Urban Translation

Urban Translation is an alternative tour of Newcastle. It was devised and developed for Design Event in 2007 through a collaboration between Northern Architecture, writer Carol McGuigan, urban designer Tony Wyatt and architect Tim Bailey. It started with a question, 'how have changing attitudes, grand visions and happy accidents helped shape this city and which places tell this story?' And so, after lots of walking and talking, this route emerged which will take you through parts of Newcastle that aren't found on the tourism maps or in the usual heritage or architecture trails but which we think present challenging questions and opportunities for the future.

Contributors

Urban Translation has been written by Carol McGuigan, whose novel in progress won a New Writing North Northern Promise award in 2006. She has had seven plays broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and a number of short stories published. She also works as an actor and has worked with Newcastle's Live Theatre, Northern Stage and the RSC. Born in Sunderland and currently living in Ralph Erskine's Byker Wall development, she has a keen interest in the narratives we build around urban contexts and the palimpsest nature of cities.

Tim Bailey

Insights into the city's character are given by Tim Bailey, Principal of xsite architecture who graduated from Newcastle University in 1990 and qualified as an architect in 1992. Born in the North East Tim made a positive decision to stay in the region and create a practice that had a strong design ethos underpinning a realistic commercial approach to projects. In addition he has developed a strong relationship with the arts sector working collaboratively and for arts clients as well as in the retail, leisure, residential and commercial sectors.

Tony Wyatt

Tony Wyatt offers his knowledge on the development of Newcastle. With 27 years' specialist experience in the North East he is currently Strategic Projects Group Leader at Ryder Architecture, responsible for developing the practice's urban design and master planning sector. Prior to joining Ryder in November 2007 he worked for 20 years at Newcastle City Council in the Planning and Transportation Division, leading the Urban Design and Conservation Group from 1999 during which time it won a 2005 CABE Festive Five Award.