cagm1907
Submission 14
CHELTENHAM ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM COMPETITION REPORT September 07
Invitation: An inviting, open, accessible and visually engaging intervention in the streetscape
Journey: Creating a clear, logical and inspiring circulation route
Flexibility: Clear organisational strategy allowing for the flexible use of the building
Urban Strategy/Architectural form/ Invitation:
The new extension respects the general scale of Clarence Street and at the same time gives an expression of the functions contained at the various levels of the building.
The facade is open at the base to draw passers by into the folds of the building and experience glimpses of the exhibition objects signifying the nature of the building. The public facilities including the café and shop are also at this level. The café can spill out onto the street and to the covered loggia. The loggia is contained by the activity of the education suite on the ground floor and the more protected archive and study area on the first floor. These activities benefit from protected glazed walls looking onto the street.
A double height cut into the new facade, in conjunction with a projecting glass display, signifies the location of the main entrance. This entrance route connects through the building from Clarence Street to Chester Walk creating an important link though the site to the centre of town, extending the public domain.
The façade at the second floor level is generally solid as this contains the main exhibition galleries. The façade steps up above the entrance to reflect the location of a double height gallery space.
Roof terraces at the third floor level allow staff and visitors to the meeting room/hospitality area, a view over the city. This articulation of the façade allows for controlled daylighting into the upper level of the gallery.
Journey:
The secondary space of circulation is the event of the building, as important to the overall experience of the building as the primary gallery spaces. This journey gives a sense of the unfolding experience and order of the building. The journey starts on Clarence Street with the signal and invitation proffered by the projecting glass display and continues through to the main reception in the full height foyer.
To aid orientation the vertical circulation revolves around this foyer with an open stair running parallel to the through route and a series of bridge crossings into the small galleries behind no. 51. The visual invitation to these various levels of gallery space is received in the entrance foyer.
Organisation/flexibility:
The activity of the education suite, located on the ground floor, is visible from the protected loggia. This function can be relocated to allow for public access to the ground floor of the existing library when this becomes available in the future.
The publicly accessible archive and storage area is located on the first floor. Further storage is located on the ground floor and in a basement area.
The temporary gallery, including the existing Arts and Crafts Gallery, occupies the whole of the second floor of both the new extension and the existing and revamped 1989 building. This allows for maximum flexibility in the use of the gallery and facilitates a natural connection in to the existing galleries in the library building.
Whilst not part of the competition site, the ground floor of No. 51 is ideal for use as the café and this has been included in the proposals. It is noted that No. 51 is to be used for artist’s studios. In this context it has been considered a possibility, while providing a new staircase for the new gallery that this could also double up as the stair for the artist’s studios. This would allow for the removal of the rather haphazard existing stair to create more useful studio space. This is, of course, subject to listed building approval.
Materials/services/sustainability:
It is important that the whole design contributes to the sustainable agenda. This includes:
street spaces (loggia) to encourage a range of informal activities
an efficient building form to reduce the amount of heat loss from the envelope
controlled daylighting to appropriate areas to reduce energy requirements
solar shading to south facing glazing
use of natural and renewable materials
habitable roof and rainwater harvesting
The façade is to be constructed of Bath stone laid in random ashlar courses. This stone façade turns into the building and forms one wall of the main public staircase culminating in the lift tower. This together with the stone flooring gives the appropriate signals to the public route through the building and up into the gallery. The internal walls will be a natural lime render in the circulation routes. Painted timber panels will be utilised in the exhibition spaces to allow for flexibility of hanging artworks.
To achieve a sustainable design to meet BREEAM excellent rating, it is proposed to use both natural and renewable materials. Prefabricated, cross laminated timber panels are proposed for floors walls and roof structure. These are from a renewable resource, eliminate site wastage and allow for ease of fixing for art works.
An accessible green roof is proposed for part of the new roofscape in conjunction with rainwater harvesting.
Due to the deep plan and the nature of the exhibits, the gallery will require constant artificial illumination. It is proposed to use a combined heat and power plant to replace the existing gas boilers in the roof space of the 1989 building. This will supply the electricity for the lighting system and the waste heat will be used for warm air space heating.
Accommodation:
From our interpretation of the brief and the answers to questions the following accommodation has been provided:
Gallery space (ground, 1st and 2nd floor)
Picture gallery (1st floor)100 m2
Arts and crafts Gallery200 m2
Temporary gallery300 m2
display (ground and 1st) 30 m2
display existing building (gf)35 m2
Education (ground floor)
Education suite69 m2
Education store50 m2
Museum take-away collection45 m2
Education toilets
Open archive/study (1st floor)150 m2
Storage
Basement240 m2
1st floor160 m2
Temporary exhibition store (gf)40 m2
Offices/workshops
Workshop/office (ground floor)50 m2
Conservation workshop(1st floor) 30 m2
Additional offices (3rd floor)2 x 25 m2
Reception (ground floor)
Café (ground floor no 51)70 m2
Shop (ground floor)46 m2
Toilets (ground floor)
Meeting room (3rd or 4th floor)60 m2
Corporate hospitality (3rd or 4th floor)60 m2
Submission 14
CHELTENHAM ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM COMPETITION REPORT September 07
Invitation: An inviting, open, accessible and visually engaging intervention in the streetscape
Journey: Creating a clear, logical and inspiring circulation route
Flexibility: Clear organisational strategy allowing for the flexible use of the building
Urban Strategy/Architectural form/ Invitation:
The new extension respects the general scale of Clarence Street and at the same time gives an expression of the functions contained at the various levels of the building.
The facade is open at the base to draw passers by into the folds of the building and experience glimpses of the exhibition objects signifying the nature of the building. The public facilities including the café and shop are also at this level. The café can spill out onto the street and to the covered loggia. The loggia is contained by the activity of the education suite on the ground floor and the more protected archive and study area on the first floor. These activities benefit from protected glazed walls looking onto the street.
A double height cut into the new facade, in conjunction with a projecting glass display, signifies the location of the main entrance. This entrance route connects through the building from Clarence Street to Chester Walk creating an important link though the site to the centre of town, extending the public domain.
The façade at the second floor level is generally solid as this contains the main exhibition galleries. The façade steps up above the entrance to reflect the location of a double height gallery space.
Roof terraces at the third floor level allow staff and visitors to the meeting room/hospitality area, a view over the city. This articulation of the façade allows for controlled daylighting into the upper level of the gallery.
Journey:
The secondary space of circulation is the event of the building, as important to the overall experience of the building as the primary gallery spaces. This journey gives a sense of the unfolding experience and order of the building. The journey starts on Clarence Street with the signal and invitation proffered by the projecting glass display and continues through to the main reception in the full height foyer.
To aid orientation the vertical circulation revolves around this foyer with an open stair running parallel to the through route and a series of bridge crossings into the small galleries behind no. 51. The visual invitation to these various levels of gallery space is received in the entrance foyer.
Organisation/flexibility:
The activity of the education suite, located on the ground floor, is visible from the protected loggia. This function can be relocated to allow for public access to the ground floor of the existing library when this becomes available in the future.
The publicly accessible archive and storage area is located on the first floor. Further storage is located on the ground floor and in a basement area.
The temporary gallery, including the existing Arts and Crafts Gallery, occupies the whole of the second floor of both the new extension and the existing and revamped 1989 building. This allows for maximum flexibility in the use of the gallery and facilitates a natural connection in to the existing galleries in the library building.
Whilst not part of the competition site, the ground floor of No. 51 is ideal for use as the café and this has been included in the proposals. It is noted that No. 51 is to be used for artist’s studios. In this context it has been considered a possibility, while providing a new staircase for the new gallery that this could also double up as the stair for the artist’s studios. This would allow for the removal of the rather haphazard existing stair to create more useful studio space. This is, of course, subject to listed building approval.
Materials/services/sustainability:
It is important that the whole design contributes to the sustainable agenda. This includes:
street spaces (loggia) to encourage a range of informal activities
an efficient building form to reduce the amount of heat loss from the envelope
controlled daylighting to appropriate areas to reduce energy requirements
solar shading to south facing glazing
use of natural and renewable materials
habitable roof and rainwater harvesting
The façade is to be constructed of Bath stone laid in random ashlar courses. This stone façade turns into the building and forms one wall of the main public staircase culminating in the lift tower. This together with the stone flooring gives the appropriate signals to the public route through the building and up into the gallery. The internal walls will be a natural lime render in the circulation routes. Painted timber panels will be utilised in the exhibition spaces to allow for flexibility of hanging artworks.
To achieve a sustainable design to meet BREEAM excellent rating, it is proposed to use both natural and renewable materials. Prefabricated, cross laminated timber panels are proposed for floors walls and roof structure. These are from a renewable resource, eliminate site wastage and allow for ease of fixing for art works.
An accessible green roof is proposed for part of the new roofscape in conjunction with rainwater harvesting.
Due to the deep plan and the nature of the exhibits, the gallery will require constant artificial illumination. It is proposed to use a combined heat and power plant to replace the existing gas boilers in the roof space of the 1989 building. This will supply the electricity for the lighting system and the waste heat will be used for warm air space heating.
Accommodation:
From our interpretation of the brief and the answers to questions the following accommodation has been provided:
Gallery space (ground, 1st and 2nd floor)
Picture gallery (1st floor)100 m2
Arts and crafts Gallery200 m2
Temporary gallery300 m2
display (ground and 1st) 30 m2
display existing building (gf)35 m2
Education (ground floor)
Education suite69 m2
Education store50 m2
Museum take-away collection45 m2
Education toilets
Open archive/study (1st floor)150 m2
Storage
Basement240 m2
1st floor160 m2
Temporary exhibition store (gf)40 m2
Offices/workshops
Workshop/office (ground floor)50 m2
Conservation workshop(1st floor) 30 m2
Additional offices (3rd floor)2 x 25 m2
Reception (ground floor)
Café (ground floor no 51)70 m2
Shop (ground floor)46 m2
Toilets (ground floor)
Meeting room (3rd or 4th floor)60 m2
Corporate hospitality (3rd or 4th floor)60 m2