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The original echoes the tough, post-industrial
revolution. How does the new redeem the old?
In many buildings of this era there was a formal front
and a progression of lesser quality spaces towards
the rear. We put a new value on the forgotten rear
with the new lobby for better planning balance. This
has become an equivalent front door. It transforms a
very lop-sided building into one that’s multi-faceted.
Do you have a general view on adaptive re-use
versus demolition?
There were times on this project when we wondered
whether demolition might really be preferable. What
we delivered is unique and the university received
great value. In this instance adaptive reuse was the
right option even though there might have been an
economically easier route. The university now has a
presence it might not have otherwise had.
What, in summary, are the main changes?
The biggest change is the addition of a new
lift lobby and entry on the building’s northern
side. This saw the demolition of an ancillary wing
and replacement with a glass lobby. This lobby
is connected to the main entry via a new steel
and glass gallery on the western side of the main
hall. Large open hall spaces become teaching
classrooms or laboratories, with the largest used for
a new lecture theatre. The western hall becomes a
new blended learning commons area and library.
And of course, it finally relates to the street and
wider community.
How important was it to retain a sense of history
and level of authenticity?
We strived to maintain the building’s history yet
provide a contemporary edge. Glass gives a vital
contrast against the old stonework. We developed
the idea of the glass canopy and red painted steel
beam to connect the new glazed lobby. There was
a need for weather protection between the lobby
and toilets across from the building. We folded the
glass above the diagonal steel beam as a powerful
reference to Charles H. Hoskins’ AIS steelworks.
The building has enormous, existing riveted steel
beams encased within the structure and so the
new steelwork continues that vocabulary.
A broad palette of glass is finely tuned to
specific need, from fritted butterfly roof to
self-cleaning window glazing.