|
The Hepworth, Wakefield,
UK
2003-10
David Chipperfield Architects

Image credit: Copyright David Chipperfield Architects
and Steve Whitton
Groundbreaking ceremony for David Chipperfield Architects' The Hepworth
Wakefield - 7 Dec 2007
Construction of David Chipperfield Architects' The Hepworth Wakefield
will start on Monday 19 November. Completion of the 5,050 m2 gallery is
scheduled for 2009, with public opening in early 2010.
Laing O'Rourke Northern Ltd will act as main contractor for the two year
construction programme.
The gallery will play a vital role in the redevelopment of the Wakefield
Waterfront, on a prominent site at the head of the River Calder. The two-storey
building is formed from a conglomeration of differently sized trapezoidal
shaped blocks, responding to the scale and rooflines of the surrounding
small scale industrial buildings. With water on two sides and visibility
from all directions, the site - and therefore the building - has no front
or back elevation.
The project will provide the city with a vibrant centre for the community
that responds to the collective forces of the artists represented within
the gallery, most notably the gift of thirty plaster sculptures by Barbara
Hepworth, donated by the Hepworth Estate.
Wakefield Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Sport Cllr
Clive Hudson said: "We are very excited that work on The Hepworth
Wakefield will be starting in November. The gallery will open up access
to Wakefield's internationally recognised collections and provide new
opportunities for local communities, families, schools and visitors to
get involved. "This is a fantastic opportunity for Wakefield - we
are looking forward to opening The Hepworth Wakefield to the public as
part of our 2010 Festival of Culture celebrations."
The Hepworth,
Wakefield Architect : David Chipperfield Architects
The Hepworth, Wakefield is the relocation and expansion of the city's
existing art gallery to the conservation area at the headland of the River
Calder. The gallery's existing collection contains major British and European
artists and The Hepworth, Wakefield will additionally house a unique collection
of thirty original plasters by the locally born artist Barbara Hepworth.
The gallery building is formed from a conglomeration of differently sized
trapezoidal shaped blocks, responding to the scale and rooflines of the
surrounding small scale industrial buildings.
With water on two sides and visibility from all directions, the site -
and therefore the building - has no front or back elevation.
The building blocks form the rooms of the building. The galleries on the
upper floor are sized according to the scale of the works with smaller
rooms for earlier works and larger rooms for contemporary works. At the
lower level the rooms contain the other gallery functions - a performance
space, educational workshops, public facilities and the administration
and back of house areas.
English Buildings
Leeds Architecture
For more information on The Hepworth Wakefield please visit www.hepworthwakefield.com
which features the 'HEPCAM' - a live webcam link to the construction site.
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Comments or suggestions / photos for the The Hepworth Wakefield page
welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
The Hepworth Wakefield -
page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
|