| Architect |
Hawkins/Brown |
| Date
Built |
2016 |
| Location |
22 Gordon Street |
| Description |
|
This
building on the corner of Gordon Street and
Ensleigh Gardens appears to be a new build
and in part it is. It used to be Wates
House, part of University College London,
but it was regarded as a tired and
uninspiring building. The architect
commissioned to give the building new life
says that the university came to the
conclusion that, ".... The School,
however, has become a victim of its own
success, and coupled with the poor
condition of the building, is now in
chronic need of additional and improved
space specifically adapted to its unique
pedagogy. Key drivers are the
creation of a building that reflects the
quality of the school’s teaching and
research, whilst also making a positive
contribution to the surrounding
conservation area." So the
building was stripped back to its concrete
frame before work began on a total
refurbishment. "Our design
will double the amount of teaching
and research space available to the
school’s students and staff, while
retaining the building’s existing
structure. The
entire building has been
reconfigured to include
significantly more studios and
breakout space, encouraging
collaboration across the school.
Central to the design philosophy is
opening up the façade of the
building to reveal the activity
within. This has been achieved by
placing formal and informal
exhibition spaces at ground floor
level, inserting a new staircase to
open up the building’s circulation,
re-orientating the entrance and
expressing key spaces to give
strategic views of London.
The design also includes an
extension to provide enhanced foyer
and café space, exhibition space,
state of the art workshop facilities
and full internal remodelling to
provide a variety of teaching and
research spaces including seminar
rooms, studios, computer clusters
and academic and administrative
offices."
    |
|
|
Bartlett
House, Gordon Street, London
 |
