Stainless steel cladding panels makes this building immediately visible at the gateway to the campus. Its lozenge form nestles into the landscape framework that was conceived as a small and concentrated university town. It provides a flexible space that can be a single 1000-seater lecture theatre, or divided into two smaller ones, or the seats folded away to make a single exhibition or function hall.
This is a building where the architects approach has created a good deal of magic. The clarity of the diagram has been carried through into a building that though big and complex is easy to use and understand. Outside the interlocking panels of polished stainless steel reflect the light and the surrounding landscape, tying the lozenge shape building into its setting. Civic Trust Award
This design shows how Patel Taylor absorbs influences from context and programme, and use them to conceive a flexible and delightful building resonating with the campus.
