A team of architects says the row over the Bermuda Society of Arts' eviction highlights the need for a new vision at City Hall.

S.h.y Architecture submitted ambitious plans in March to expand office space at the landmark, while at the same time retaining its cultural integrity.

Their design - presented to the Corporation of Hamilton - proposed a new civic hall and office building on the western car park, set around an outdoor square with fountains, restaurants and cafes.

Last night the team said discussions into the proposals were still "ongoing" and that they wanted to make the public aware of the plans in the hope of widening debate and attracting interest from developers.

Senior Architect Simon Hodgson said: "Obviously with the recent BSoA issue in the Press we feel this concept should now receive wider public scrutiny to see if there might be some consensus on its merits."

Mr. Hodgson said preliminary meetings with Corporation representatives and the Department of Planning had shown "both entities were intrigued by the proposal". "It seems that now with the issue of the BSoA we anticipated these difficulties the Corporation is having with its growth," he said.

"As Hamilton grows and develops and the Corporation needs more staff, the pressure on City Hall means it is maxed-out."

The Corporation gave the BSoA an eviction notice last month to vacate the City Hall gallery, arguing it needed the space for offices.

The decision to evict the Island's oldest arts group after 47 years of residency provoked widespread anger among politicians, artists and residents in the community.

Last Thursday, the BSoA was granted a six month reprieve until January 1, 2009, however its future at City Hall remains uncertain.

S.h.y. Architecture says new structures to the west of City Hall will not only serve to "house the administrative requirements of the Corporation", but also allow City Hall itself to "become a fully contained cultural arts entity" - thus ensuring the future of the BSoA.

The new buildings would consist of a 'City Hall' for meetings and governance, administrative offices and a mixed-use retail/commercial office building.

The square in front of the existing City Hall - to become a self-contained arts centre - would be renamed 'South Plaza', while car parking to the rear of the building would be razed to make way for a public 'North Plaza'.

Meanwhile, replacement parking for the western car park would be provided on three underground levels - with spaces for 450 cars.

The bold urban design, with its new 'City Hall' also envisages a time when Corporation and Government meetings will be opened up to the public, accommodating public galleries in meeting halls and chambers.

S.h.y. Architecture said the new main outdoor plaza would create a civic square in the heart of the city - "a meaningful place for people to gather and interact with a sense of community where none had existed before."

Mr. Hodgson said October's Gombey Festival on the western car park had proved the need for such a central civic space. He is now optimistic the Corporation may reconsider the plans.

"We've made a couple of submissions and are now waiting to see if it will go to a full committee for a presentation," he said.

In a statement yesterday, the team said: "Further to recent media reports concerning the unsure future of the Bermuda Society of Arts, s.h.y. Architecture wishes to share with a wider audience its long term vision for the potential growth of the City Hall Arts Centre and an alternative approach for the offices of the Corporation of Hamilton.

"We understand there to be support within the Corporation for such a concept but the scope of the proposed development represents a commitment of resources the Corporation cannot handle alone. However, it should be possible to form a partnership with the City fathers, stakeholders in various cultural institutions and the private sector, where a development proposal can be brokered with all parties mutually-benefiting."

They added: "Further, the proposed new civic building should be designed so as to anticipate the eventuality that public access will be allowed to some Corporation of Hamilton committee meetings and therefore, the requirements for council chambers providing public galleries and ancillary public spaces.

"It should be noted this civic building could also provide the public meeting spaces for other similar sized functions of various Government boards and quangos - where it is also anticipated sometime in the future public access will be allowed to these meetings.

"The Will Onions-designed City Hall could then become an Arts Centre proper, with the National Gallery expanding into the areas vacated by the Corporation. Architecture is known as the 'Mother of the Arts' so we suggest there could be no better building in the City that is solely dedicated to the Plastic/Visual and Performing Arts.

"It is anticipated funding for the Arts Centre and the adjacent public plazas will come from both Government departments tasked with supporting culture in Bermuda and various charitable organisations dedicated to promoting Arts on the Island.

"We trust the private sector will be interested in participation as a significant amount of the floor areas are allocated for commercial office and retail use ¿ in a central, highly visible location providing ideal opportunity to acquire signature addresses in this desirable area of the City.

"We invite the public to scrutinise further details of this proposal at our website www.shy-arch.com and welcome any interested parties to contact our offices."