2006
RIBA Award
2008 Civic Trust Commendation
2006 BCI Small Building Project Award
 |
A new
concert hall in memory of Yehudi Menuhin built in the grounds
of the school which he founded in Stoke D’Abernon, Surrey.
The new building provides a foyer, bar, green rooms and an auditorium
seating 330 people.
The building is structured in steel, concrete and timber. A critical
feature affecting the structural design is the M25 which is close
by. To control noise levels a deep and heavy diaphragm roof is
provided over the auditorium. The diaphragm has an outer layer
of precast concrete panels and an inner layer of timber panelling
separated by an air space. This is supported by a series of tied
steel portals connected to form a space frame over the concert
hall.
"In
nearly two decades of the British Construction Industry Awards
few projects have come so close to matching all the winning criteria.
The roof structure totally isolates the hall's interior from
the torrent of the M25 traffic roaring past within a few hundred
metres. The acoustics are superb, there is an outstanding sense
of quality in the auditorium.
• An absolute gem of a design with a phenomenally low budget;
technically superb acoustics; outstanding sense of quality in
the room; no accidents; and a good relationship between designer,
client and contractor.
• Neither can we remember such an appropriate accolade from
a client - the headmaster demonstrated his thrill at the acoustics
by playing for us on one of the school's grand pianos.
The acoustic requirement dominated the approach to design but
the designers and contractors have produced a visually fine auditorium
with the appearance of high quality finishes despite the widespread
use of inexpensive softwood.
• This delightful building demonstrates that traditional
methods of design and procurement can still work extremely well
when carried out with strong client leadership, commitment by
all parties and good communication.
• What has been achieved for £2.8m is really exceptional
- first impressions might have suggested double this amount." |
Principal:
Nirupa Perera
Project Engineer: Jonathan Coleman |
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