Islands sided with England.
This led to the islands being wrapped up in many of this larger
neighbour’s battles, most recently in the Second World War,
when the five-year German occupation left deep scars on the
island and on the memory of its inhabitants.
Jersey’s Anglo-French roots are very apparent. Until the
1960s French was the official language but has since given way
to English. A small proportion of the 92,500-strong population
still speaks Jersey French or Jèrriais, a blend of Norse and
Norman French.
The official currencies include both the British pound and
the Jersey pound. Euros are accepted in some outlets, although
Jersey’s tourism industry promotes the island as ‘Europe
without the euro’.
Jersey is now a British island but it is neither part of the
UK nor a colony: it is a parliamentary democracy that is a
dependency of the British Crown. The island’s link to the UK is
through Queen Elizabeth II who, as sovereign, is head of state,
represented in Jersey by the lieutenant governor.
The chief minister is the head of government. The States of
Jersey – the island’s parliament and one of the oldest legislative
bodies in the world – is made up of 53 elected members from
across the island. Jersey legislates independently and laws
enacted in Westminster, with the exception of defence and
foreign policy, do not typically apply to the island.
The island’s name has been firmly linked with some of its
famous exports, the Jersey cow, the Jersey Royal potato and
issue_one
➝
Liberty Wharf 11
introduction
with approximately 50
international banks and
financial companies
now based in the island,
jersey is a centre for
global finance
the Jersey pullover. But a much bigger player in the economy is
tourism, providing a quarter of the island’s GDP.
In 2010, almost 700,000 people visited the island, spending
approximately £230 million. The tourism sector contributes
around £10 million in direct tax revenue and supports around
7,250 jobs.
With a temperate climate, lush landscapes, unspoilt
coastlines and picturesque towns to enjoy, UK holidaymakers
regularly take advantage of the 12 daily 50-minute flights from
London. They represent 80% of Jersey’s visitors, with a further
10% making the journey from Germany and France.
12 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
And there’s no danger that all these visitors, or the island’s
economic growth, will spoil its beauty. To protect its fragile
ecosystems, on and offshore, legislation has been passed to
control property ownership, land use zoning, job creation,
economic growth and even the maximum width of Jersey’s
roads. Long before environmental protection became a
fashionable cause, in 1997 it became the first island to gain
Green Globe status, a sustainability accolade set up at the 1982
Rio Earth Summit.
WORLD FINANCIAL CENTRE
While agriculture, knitwear and tourism all make their
contributions, finance is now the major player, providing 50%
of GDP and 60% of the government’s tax income.
Jersey’s success as an offshore financial centre began in 1962,
with the scrapping of a law which had capped interest rates at
5%. Other advantages have attracted financial institutions to
the island, including its famously low rate of income tax at 20%,
which has remained constant since 1940. Jersey enjoys stable
government, proximity to the UK and mainland Europe – and
it lacks corporation tax. With approximately 50 international
banks and financial companies now based in the island, Jersey
is a centre for global finance, a growing sector that currently
employs around 12,500 people.
Another reason for its success is its selectivity. To maintain
standards, the island’s regulator – the Jersey Financial Services
Commission – will only authorise the top 500 global banks to
establish a presence in the island. At the moment the island
is home to roughly 50 such banks, 200 regulated trust and
Left Residents
and visitors relax in
St Helier sunshine.
FAR LEFT The
waterfront has
great potential.
company administrators and 100 investment managers,
stockbrokers, advisers, custodians and fund administrators. All
the ‘big four’ accountancy firms are there (two are Liberty Wharf
occupiers), along with a range of offshore law firms.
It has never been open to all-comers. Business is carefully
monitored and each new company requires several types of
consent before it can trade. These consents safeguard the quality
of life on the island, ensuring new businesses will contribute to
its economic success.
But the rules are becoming less stringent. Jersey’s Economic
Development Department is responsible for issuing licences
to new businesses and has removed the distinction between
local and non-local businesses, choosing instead to review
each application on its individual merits. This is a solid sign
that the island is welcoming inward investment and growth
opportunities.
The island’s traditionally strict residency rules, too, have
been relaxed to attract wealthy immigrants. Previously,
prospective residents would be expected to show an annual
income sufficient to produce about £150,000 in tax revenues
for the island. This has been lowered to £100,000, which is
generated by income of around half a million per annum.
Jersey is keen to welcome skilled workers but preference
is given to those who have lived on the island for at least
10 years, those who were born in Jersey, who are the child of a
person born there or the child of a registered resident. But the
authorities have demonstrated more willingness in recent years
to allow ‘J category’ residency to people whose employment in
the island is deemed to be essential. As this often applies to
employees of new businesses, especially if the relevant skills
cannot be found from Jersey’s existing labour force, this means
that businesses are finding it increasingly attractive to establish
themselves in Jersey.
Attracting expert professionals
The monitoring of residency and business growth within Jersey
has contributed to the large proportion of its population being
professionally trained and highly skilled. Jersey’s wealth of
experienced accountants and legal experts ensures that business
transactions run smoothly. “The flexibility of Jersey’s regulatory
regime, the widening scope of legislation and the growing
specialist skills prevalent in Jersey have all contributed to the
successful growth of the financial services industry in recent
years,” says Geoff Cook, chief executive of Jersey Finance.
“The huge pool of knowledge that has been acquired by Jersey
based legal and finance professionals in handling the financial
planning needs of private and corporate clients has been another
factor adding to the appeal of the jurisdiction.”
Jersey’s place since 2009 in the Organisation of Economic
Development (OECD) ‘white list’ was an important step in
safeguarding the future of the island’s finance industry,
thinks Cook. “Jersey is part of a group that includes the UK,
the USA and many – but by no means all – of the OECD and
EU member states, which have substantially implemented the
internationally agreed tax standard.
“To be in the top tier of jurisdictions, which set the highest
standards of transparency and regulation, helps to eradicate the
erroneous ‘tax haven’ label sometimes wrongly associated with
➝
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 13
introduction
Ernst & young
was one of the
first occupiers
of liberation
house, where
it doubled the
space of its
previous office
Jersey and ensures that we are seen as a responsible member of
the international community.”
The hub of this booming finance industry is St Helier
(pictured), Jersey’s harbourside capital, where one third of
the island’s population lives. With alfresco dining, extensive
shopping and historic architecture, St Helier is popular with
locals and tourists alike.
The town is home to the new waterfront development,
Liberty Wharf, acquired by Harcourt subsidiary, Islands
Development, in 2006. Liberation Station, the new
transportation centre, occupies the ground floor of one of the
buildings. Above it is Liberty Apartments, 63 five-star serviced
apartments designed for the business community and offering
tourists a contemporary alternative to the island’s hotels. The
scheme also includes a five-storey tourist office of 800sq m, two
office blocks and an old abattoir transformed into a retail centre.
Ernst & Young was one of the first occupiers of Liberation
House, a 6,500sq m office building, where it doubled the space of
its previous office. Bespoke fund manager, Moore Management,
is based there, as is the global HQ of Computer Patent Annuities
(CPA), the world’s top intellectual property management
specialist. BDO Alto is based in Windward House, with other
floors occupied by Cofra Jersey, Heritage Oil and STM Fiduciaire.
Regeneration of the historic buildings formed the final phase
of the Liberty Wharf development, bringing these spaces back
to life through careful integration with new building elements
and spaces; a knitting together of old and new. Ian McDonald,
director at Liberty Wharf architects, Axis Mason, describes the
former abattoir site: “It’s a hugely important example of Jersey’s
architectural heritage. This group of former cattle sheds, pigsties
and slaughterhouses, long neglected and crudely adapted, is still
a remarkable record of the process of change and development in
St Helier during the past 150 years or so.”
Axis Mason’s design remodels these dilapidated buildings
into an exciting and dynamic series of retail units, cafés and
restaurants, maintaining the essential historic character of the
site and its environs. McDonald explains: “We had a clear view,
together with the planning and historic buildings officers, that
any new work should be clearly expressed as contemporary
insertions, but with sparing detail and high quality materials
to create an obvious contrast with the restored fabric, allowing
the historic quality and detail of the spaces to read through.”
➝
14 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Liberty
wharf
occupiers
Retail & leisure
■ Liberty Apartments
by BridgeStreet
■ M&S Home
■ Eclectic
■ Pasty Presto
■ Libertys
■ Hotel Chocolat
■ Exquisite – the
Final Touch
■ Pretty Woman
■ Costa Coffee
■ Moma Fish Spa
offices
■ Ernst & Young
■ BDO Alto
■ Regus
■ Computer Patent
Annuities
■ Cofra Jersey
■ STM Fiduciaire
■ Moore Management
■ Heritage Oil
Isle of plenty
Jersey’s residency rules
There are currently three categories of
housing defined under the Housing (Jersey)
Law 1949:
‘A-H’ category properties are only available
for purchase by those with strong ties to the
island, who qualify as local residents
‘J’ properties are available to ‘essentially
employed persons’
‘1(1)K’ properties are available to individuals
whose residence on the island ‘can be
justified on social or economic grounds’
(usually the very wealthy with an expected
level of annual tax contribution of around
£100,000 a year)
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 15
introduction
“the existing
buildings and
spaces had
this inherent
physical and
spacial quality;
that they were
adaptable still
to change”
The team was equally clear that the retained historic fabric
should be faithfully restored, warts and all. “Restoration work
was undertaken in a thorough, often painstaking manner,”
explains McDonald. “It’s not only about the quality of the
materials or reuse and, in some cases, reassembly of historic
materials and components, but also about craftsmanship and
the need to execute the works to the highest standards.”
Existing stone, brick and timber salvaged from the site was
reused to repair or reconstruct windows and doorways and to
repave tarmac walkways.
The development’s first two phases added new buildings
and facilities to enable comprehensive regeneration of the site.
These obviously contemporary buildings clearly express their use
but also employ familiar materials, to complement the former
abattoir and railway station buildings.
The team saw this challenge as another phase of change
for the 150 year-old site. McDonald explains: “It’s a curious
challenge, reinventing a former abattoir as a boutique retail
centre. Most of the historic fabric now visible internally was
never designed to be seen in this way. These very simple,
robust, essentially industrial buildings were constructed with
painstaking attention to detail and craftsmanship, very much
a civic building in the Victorian sense. It’s therefore entirely
appropriate that the site has this new public or civic use. We are
ABOVE Ships
make their way
into St Helier.
16 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
very fortunate that the existing buildings and spaces had this
inherent physical and spatial quality; that they were adaptable
still to change.”
Individual units open off a restored covered walkway, the
main circulation spine for the scheme, which has been extended
through newly created spaces at either end. Carefully restored
cast iron roof trusses and patent glazing shelter a secondary
route between former pigpens, now reinvented as boutiques.
The entire site’s historic significance is designated as a
Site of Special Interest, the highest protection afforded to
Jersey’s historic buildings. “Close co-operation with Planning
and Historic Buildings was paramount,” says McDonald. “We
unearthed lost details almost every time we opened something
up. We had to have trust and co-operation and the dialogue
often had to be intense and prolonged in order to get it right.”
The overall effect is compelling: a subtle but clearly defined
distinction between historic fabric and new insertions. McDonald
says: “It adds another layer of change and adaptation, allowing
these buildings to be enjoyed well into the future.”
It would seem that even in the current economic climate
Jersey’s burgeoning financial and tourism industries are set
for even greater growth, and that St Helier – thanks to the
regeneration of Liberty Wharf – is poised to take its place as one
of Europe’s most attractive and vibrant harbour towns. lw
Corporate HeadQuarters, serviced offices and apartments
on the
waterfront
The trend at the top of Jersey’s office market is moving towards a new central business district on
St Helier’s waterfront. The island’s supply of space to meet corporate standards increased
in 2008/09, when Windward House and Liberation House came to the market. Matthew Corbin
of BDO Alto tells Siobhán Crozier why the smart money is heading to the waterfront
18 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Corporate headquarters in Jersey are moving
towards St Helier’s beautiful marina and Matthew Corbin,
managing director of BDO Alto, is certain that his company has
secured one of the best on the market.
BDO Alto became the first occupant of Windward House
at the end of 2008, after Deerglen had fitted out the
5,200 square foot first floor. A member of BDO International –
the world’s fifth largest international accounting and consulting
organisation – since 2004, the Jersey operation currently
employs 35 staff. “We were looking for a longer-term home
for the company,” explains Corbin. “We wanted modern space
– space that staff would enjoy working in, with lots of natural
light, a nice outlook in a generally attractive environment.”
Other Windward House occupiers are Cofra Jersey, STM
Fiduciaire and Heritage Oil, while Ernst & Young, Computer
Patent Annuities and Moore Management are based in its sister
building, Liberation House.
BDO Alto provides audit and accounting, tax and advisory
services to local businesses, as well as to companies operating
within the financial services industry internationally. Its new
headquarters needed to reflect the prestige of the company.
“We wanted something that was of good architecture, that was
Matthew Corbin
Managing director
of BDO Alto
“It really has
been gamechanging for
us. we now
encourage
clients to
come to the
building and
see how
we operate”
befitting of our image as a leading accounting firm in the Island,”
Corbin says.
The new HQ would also be a great place for staff to work
and Windward House delivered on BDO Alto’s stringent
requirements. Harcourt Developments built the two five-storey
office blocks, Windward House and Liberation House, adjacent to
its heritage development of the new retail mall at Liberty Wharf.
“We’re based on the first floor with views across the St Helier
marina, which is glorious,” says Corbin. “It was important to
us as a company but also to provide our staff with that sort of
environment – there was a real lift when we moved here. People
really appreciate working in this office, staff know that they are
valued and it’s a sign of the company’s intention locally, as well.
One of the reasons we took this first floor is that it has a large
balcony that faces into Liberation Square, so people can wander
out of the kitchen area and enjoy some fresh air.”
The open floor plate with pillars supporting the various
floors created the opportunity for a major change for BDO Alto,
as Corbin explains: “There were no hard internal walls to work
with; we kept the office very open plan and free flowing. We were
leaving an environment where senior individuals sat in glass
cubicles and we moved to an environment where everybody is
out on the same floor, which took a few weeks to get used to
– but no more than that. We’ve always had a very open culture
with staff but sitting out on the same floor, everyone feels
included, everyone feels that they know what’s going on.”
liberty Wharf
Rooms are available for client meetings and confidential
discussions but Corbin estimates that the majority of business,
including the internal running of the company, is conducted in
the open space of its headquarters.
Windward House commands stunning views of Elizabeth
Marina, across the wide sweep of St Aubin’s Bay – but ultimately,
how important is the setting to a firm like BDO Alto?
“Several of the big corporates are moving to this part of
town,” says Corbin. “We’re one of a number of companies that
have moved towards the waterfront in St Helier; there are a lot
of new buildings around and I think this one compares very
favourably. It’s pretty unique in terms of its location, it’s got a lot
of public space around it, there’s the new Liberty Wharf retail
centre next to it – and there are those stunning views across the
harbour that can never be taken away.”
Corbin thinks that Liberty Wharf significantly enhances the
quality of the working environment: “It’s nice to have non-office
buildings around you. As the retail offer develops, everyone in
this building and in Liberation House will use it more and more.”
“The fit-out was fairly easy for us; the building was provided
as a blank canvas and as we have kept it quite open plan, it was
relatively simple,” says Corbin. “Deerglen did a very good job and
they ended up fitting three other floors in Windward House.”
Leaders in the financial services industry are astute and this
investment has rewarded BDO Alto in terms of the company’s
presence. “It really has been game-changing for us,” thinks
Corbin. “We now encourage clients to come to the building and
see how we operate. It really has worked for clients, for staff
and the operation of the company; it’s a building that we’re very
proud of. When we’re recruiting and we bring candidates in, or
when we meet prospective and existing clients, they see that we
are operating in this quality of environment and it’s another
tick in the box for them.”
issue_one
➝
Liberty Wharf 19
corporate headquarters, serviced offices and apartments
Service
with
style
The popularity of top quality serviced offices and
apartments at Liberty Wharf shows that Jersey is well
and truly open for business. Paul Coleman finds
versatile new ways to do business in Jersey
20 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
IT’S A GREAT SPOT WITH
EXCELLENT TRANSPORT
LINKS, AND BANKS, SHOPS
AND RESTAURANTS NEARBY
could it be that Jersey Girl – Rowan Gillespie’s
exquisite ‘flying’ sculpture at Liberty Wharf – symbolises the
freedom and flexibility that expanding businesses crave? Liberty
Wharf has become a business hub, as well as a relaxing haven,
offering state-of-the-art facilities and high levels of service, in
the perfect location. The impressive complex is centrally located
on the Esplanade in the heart of St Helier, Jersey’s capital and
one of Europe’s most renowned financial centres.
Liberty Wharf’s commercial take-off is powered by the
established presence of Regus and BridgeStreet, two major
international brands, along with early occupiers BDO Alto, Ernst
& Young, Moore Management and Computer Patent Annuities.
Regus is a global provider of serviced offices, meeting rooms and
business lounges, serving 800,000 customers worldwide each
day. BridgeStreet, with its growing holding of 15,000 apartments
worldwide, provides a range of high-class serviced apartments at
Liberty Wharf to both business and leisure travellers.
LEFT AND ABOVE
Regus’ serviced
offices at Liberty
Wharf include an
outside terrace.
Demand for serviced offices and apartments in Jersey has
increased over recent years, stimulated both by the island’s
increasingly flourishing business and financial community and
by an influx of affluent leisure travellers. Stylish, fully furnished
offices and apartments in this particular spot are thanks to
Liberty Wharf’s coveted and convenient proximity to Jersey’s
banks, bars, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, shops, harbour,
museums and marinas. And Liberty Wharf’s own attractions
are a strong pull, as occupiers are taking up the opportunity of
highly individual units for retail and leisure uses.
regus jersey st helier
The Regus offering at Liberty Wharf perfectly suits businesses
who want to meet clients in Jersey but who don’t want to take
out lengthy and expensive office leases. Regus also supports
many fledgling local businesses, offering meeting and training
rooms, conference and boardrooms, a business lounge, cafe,
extensive Wi-Fi, and a professional reception area. The Regus
Liberty Wharf team includes IT support, facilities technicians
and reception staff.
The service also offers the human touch. “Our receptionist
will meet and greet our customer’s visitors,” says Matt
MacKenzie, who heads Regus’ Liberty Wharf operation and
who grew up in Jersey. “We literally work for our customer at
that point,” he adds. “Visitors are taken to the office or meeting
room; and if the customer needs stationery or has left some
➝
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 21
corporate headquarters, serviced offices and apartments
“The demand for
serviced offices
at Liberty Wharf
shows that Jersey
is becoming an
increasingly
entrepreneurial
society”
files in their office in the building, the operational staff will get
whatever they need, even collecting the files and taking them to
the meeting room. It’s a five-star service.”
Both Regus and BridgeStreet are actively securing new
clientele based on Liberty Wharf’s prestigious location.
Strategically, it’s a great spot with excellent transport links,
and banks, shops and restaurants nearby, as well as a plethora
of diverse, thriving companies offering a comprehensive range
of services.
The marina is also just across the way. “Yachtsmen visiting
Jersey on business moor in the marina and come to us to use our
day office facilities,” says MacKenzie. “Similarly, people fly to the
island and 20 minutes later they’re in St Helier, making good use
of our business centre.”
Key to the Regus service is its Businessworld scheme, which
enables businesses to enjoy flexibility while containing costs.
Businessworld allows clients drop-in access to Regus’ global
network of business centres with preferred rates on products
and services.
MacKenzie is in fact a former customer of Businessworld, so
is well placed to testify to its usefulness. He previously worked
for a Salt Lake City-based venture capital group seeking to
establish its global footprint. His ‘patch’ included the Middle
East and Africa, but he also frequently visited Prague, Paris,
Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro and Dallas. The group neither needed
nor could afford a huge property portfolio. “But we did need
versatile, professional office services and Regus regularly
provided it,” says MacKenzie.
22 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Businessworld allowed the firm to pretty much roll up on
Regus’ doorstep and say, “Can we use an office and facilities for
the day?” and be provided with meeting rooms, telephones,
printers and secretarial services. “During a two-year globetrotting stint, it provided the same high standard everywhere
I worked across the globe,” chimes MacKenzie. “I felt Regus
knew and understood what my company needed. It delivered
seamlessly and professionally, without fail.”
He recalls one Regus customer who was visited by a
prospective client who didn’t realise the office was serviced.
“Calls to our customers are answered by a Regus receptionist in
the customer’s company name. This suits most customers who
don’t need a full-time receptionist. Regus’ whole concept is: use
only what you want to use.”
MacKenzie was struck by the clear synergy between his
venture capital company, providing new businesses with
finance and management skills, and Regus helping embryo
and expanding businesses. “There were many similarities,”
says MacKenzie. “Jersey definitely needs the centre – as the
occupancy by local businesses shows.” When MacKenzie decided
to return to Jersey with his family in summer 2010, a perfect
marriage was arranged when Regus appointed him to head their
Liberty Wharf operation.
Regus now occupies the entire first floor of Liberty Wharf’s
commercial component, offering over 40 offices, meeting,
interview and video-conferencing rooms and a conference suite.
Fully fitted and decorated spacious offices come with tasteful,
ergonomic and adjustable furniture. Outside, a gloriously large
ABOVE Regus
serviced offices
provide customers
with everything
from a receptionist
to videoconferencing.
Below
BridgeStreet’s
Liberty Apartments.
BOTTOM Regus
Jersey St Helier.
furnished terrace has already hosted launch parties and other
business functions. It’s a free and open space at all other times,
allowing all Liberty Wharf users to take advantage of Wi-Fi,
using their laptops and PDAs while enjoying fresh air and a view
across the marina.
The Regus Liberty Wharf clients vary from those who just
use one office for an hour to long-term occupants, such as law
firms, accountants, banks and hedge fund managers, some with
just two employees and others with more than 20.
Clients also include enterprises that have invested seed corn
funds into a proposition, and use serviced offices to enable them
to concentrate on growing the business without the burden
of being tied to a commercial lease as well as having to pay a
facilities manager.
For example, Jersey Enterprise is opening a business
incubator with Regus here to help nurture the growth of
new local businesses. “The demand for serviced offices at
Liberty Wharf shows that Jersey is becoming an increasingly
entrepreneurial society,” says MacKenzie.
He believes Liberty Wharf is already an important part of the
Regus global offering, which takes care of more than 800,000
customers per day in 500 cities and 85 countries, through a
network of over 1,100 business centres. “No other company on
the island is doing what Regus is doing,” says MacKenzie. “Our
flexible packages are the best, and I can say that with hand on
heart having experienced it from the other side of the counter.
The island is saying ‘Jersey is open for business’ – and the arrival
of Regus at Liberty Wharf proves that!”
liberty apartments
So, you’ve found your ideal Liberty Wharf office, but where do
you relax after work? BridgeStreet’s Liberty Apartments provide
an equally high quality and flexible solution, offering all of
the services of a top quality city centre hotel but without the
limitations of a hotel stay.
In 2007, Harcourt Developments awarded BridgeStreet
Worldwide a 15-year contract to manage the 63 apartments on
Liberty Wharf’s second, third and fourth floors. BridgeStreet
cannily knew already that offering stylish and contemporary
apartments was just the beginning. “Our goal is to create an
inviting and relaxing environment for our guests,” says Simone
Stein, BridgeStreet’s general manager at Liberty Wharf. “Our
welcome doesn’t just start when you arrive at the apartments.”
Before guests arrive, Stein and her team send full details of
Jersey’s local attractions, restaurants and car hire. “We also offer
a bespoke shopping service,” says Stein. “We’ll ensure special
items that you’d like are safely stored in your pantry or fridge
before you arrive, in addition to our welcome pack of well-loved
and local essential grocery items.”
The apartments comprise a selection of studios, one- and
two-bedroom apartments, some with balconies, and views of
the town and harbour. They all have a living and dining area,
a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom and double bed, along with
wireless internet, flat screen TV, iPod docking station and CD
and DVD player. The apartments guarantee privacy and security,
yet BridgeStreet take pride in their intimate and friendly homefrom-home ambience.
➝
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 23
corporate headquarters, serviced offices and apartments
Liberty Apartments’ exclusive reception area is staffed
24 hours a day and provides complimentary tea, coffee and
fresh croissants for guests every morning. The ApartHotel often
finds itself becoming a handy meeting place for guests who are
travelling in groups. The private terrace with tables and chairs
is also proving very popular. “The reception area and terrace
also allows us to stay in touch with our guests and to ensure
we’re continually providing them with the utmost comfort and
service,” adds Stein.
A significant number of Liberty Apartments’ guests include
extended stay business travellers, as well as the growing
numbers of leisure users, including project workers who are away
from home for short yet significant timeframes.
Jo Layton has been responsible for BridgeStreet Worldwide
sales and marketing throughout Europe and the Middle East
since January 2005. She is very pleased with the feedback
received from Liberty Wharf guests.
“Warmth, friendliness and service, along with world-class
apartments, are the key repeated words on virtually every
satisfaction survey we receive,” says Layton. “And this is not
just on our own feedback; these sentiments are reflected in
reviews of the apartments on independent forums such as
tripadvisor.co.uk and laterooms.com.”
As LW went to press, Liberty Apartments had over 70 guest
surveys completed on laterooms.com. One hundred per cent
of guests said they would recommend Liberty Apartments to
a friend, and 100% said they would stay again. “Now that is a
dream number of potential repeat customers for any business,”
adds Layton. “This is a tribute to our staff and to the product and
services of this incredible development.”
Layton’s passion for service excellence ensures Liberty
Apartments typifies the best that the serviced apartment sector
can offer. It’s not surprising they are in good hands: Layton,
as an active executive committee member of the Association
of Serviced Apartment Providers, played a leading role in the
creation of a new UK grading system for serviced apartments in
conjunction with Visit Britain.
24 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Layton was drawn to the sector after working 13 years for
the Marriott, Renaissance and InterContinental Hotels group.
“When introduced to the serviced apartment industry, I saw a
completely different opportunity to work with competitors as
network partners, which means we never need to turn away
businesses,” explains Layton.
“We work on the premise that we can find an apartment
within our industry to fit the needs of our travellers – whatever
location, price, size, style, grade, service requirements or length
of stay they want.
“We work also on the idea that our inventory can concertina
to fit the demands of our clients, even in locations where we’re
not represented, by networking with our BridgeStreet Global
Alliance partners,” adds Layton.
BridgeStreet has grown very quickly over the past five years
from its London head office and Paris hub. Jersey is just one
of its UK openings – others include Manchester, Birmingham,
Leeds and Liverpool. The first franchise opens in Doha this year,
with another on the cards in Dubai.
“Every time we open another property, we bring with us
the regional understanding that every city or location has its
own personality and accepted working practices,” says Layton.
“As we’ve shown in Jersey, we bring a total respect for the local
community. Our global operating procedures are continually
reviewed to ensure they are in line with the needs of the local
environment. Liberty Apartments are no exception to this.”
Thanks to Regus’ serviced offices and BridgeStreet’s serviced
apartments, guests and clients at Liberty Wharf not only find
their diverse and changing needs met, but are also instantly
connected to flexibly accessible global networks.
Liberty Wharf, viewed from this perspective, is therefore
more than just an impressive development with high quality
offices and apartments. It’s also far more than simply a major
contribution to Jersey’s waterfront revitalisation and to
increasing the amount of jobs available to local people.
Liberty Wharf is a hub of international business activity
and a welcoming and relaxing haven for travellers. lw
ABOVE Liberty
Apartments: some
with balconies,
but all with home
comforts.
retail
26 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
island
shopping
Jersey has a lot more to offer retailers and shoppers,
than its zero rate of VAT. Noella Pio Kivlehan talks to,
retail experts, and Liberty Wharf’s first occupiers, to,
find out what this unique development,
adds to the retail scene,
continues overleaf
issue_one
➝
Liberty Wharf 27
retail
“Liberty Wharf is a
destination Jersey
residents and visitors
will want to return to,
time and time again”
With a wealthy population and plenty of
tourists, it’s not surprising that retail is Jersey’s second largest
private employment sector, with more than 8,000 people
working in the area, or that it generates 6% of its GVA (gross
value added).
“Retail is significant for Jersey. Even though the island is
very focused on finance, retail still plays an important part,”
says Tony O’Neill. And he should know. Although he would not
reveal specific figures, as CEO of SandpiperCI, O’Neill controls
a significant percentage of the island’s retail, either through
franchises or directly. In his own words, “SandpiperCI is by far
the biggest operator in Jersey.”
Names operated by O’Neill as retail partners include Marks &
Spencer – a franchisee on the island for over 40 years – Waitrose,
Robert Dyas and Iceland, and he’s planning even more deals.
“As we widen the consumer choice, it has to be attractive to
both residents and visitors, as well as, of course, people coming
over from mainland Europe,” says O’Neill. And this is where
Jersey has a major advantage over the mainland – it is only one
hour away on the ferry from France. “We have seen a growing
influx of European shoppers. We have a lot of advantages
in attracting them because of the strong euro and our close
proximity to the coast of mainland Europe, which means we get
a lot of day trippers.”
Whatever retailers he does bring in, they will all add to
Jersey’s retail mix that is being buoyed by Liberty Wharf, which
by bringing 58,000sq ft of retail to the island’s mix, is what
O’Neill calls ‘a significant development’. He’s taking multiple
units in the scheme. “I think Liberty Wharf will complement
what retail offer there already is in Jersey, particularly with new
entrants to the island,” he adds.
That vision is already working. While Liberty Wharf
ABOVE ANd
previous page
Liberty Wharf – the
only development
of its kind in Jersey.
28 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
operators include anchor store Marks & Spencer Home, plus
established brands such as Costa Coffee and luxury chocolatier
Hotel Chocolat, it is also home to independent shops, such as
Eclectic, a contemporary and vintage boutique, and Exquisite
– the Final Touch, which offers bespoke and retro interiors.
Pat Power, executive director of Harcourt Developments,
said: “As the island’s only covered mall, Liberty Wharf is a
unique shopping experience for the Channel Islands. The
20 retail and leisure units are bringing a new dimension to
shopping in Jersey. Liberty Wharf links the town and waterfront
together, integrating retail and leisure facilities in one
environment. It provides a new heart for the centre of St Helier.”
“Exquisite and Eclectic fit perfectly with what we are trying
to achieve with the complex as a whole,” added Gerry Comaskey,
group property director of Harcourt Developments. “They are
exciting and distinct businesses that offer something different
to Jersey. We look forward to watching their business grow.
“Liberty Wharf is not just a covered shopping mall, it’s been
restored in a way that combines the heritage architecture with
the contemporary,” Comaskey thinks. “We have the high street
retailers such as BHS, M&S and Boots, but also the array of
privately owned stores, making it much more individual than a
UK high street. It’s unique to Jersey because it is the only such
heritage site on the island that could be redeveloped. It’s been
described as a Covent Garden type of development.”
Liberty Wharf allows the public to enjoy the ambience and
display of the restored abattoir, says Comaskey: “There was a
lot of local interest in the development of Liberty Wharf and
people were eager to see how it has been transformed from the
former abattoir site into a stunning retail environment. Work
on this historic site has been a detailed and meticulous
process to ensure that the finished product preserves and
➝
ABOVE Hotel
Chocolat mmm!
FAR LEFT Vintage
and contemporary
interiors at Exquisite
– the Final Touch,
exploiting the
individuality of its
Liberty Wharf unit.
LEFT The historic
features of the
former abattoir
have been
carefully retained.
BELOW Eclectic,
an independentlyowned boutique,
mixes current and
retro pieces.
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 29
retail
enhances the original features and does justice to this longstanding piece of Jersey history. We believe that the end product
has been worth the wait and Liberty Wharf is a destination
Jersey residents and visitors will want to return to, time and
time again.”
To preserve the unique character of the historic buildings,
unusually for shop-fitting, the traders have to get planning
permission for their internal fit-outs to preserve all the retained
original features.
As Nicole Smith, owner of Eclectic, a contemporary and
vintage fashion boutique in the development, says: “The walls
of my shop are granite and we had to have our plans approved
before we could attach anything, so it was quite hard to fit
out but it has really been worth it. Liberty Wharf is the most
beautiful development and everyone is so impressed. The use of
glass and granite, the old and the new, is what appealed to me
and Eclectic is perfectly suited to this wonderful heritage site. It
aims to provide something different from the high street, in the
right location and a unique environment.”
For Annette Mueller-Allenspach, it is the ideal location for
her interiors store, Exquisite – the Final Touch. “I believed there
was a need for a shop which offered bespoke, quality home
furnishings and unique contemporary, vintage and traditional
gifts. Having sourced my products from around the world, I
was then on the hunt for the right place to showcase all the
collections. Liberty Wharf could offer this to me. Given the
site’s deep historical context, mirrored by the stunning granite
architecture and heritage detail, this was the showcase that I had
been looking for!”
She too agrees that the mix of retailers is important, and
feels that whoever they are, they must encompass the design
of their shop-fitting to complement the uniqueness of each
unit. “It’s a first for Jersey,” adds Mueller-Allenspach, “It’s the
only covered mall. The complex offers a fantastic shopping
experience. With a mix of the bygone days of Victorian splendor
and the modern clean aluminum lines, it is without doubt
unique, a fabulous success that Jersey should be proud of!”
For Martin Sayers, owner of Libertys bar and restaurant
complex, it was the waterfront location that confirmed Liberty
Wharf as the location for his new venture. “The whole of
30 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
St Helier is embracing its waterfront – this is now the hub of the
entertainment area.
“Liberty Wharf is unique; nothing like it exists in Jersey.
It has the largest alfresco space, with smoking areas outdoors,
and it will have heated exterior paving slabs, maintaining a
comfortable ambient temperature throughout the year.
“The marvellous thing about Liberty Wharf is longevity,”
Sayers says. “When you’re investing large sums you have to know
where the competition will come from in the next two or three
years, what premises could become available nearby and whether
the venue is close to housing. This is a unique site with the best
views in St Helier, looking over the harbour, St Helier Marina
and Liberation Square.”
So, has Jersey been affected by the economic downturn?
Not in the retail sector, according to O’Neill. “The Channel
Islands have had a ‘good recession’,” he says. Being an island has
given Jersey’s retail market some degree of protection from the
recession, which hit mainland UK hard, forcing the closure or
part closure of some significant retail names.
“Most of the fall out here was in the finance sector,” says
O’Neill. “However, in the past 12 months, we have been
encouraged to have made the progress that we have,” adding that
things definitely have not been as bad as they could have been.
Such figures haven’t put off the new tenants at Liberty
Wharf. “I have been told I’m very brave to open a shop in this
current economic crisis,” says Annette Mueller-Allenspach.
“My answer is simple. People are not moving home – instead
they’re investing in the home they already have and taking fewer
holidays. Their home is their castle, their haven. Their spare time
is spent in the enjoyment of their home and surroundings.”
And as Nicole Smith says: “I don’t think there’s any better
time to open than in a recession – trade can only go up. A couple
of new independent boutiques are opening in St Helier and I
think that’s very positive.” lw
Sunday retail
trading hours
TOP Annette
Mueller-Allenspach,
owner of Exquisite
– the Final Touch,
with Shelagh Dix
and Ashley Batho.
Jersey operates differently from the UK mainland in relation
to its Sunday trading hours.
The 1960 legislation controls Sunday trading through the
issuing of permits, which are granted by the Connétable
of the Parish in which the business is situated. (The
Connétable, elected head of each of the island’s 12
parishes, are also known as Constables.) This limits the
products which can be traded on a Sunday, Good Friday,
Liberation Day and Christmas Day.
But this could be set to change. In March 2010, the States
of Jersey (the island’s parliament) announced it was working
on an overhaul of the 1960 Sunday trading legislation.
It outlines that: “This will allow Parish Connétables, who grant
Sunday trading permits, more flexibility and control over
how and to whom permits are issued. The new system also
contains safeguards (that did not previously exist) to allow
shops to apply for licences on a level playing field.
“[The proposals] will be available to the public as soon as
they are completed and there will be a period of public
consultation before they are discussed by the States.”
Tony O’Neill, CEO of SandpiperCI, one of Jersey’s biggest
retail operators, has welcomed the overhaul. “It will bring
clarity of what will be allowed. Obviously, it won’t put us on
par with the UK retailers, but it is liberalisation.”
As LW went to press, the changes were being considered
by the Jersey States Assemby Scutiny. Depending on the
outcome of this, the issue could be decided by July 2011.
case study
Conservation
vs commerce
For an island rich in heritage but restricted on space, development projects
that are crucial to Jersey’s future can be a careful balancing act,
writes Charlotte Goodworth
32 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Far Left One of
the entrances to
Liberty Wharf.
left Alfresco
coffee house in
Jersey’s sunshine.
below Heritage
details conserved
at Liberty Wharf.
Historic renewal projects are commonly
fraught with problems, and Liberty Wharf, a Site of Special
Interest, was no different: it had its fair share of difficulties
to overcome in order to respect the integrity of the existing
buildings, while creating a contemporary, workable space. Yet
the new transportation centre and tourism office finished ahead
of schedule and well within budget. So what was its secret?
Gerry Comaskey, group property director of Harcourt
Developments, said: “Work on such a historical site had to be a
detailed and meticulous process. We commissioned Axis Mason
architects to ensure preservation of the old abattoir and Jersey
construction company, Deerglen, to build it. We took our time,
investing in this heritage building to ensure an important piece
of Jersey’s history was preserved.”
For Harcourt, genuine conservation entailed creating a viable
future. “We’ve given Liberty Wharf a completely new function
with enduring appeal, both for its commercial operators and for
residents and visitors to the island,” added Comaskey.
Project manager Anthony Joubert, of building contractor,
Camerons, won the Construction Manager of the Year Award for
the scheme. He considers its success lay in careful planning and
a close relationship between all parties. “We established a list of
critical points at the start and we were organised,” he explains.
“From the beginning we were working on a preserved site. When
some granite slabs had to be removed from the building, we got
the historical officer to check what to do with them.”
Project architect, Ian McDonald, director of Axis Mason,
worked closely with Joubert and with Jersey’s planning and
historic buildings departments. Close monitoring by the
authorities and constant communication meant the design and
decision-making process had to be reasonably flexible, but it also
created a final result that is to the satisfaction of all parties.
McDonald identified that the key challenge of the
development was to balance a considered approach to conserving
the remaining historic fabric with the need to introduce new
structures and elements to ensure the viability of the scheme.
“Previous ill-considered alterations and the absence of
maintenance had left much of the historic fabric in severe
dilapidation. The site had been continually adapted over the
years so we had to establish a suitable base from which to start.
“This can be highly subjective, so it was vital to develop
the design in tandem with the planning and historic buildings
officers through regular discussions. We constructed samples
and mock-ups insitu to inform the decision-making process.”
One particular issue that required this type of close liaison
was the embrasure – an opening in a battlement for a gun to fire
through. Joubert explains: “On the granite tourism office wall is
a solid concrete gun embrasure set into in a few cubic metres of
concrete. Because of the political sensitivity of the item and what
it represents, we had to demolish this concrete and the bunker
at the back of it and put the embrasure back right in the same
location as it was originally. We didn’t want to get it wrong so
we asked for an independent surveyor to come on to the site to
measure it and come back to check it was in the right location.”
With historic sites, not knowing what may be in the ground
can cause huge problems of time, money and conservation
restrictions. To minimise the impact, Joubert and his team from
Camerons tested and researched in detail before work began.
The sea wall was a potential concern. Dating to around 1822,
it ran underneath the new transportation centre. Before he could
specify what type of piling to use, Joubert needed to know
exactly what they would find in the ground.
➝
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 33
case study
“WHERE NEW building
ELEMENTS WERE brought
in, THEse were designed
to REINFORCE THE
INDUSTRIAL AESTHETIC,
WITH A LIMITED PALETTE OF
MATERIALS AND DETAIL”
As well as employing a ground-penetrating radar company from
the mainland to provide an indication of the sea wall, Joubert
marked out all the pipes’ positions within the site and excavated
two metres below ground level to determine what obstructions
lay beneath. “I made all these investigations before the site work
began,” says Joubert. “The site could have been delayed by a
month, meaning reprogramming, and higher costs.”
The materials used above ground were equally important,
as it was essential to preserve the architectural and cultural
heritage of the island. However, this preservation had to go hand
in hand with the site’s viability as a commercial enterprise. As
McDonald points out, the development wasn’t intended to be
a museum of the past. “The site was originally constructed as
an abattoir and was therefore not designed to accommodate
the public,” he explains. “It was a beautifully designed and
detailed slaughterhouse but a slaughterhouse nonetheless.
What was important, therefore, was to retain a very clear sense
of this former use (the iron door and window grilles, feeding
below
Liberty Wharf
is Jersey’s
only heritage
development.
34 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
troughs and stone blood channels are retained, for example),
while enabling the often eclectic collection of internal spaces to
accommodate retailers and food outlets.
“Where new building elements were brought in, these were
designed to reinforce the industrial aesthetic, albeit in an
obviously contemporary manner and with a limited palette of
materials and detail,” adds McDonald.
With regard to sustainability, reuse and regeneration
were the principal methods, as Comaskey notes, “As well as
preserving the existing buildings, the original materials – doors,
windows, stone flooring and cobbles, granite and brickwork
to walls, slate roofing, and timber and metalwork to the roof
structures – were all reused. This has added hugely to the overall
appeal of the finished development.”
Where new materials had to be used, the architects balanced
conservation with renewal. High quality, durable local materials
were chosen, such as Jersey granite from La Saline quarry in St
John. A lightweight cladding system from France was quick and
cheap to construct, and blended aesthetically with the granite.
Throughout the project, compromise, communication and
forward planning were paramount to ensure it met conservation,
as well as commercial, requirements. As far as the States of
Jersey is concerned, Liberty Wharf has ticked both boxes.
Senator Freddie Cohen, minister for planning and
environment, comments: “Liberty Wharf is an exciting
opportunity and the finished buildings have the potential to
invigorate the town. The area abuts Liberation Square and will
act as the link to the marinas and harbour.
“The scheme was complex as it involved converting a 19th
century abattoir into a workable modern shopping and eating
complex. Our historic buildings team and our planning officers
have worked closely with Harcourt to deliver what I hope will be
an exceptional project. Harcourt and my officers have gone to
great effort to preserve the historic integrity of the buildings and
have preserved or replicated many of the key features. I welcome
this scheme and hope it achieves the success it deserves.” lw
public art
36 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
Public art can make the spirit fly but get it wrong and it just makes
people cringe. Major investment in successful art installations is a
vital feature characterising Harcourt Developments’ projects.
Sarah Herbert finds out why the company believes it is worth
serious investment to commission established artists
art
counsel
Flying free as a bird above the heads of Liberty
Wharf shoppers is Jersey Girl, a cast bronze sculpture by
acclaimed Irish artist Rowan Gillespie. Perfectly balanced,
suspended on an almost invisible wire, she was installed in 2010
to create a unique focal point for the development. But why
a naked girl? And why did Gillespie think she was perfect for
Liberty Wharf?
“I’d already created smaller sculptures of flying females,”
says Gillespie, “but in Liberty Wharf, the idea really seemed
to fit the context. The concept of freedom and liberation is
critical in Jersey and in this site it’s particularly poignant, with
the Liberty sculpture in Liberation Place on the other side of
the development, celebrating Jersey’s liberation from German
occupation at the end of the Second World War.
“But why a woman? Well, thinking back to my mother, for
women the end of the war almost meant the end of the liberation
they’d found while the menfolk were away fighting. They’d been
working in factories, earning money, and weren’t all that keen
on becoming housewives again. While that generation of women
then struggled with rebellion for the rest of their lives, it laid
the foundation for liberation of the next generation of women
to break free of the home. This sculpture equates liberation of
women with liberation from fascism. The image of the free-flying
woman is the ultimate freedom.”
Roger Kohn, author of Gillespie’s biography, Looking for Orion,
has a particular insight into how these eloquent public pieces
communicate. “Rowan connects emotionally with people by
injecting a little humanity into the often de-humanised spaces
they inhabit,” says Kohn. “His work ethic links client liaison,
creativity, foundry-casting, finishing, packing, transporting,
installing and lighting in a single organic process. He therefore
works completely alone – most often in isolation – with singleminded intensity; blending the figurative and the abstract;
juxtaposing organic shapes and the spaces around them.
He creates spatial relationships and harmonies with subtle
tensions, enabling him to portray the human condition in all its
manifestations with heightened sensitivity.
“Each piece is site specific and appropriate – designed to
enhance and improve upon the space it replaces. His most
renowned piece is perhaps the rough hewn, haunting Famine,
which often reduces observers to tears by placing them among
the starving victims of the Great Famine as they stagger along
Dublin’s Custom House quay looking to embark for survival.”
The collaboration with Harcourt came about after the
company had admired Gillespie’s work around its home city of
Dublin. Says John Doherty, marketing director of Harcourt:
issue_one
➝
Liberty Wharf 37
public art
“OVER TIME,
PEOPLE can
BECOME QUITE
POSSESSIVE OF
THE ART AND SEE
IT AS THEIRS”
“Through the years we’ve been seeking an opportunity to work
with Rowan, as many of his sculptures have become part of
the physical landscape of both Dublin and Ireland, as well as
many cities throughout Europe. We wanted a landmark piece for
Liberty Wharf and when we spoke with Rowan and explained
what we had in mind, he leapt at the opportunity.”
Using public art to bring vibrancy to a development is
nothing new to Harcourt Developments. Its relationship with
art is a long and illustrious one, with the developer integrating
public art into all its schemes. “An important part of Harcourt’s
philosophy is to integrate artistic and cultural elements in all
of our property developments,” says Doherty. “The inclusion of
the visual arts, paintings and sculpture in commercial projects
enhances the environment and stimulates an appreciation of
art and culture for all.”
One of the best examples of this approach is
Harcourt’s Park West commercial development in Dublin, with
16 pieces, commissioned from nine different artists, costing
the company millions of euros. The work includes Wave, by
Angela Conner, the tallest wind and water sculpture in Europe,
which towers over the park and acts as an icon for miles around.
Or The Bastard Son of Sisyphus, by Orla de Brí, pragmatically
commissioned to detract attention away from unsightly
pylons, and known to the local workers as Oscar, thanks to his
resemblance to a famous golden statuette! It’s become such an
established feature that people no longer even notice the pylons.
Showing that art can be practical as well as beautiful,
Vivienne Roche’s Whitelight Garden – centrepiece of Park West
– is a public park by day, popular as a lunch spot for Park West’s
many office workers, but by night it becomes a light sculpture.
And it’s not just popular with the tenants – the sculpture won
the Business to Arts judges special recognition award in 2007.
38 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
top, above and
previous pages
Work in progress:
Jersey Girl in
Gillespie’s studio;
Jersey Girl flies into
Liberty Wharf.
Naturally, there’s a strong business case for making the park
unique and developing not just buildings, but a strong sense of
place. One tenant, Allianz Worldwide Care, said: “The modern
art peppered around the park makes Park West something out of
the ordinary, and something that we are very happy with.”
Mike Murphy, veteran Irish broadcaster and one of
Harcourt’s founding directors, says: “Art in the environment
is very important in any case. People may or may not like it
but they are conscious of its presence and that stretches their
imagination. Over time, people can become quite possessive
of the art and see it as theirs. They want to know about it and
discuss it with others.
“On the one hand it’s a selling point, helping to create
Left Rowan
Gillespie at the
installation of
The Ages of Man
at Westlake,
California in 2010.
FAR LEFT Angela
Conner’s Wave
at Park West in
Dublin, Europe’s
tallest water and
wind sculpture.
below Casting
Jersey Girl in
Rowan Gillespie’s
studio, Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Rowan
Gillespie
distinctiveness and a sense of place,” he thinks. “But it’s also
important for the way it engages the interest of those living and
working at the park.”
Harcourt’s involvement in the arts continues to Titanic
Quarter – a mixed-use development on Belfast’s docklands
– where a dazzling star-shaped centrepiece building will act as
an art gallery and theatre, with a major interactive exhibition on
the RMS Titanic and Belfast’s maritime heritage.
The commitment doesn’t end at the company’s own
developments. Harcourt sponsored the Dublin installation of
wildlife photographer Steve Bloom’s Spirit of the Wild exhibition
in 2007, which continues its tour of major European cities,
raising money for and awareness of environmental concerns.
Harcourt also sponsors various Irish art institutions and has
built up a prestigious collection of Irish art. Chairman Pat
Doherty has been the subject of three portraits by Lucian Freud,
each entitled Donegal Man.
Art is in the blood of the company, with Murphy
something of an aficionado. He used to present an arts show on
RTÉ radio and has sat on the board of the Museum of Modern
Art in Ireland. He says: “We believe art is a hugely important
facet of our approach to business. We’re delighted to be doing
it and will continue to do so at all our developments. It gives
more of a sense of place. To have something that is visually
interesting is a bonus.”
Of course, Harcourt aren’t the first to have discovered the
benefits of public art. Sculpture and paintings have been used to
inspire and educate the populus since our early ancestors first
put dye to cave wall and the Greeks created statues of the gods.
Now it can be anything from the enormous – such as Anthony
Gormley’s Angel of the North in Gateshead – to the tiny – Tracey
Emin’s tiny casts of baby clothes in Folkestone. But whatever
Rowan Gillespie was
born in 1953 in Dublin.
After studying art in
Kingston and Oslo, he
started exhibiting his
sculpture in 1977.
By 1997 he’d moved into
creating commissioned
pieces, designed for
their sites, which ranged
from University College
Dublin to Steamboat
Springs, Colorado.
Working from a oneman studio/workshop
in Blackrock, south of
Dublin, he casts his
statues in bronze after a
long and complicated
procedure involving
creating a small-scale
model, welding a full-size
frame for the sculpture,
building up the sculpture
in clay, and using wax,
plaster and wire netting
– heated in a kiln to 650º
centigrade – to create
a mould for the bronze.
Once the sculpture is
cast, it is washed down
using an ancient Greek
technique to retain
the natural colour and
patination of the bronze.
To see his work, and find
out how he does it, visit
www.rowangillespie.com
the scale and location, it’s now universally accepted that public
art creates a unique sense of identity, brings individuality to a
project, and gives a sense of the space belonging to its users.
Arts Council England believes the arts have a major part
to play in helping to galvanise community engagement,
participation in planning and in creating a sense of identity and
pride. As it says: “We believe that the arts can make an effective
contribution to creating or regenerating strong, cohesive and
vibrant communities.”
As with most things worth waiting for, the arrival of Jersey
Girl didn’t run smoothly. Her final unveiling was delayed because
of the drama of the volcanic ash cloud hovering over the UK’s air
space in spring 2010, meaning that no one could get to Jersey for
the big moment.
But Harcourt and Gillespie both knew it was going to work,
thanks to initial engineering tests, when the figure was lifted
into position by crane. “Public reaction was strong,” says
Doherty. “The vast majority of people were taking photos with
their phones and praising the piece. As a conversation piece
it looks like it will be successful and we think the majority of
people will find an accord with Jersey Girl.”
All apart from one prudish onlooker, who sniffed, “It’s
disgusting, she’s completely naked,” and walked on. Says
Gillespie: “She’s not the object, we are. She’s flying over our heads
– she’s off. She’s relaxed.”
As with all public art, however complex the individual piece,
the concept of Jersey Girl also works just as a sculpture in itself.
As Gillespie says: “People can either just think ‘that’s nice’, or it
can trigger thoughts about what it might mean or what it means
to the viewer.
“I’m thrilled with the result. She’s really going to work. Every
now and then I hit lucky! And it’s been great working with
Harcourt. They’ve been a wonderful, enlightened client.” lw
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 39
transport
station to
station
Liberty wharf
bus station
At an important transport axis between the marina and town
centre, Liberty Wharf’s bus station is at the heart of St Helier.
Liberation Station – named by Jersey residents, after a request
by BBC Jersey Breakfast – opened in September 2007, and is
sited behind the weighbridge and HQ of the island’s former
railway, dismantled at the end of the Second World War.
Passengers wait for their buses under cover, and can board
most of them without getting wet – only four of the 11 stands
are outside. All buses pull right up to the concourse, making
boarding safe and easy.
Liberation Station also includes two information desks for
such things as timetable and lost property enquiries, as well as
pass sales. Other facilities include a cafe and Citizens Advice
Bureau computer terminal. lw
40 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
MARKETS
Treasure
island
Jersey is already one of the richest places in
the world, but developments in St Helier,
will bolster its strong economy,
says David Gray
Jersey is a crown dependency, neither part of the
UK, nor a colony. UK legislation only applies on the island
should its government agree. This independent spirit brings
important financial and commercial advantages, crucial to the
success of Jersey's healthy economy. Financial services have
superseded the traditional agriculture and fishing industries
and now account for half the island's economy, employing
almost a quarter of its workforce at the end of 2009. There are
now nearly 50 banks in Jersey and these include almost half of
the largest banks in the world.
As a tax haven, Jersey is already one of the wealthiest
places on earth. According to the CIA World Factbook in 2011,
the island ranks seventh richest in GDP per head – just below
Bermuda and Norway and above Kuwait and Brunei.
The financial sector continues to grow and employed just
over 12,500 people at the end of 2010. Their weekly average
earnings in 2010 were £860 (up from £770 in 2007). Average
earnings for all FTE employees in Jersey were £630 per week
in 2010, substantially higher than in the UK.
Besides finance, the tourism sector is also very important,
including large numbers of yachting visitors. The island
attracted 685,200 visitors in 2010 and their spending totalled
£230 million. There are 141 hotels and guest houses, annually
selling between them more than 1.8 million bed nights. As
well as tourists, Jersey has a high number of business visitors.
The island has a resident population of 91,812 (2010)
in 38,300 households. Immigrants have been vital for the
economy and remarkably, barely half (53%) of the population
was actually born on Jersey. Although most migrants have
traditionally come from the UK, recent years have seen rising
numbers from the rest of Europe, particularly Poland and
Portugal. The strong economy continues to support a high
➝
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 41
700,000
MARKETS
people visited Jersey in 2010, spending a
total of £230 million
53%
87%
Finance workers earned an average
£860 a week in 2010
of the Jersey
population wAS
born on the island
work in the
private sector
Grade A rentals have
averaged £26-27 per
sq ft for five years
level of employment (53,460 in December 2010) and 87% of
workers are in the private sector. Unemployment in December
2010 was 2.2%, higher than in recent years but still very
substantially less than in the UK.
relaxation in order to increase the supply of new housing. The
low supply of properties for sale is also responsible for Jersey's
significant private rental sector, with average rents on the
island having risen by 6% during 2009.
RESILIENT PROPERTY MARKET
A healthy economy combined with the attractions of living on
the island mean Jersey continues to enjoy a robust residential
housing market. Official figures in May 2011 reveal a mixadjusted first quarter (Q1) average sale price of £443,000. This
was up by 6% on the same period in 2010 and is substantially
higher than the UK average of £205,000. The mean annual
average price of flats for 2010 was £214,000 for one-bed and
£308,000 for two-bed. Three-bedroom houses were £512,000
and four-bed ones £715,000, with the latter much in demand.
(Average Q1 2011 figures in box, above right).
The volume of transactions is inevitably held back by the
limited supply of available properties: 205 were sold in the last
quarter of 2010, and 231 in Q1 2011. There is huge pressure
on land and, since building in the countryside is effectively
disallowed, development of new housing has to be in and
around St Helier. One area of opportunity is the conversion
of commercial space back to housing, as businesses relocate
to new purpose-built developments. Planning restrictions are
tight and strictly applied, though the States of Jersey's Draft
Island Plan published in September 2009 does anticipate some
QUALITY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN DEMAND
Expanding financial services have long underpinned Jersey's
office sector and, although the pace of growth has slackened
recently, there remains strong demand for quality commercial
property. According to the minister for planning and
environment, there was around 2.8 million sq ft of office stock
in St Helier in 2009 and the annual take-up has been around
200-225,000sq ft during the past three years. At the end of
2009 there was 165,000sq ft (5.8% of stock) available for
immediate occupation and potential sites with planning
consent could provide a further 185,000sq ft of prime space
during the next three to four years.
The demand for new accommodation is driven by the
island's larger banks and trust companies. Many are looking
for greater efficiency and cost savings by relocating from
smaller buildings around St Helier to larger, purpose-built
headquarters on the waterfront.
The best office stock is currently located in New Street,
Bath Street, Bond Street, Hill Street and Grenville Street.
Grade A space is in demand in these areas and it can exceed
£30 per sq ft, though good quality offices in St Helier are still
42 liberty wharf
issue_one
0
Last year, Jersey was
the seventh richest
country in the world
in terms of GDP, behind
Bermuda and norway
141
13,000
Jersey has over
hotels and guesthouses, providing over
beds
Jersey’s stable
house prices
Property type
average price
(£) Q1-2011
Four-bedroom house
Three-bedroom house
Two-bedroom flat One-bedroom flat 698,000
510,000
328,000
197,000
(Source: States of Jersey Statistics Unit)
Jersey’s workers enjoy
a higher skills profile
than the mainland:
Sector Financial services
Administration
Managers/senior official
Public administration
Tourism
Construction
Education and health
(% of workforce)
23
19
16
12
11.4
9.4
9.2
(Source: States of Jersey Statistics Unit)
St helier has over
annual
mixadjusted
House
prices
for 2010
averaged
£489,000,
much
higher
than
the UK at
£162,000
260,000
available at £25 per sq ft or less. These costs are a fraction
of those in London, where many of Jersey's major financial
businesses also have offices. Looking ahead, the island's
office market is expected to steadily improve in quality as it
moves into new developments around St Helier's harbour.
Jersey's Draft Island Plan for the next decade states that
the office market needs more choice and flexibility and this
should be provided in the Esplanade area rather than on any
newly zoned land elsewhere. It also anticipates that at least
100,000sq ft of current office accommodation in St Helier will
become obsolete during the next five years and as much as
250,000sq ft by 2020. Official policy is that this will provide
opportunities for regeneration in the town and that the loss of
space will be more than compensated for by the new projects
that are already in the pipeline.
WATERFRONT EXPANSION
There have been some edge-of-town developments such
as Lime Grove, but Jersey's property market is very much
concentrating on St Helier's waterfront for its expansion.
This area also provides excellent potential for boosting the
island's retail and leisure facilities, both of which remain
less developed than might be expected for Jersey's affluent
population and many visitors. The States of Jersey's current
Draft Island Plan states the expectation that the core of the
office market, especially for the island’s larger institutions,
sq m of office space
will shift to the Esplanade area and that this move will release
properties elsewhere in St Helier for conversion to residential
and retail or leisure use.
Improvements have already taken place around St Helier's
waterfront and both the Royal Yacht Hotel and the Grand
Hotel have had major refurbishments. There is also Liberation
House, a new office development which has attracted Ernst
& Young as an early occupier, while Windward House is the
corporate HQ for BDO Alto, among others. But the most
significant catalyst for transforming the harbour is Liberty
Wharf, the mixed-use scheme taken over by Harcourt in 2008.
Liberty Wharf provides St Helier's first dedicated shopping
centre as well as restaurants, bars and cafes, all in an attractive
setting created by converting listed stone buildings by the
side of the harbour. The whole development also includes a
new tourist office, the two office blocks, as well as short-stay
apartments aimed primarily at the business visitor market.
The waterfront environment has great potential for
St Helier's continuing development, not just as a high quality
office location but also for the tourist industry and the quality
of life of the island's residents. Projects such as Liberty
Wharf, combined with public realm improvements around the
harbour, are now on course to deliver the transformation of
the whole Esplanade area within the next decade. lw
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 43
HARCOURT developments
REcent case studies
Titanic Quarter is one of Europe’s largest urban waterfront
schemes, regenerating a 75-ha site on Belfast’s River Lagan
into a mixed-use quarter with a mile of water frontage. The
development consists of residential, office space, hotels and
academic facilities, alongside leisure, retail and heritage
space. A co-promotion between Harcourt associate,
Titanic Quarter Ltd, and Belfast Harbour, more than 20,000
people will work or live in the £7 billion-plus Titanic Quarter
development. The site is on shipbuilding land, from which the
RMS Titanic, Olympic and SS Canberra were launched. It is
close to the city centre and George Best Belfast City Airport.
Completed or in progressi
Titanic belfast
Titanic Belfast is a world-class visitor
attraction for RMS Titanic, located on the
slipways where she was built.
Constructed at a cost of £97 million, the
unique architectural design is influenced
by several maritime themes, including the
forward bow of the RMS Titanic and the
insignia of the White Star Line.
The external facade is clad in
several thousand three-dimensional
aluminium plates, creating an
44 Liberty Wharf
issue_one
bottom left
Progress on
Titanic Belfast
in May 2011.
left 2009
– excavation of
the site before
building shows
the scale of
the Titanic
Belfast project.
Right Laois
Shopping Centre:
construction of
the three-level
underground
car park. Tesco
opened a
90,000sq ft store
in April 2011.
awe-inspiring visual appearance, which is
further enhanced by reflective pools of water
surrounding the base of the structure.
The 14,000sq m venue accommodates
nine galleries of interactive exhibition space,
including a dark ride, underwater exploration
theatre, reconstructions of the ship’s decks
and cabins, and a luxurious conference and
banqueting suite, with the largest room
seating 750 people.
Construction began in May 2009 and is
scheduled for completion in March 2012.
Basement and bulk dig facts and figures:
◆T
o form the basement area of over 1-ha,
80,000 cubic metres were excavated,
involving 10,000 truckloads of material
being removed from the site
◆B
asement construction was through Belfast
Sleech, beside the River Lagan, at 8m below
ground floor level
◆A
lluvial dredging was used to create Queens
Island which was very unstable
◆O
ver 1,000 secant piles covering a perimeter
of approx 500 metres were used. Piles
600mm diameter to a depth of 18m were
restrained by ground anchors
“The largest concrete
pour of its type in Ireland”
Titanic Belfast
“Excavated material ...
the equivalent of 22,500
truck loads”
Laois Shopping Centre
◆ Over
1,000 bearing piles were used, 600mm
diameter to 23m
◆B
asement concrete slab was 1.1m deep and
used over 2,500 tons of reinforcement steel
◆ Th
e first concrete pour covered almost
0.5-ha, 4,200m3. The largest concrete pour
of its type in Ireland, it saw over 50 concrete
trucks working from Friday evening to
Saturday afternoon, requiring eight
concrete pumps
◆F
or further information visit
www.titanicbelfast.com
Laois shopping centre
The €60 million extension and refurbishment
of Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise,
Ireland, comprises 23,000sq m of retail
and a three-level basement car park. The
underground car park site is over 1.2-ha in
total, around 12,000m per floor.
Basement and bulk dig facts and figures:
◆ To
enable the 12m deep excavation, a 15m
deep secant pile wall was installed around
the basement perimeter. The pile wall
was restrained by a rock anchor system,
allowing excavation with little obstruction
from temporary works. On completion of
the excavation, 1,200 uplift anchors were
installed to prevent uplift of the structure
by groundwater. A 450mm deep concrete
basement slab was then cast over the area.
Other levels and wideslab of the car park
were constructed using a combination of
in situ and precast rising elements, post
tensioned beams. Over 900 secant piles,
1m in diameter, were installed at a depth of
12m. These were installed using four piling
rigs over a four month period
◆ The
excavated material amounted to
approximately 180,000m3 (15,000m by
12m deep), the equivalent to 22,500
truck loads, with approx 50,000m3 of it
hard limestone
◆ An
agreement with Laois County Council
allowed disposal of the inert material at
its landfill site, at an average rate of 300
truckloads a day. Traffic management plans
agreed with the council ensured disruption
to Portlaoise was kept to a minimum, and
the majority of the stone was recycled in
the construction of a nearby motorway. lw
issue_one
Liberty Wharf 45
contacts
For more information on Liberty Wharf.
contact Islands Development Limited,
Albert House, La Route de la Liberation,
St Helier, Jersey, JE2 3NY.
t: 00 441534 720033.
e: manager@liberty-wharf.com.
46 Liberty Wharf
issue_one