Capital&Centric reveals first look inside Karparc’s game-changing atrium
Social impact developer Capital&Centric has dropped a new CGI image showing a glimpse inside Karparc - a UK-first project transforming a former multi-storey car park into a neighbourhood of homes, indie space and greenery.
The image lifts the lid on the centrepiece of the scheme - a dramatic, full-height atrium carved straight through the existing structure. It rips open what was once a dark, featureless internal structure, flooding the space with natural light from top to bottom and completely reimagining how it feels to move through it.
Planting will spill down from roof terraces to ground level, softening the raw concrete frame and bringing a sense of calm to the heart of the building. What used to be solid and enclosed is being turned into something open, bright and full of life.
Karparc will deliver new homes right in the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme, creating a community neighbourhood feel in a building most people would never have considered living in.
By reusing the existing structure, the scheme slashes carbon while celebrating the building’s original bones - proof that even the most overlooked spaces can be brought back to life.
This is the first time a multi-storey car park has been converted into homes in the UK, setting a new benchmark for how we rethink tired, redundant structures.
Martin Crews, Development Director for Capital&Centric said:
“This is exactly the kind of bold, innovative transformation we’re known for. Plenty of people said turning a multi-storey car park into homes was pie in the sky. When we submitted planning, we were told it would never happen. Now it’s under construction and we’re making it real. The next step is getting people to want to live here - and the way we do that is through brilliant design. This project leans into those raw, 60s retro vibes, with exposed concrete and loads of character. We’ve taken cues from iconic mid-century projects like the Barbican, and as this image shows, it’s going to look incredible.”
The image marks a major step forward for the scheme, offering a first look at how the internal spaces will come together as work progresses.
Simon McEneny, Deputy Chief Executive of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said:
“This structure has been a familiar landmark in the town for decades. However, this representation of how the site will look once it is complete shows why this innovative project, part of the wider multi-million pound regeneration of Newcastle’s town centre, is provoking international interest and will become a new landmark in its own right.”
The project is part of a wider £90m regeneration of Newcastle-under-Lyme, recently backed by a £19m funding boost from Homes England. It sits alongside Capital&Centric’s other upcoming town centre sites, “Astley Place” (the former York Place shopping centre) and “Rye Park” (a buzzing new neighbourhood in the Ryecroft area of Newcastle-under-Lyme).
The community is expected to complete in mid-2027.
