Corby Hub, Civic Building Northamptonshire, Architecture Images, Architect, Design Development
Corby Civic Building by HawkinsBrown
Key Building in Northamptonshire design by HawkinsBrown Architects, England, UK
9 Jul 2011
Corby Cube Building
Corby Cube : a 21st Century civic hub and arts centre
Design: HawkinsBrown, architects
photo : Hufton & Crow
Now completed and open to the public, HawkinsBrown’s striking glazed Corby Cube is the focal point of a major regeneration programme to revitalize the former steel-making town in Northants, UK.
Won in international competition in 2004, the Corby Cube combines a diverse programme of civic and arts uses into a new model for civic architecture.
photos : Hufton & Crow
Maximising its central location at the heart of a new town square, the building’s array of uses are arranged around an internal ‘promenade architecturale’ composed into a coherent glazed cube form with four ‘live’ elevations, each articulating the uses contained within.
The 7,700 sqm building features a mix of facilities including: a 450-seat theatre with front of house foyers and bars, multifunctional studio space, Café, Library, Council Chamber, terraced Roof Garden, Corby Borough Council One-Stop-Shop and civic offices.
photos : Tim Crocker
Breaking with the tradition of a formal town hall situated at the head of the town square, Corby Cube is instead located in the centre of the new square with four active fronts. An external envelope of black and reflective glass gives the building its characteristic glistening object-like form.
Each elevation is distinctively articulated within this: the North elevation is animated by the projected transparent glazed entrance foyer; the East elevation by a double-height window into the council chamber; a cantilevered reading room projects out of the first floor of the South elevation providing shade to café’; and the West elevation expresses the library within. The pure form of the building is unobstructed by service entrances and plant which are contained in a below ground undercroft.
Treating the roof as a fifth elevation, generous public roof terraces on the building’s upper levels are planted with full-size trees and feature sedum and brown roofs to enhance the site’s ecology.
All facilities are arranged around an internal route coiled inside the cube form, allowing access for all. Many facilities have a ground floor presence and are inextricably linked, arranged around a continuous route, which rises from the foyer through the building and culminates in a helical stair leading to the rooftop terrace. The building combines uses to ensure activity around the clock, from early morning visitors to the library and café to late night performances in the theatre.
Corby Cube : Building Information
Project Title: Corby Cube
Client: Corby Borough Council
Architect: HawkinsBrown
Gross internal floor area: 7,700 sqm
Location: George Street, Corby, Northants NN17 1QB, UK
Start on site date: Feb 2008
Cost: £35,000,000
Consultants for the Corby Cube
Structural Engineer: Adams Kara Taylor
Services Engineer: Max Fordham
Cost Consultant: Gardiner & Theobald
Theatre Consultant: Charcoalblue
Landscape Architects: Grant Associates
Acoustics Engineer: RBA Acoustics
Project Manager: Mouchel
CDM Coordinator: PFB Construction Management Services
Sustainability Consultant: Southfacing
Graphics & Signage: SEA
Contractor: Galliford Try Construction (Central)
Photography: Tim Crocker
27 Jun 2011
Corby Cube Building News
The landmark Corby Cube building now complete
The £30 million Corby Cube project was commissioned by Corby Borough Council as part of a major regeneration project for the former steel town.
The futuristic, naturally ventilated, six storey black and mirrored glass structure was designed by architectural practice HawkinsBrown and was built by the construction group Galliford Try.
image from 4cm
Forming the centrepiece in a new town square, for local arts and council services, the Corby Cube is a multi-purpose building and will house a 445 seat theatre, library, restaurant, council chamber and offices, café and a terraced rooftop garden. These facilities are arranged around a spiralling circulation system, based on ramps that rise from the foyer through the building, plus a linear staircase spanning 15m and culminating in a helical stair leading to a rooftop restaurant.
Externally, the structure is surrounded by open public areas including a south facing terrace for recreation activities, plus ramped and stair access and pedestrian walkways, with a custom-built ACO drainage system integrated at key points to provide efficient and reliable control of rainwater.
David Lomax, from the architects Hawkins Brown, explains that, “The combined surface area of both the building itself and the surrounding pedestrian areas has the potential to produce significant volumes of water during even a relatively short period of light rain. As a result, it is essential that the drainage system has the capacity to handle the projected volume flows and, from an aesthetic perspective, to match the design and feel of the project.”
Corby Cube image / information received 270611
19 Jun 2009
Corby Hub – Topping Out
image from architects
HawkinsBrown’s competition winning scheme for a 21st century civic hub interlinking council administration, commercial facilities and cultural activities is part of a major regeneration project driven by North Northants Development Company which will completely reinvent the former steel town.
Maximising its central location, the Corby Hub is a building in the round with four ‘live’ elevations. The concept has been to contain a dynamic array of facilities within one simple form.
The Corby Hub is a pure glistening object with an elevation pattern of black and reflective glass, animated by a series of openings and ‘open drawer’ projected spaces.
Corby Hub, Northamptonshire
2007-
HawkinsBrown wins consent for £26.1m Corby Hub
Hawkins Brown won planning permission this week to build a £26.1 million civic hub in the centre of the industrial town of Corby, Northamptonshire.
Planning consent was given to the first phase of the Parkland Gateway development, which comprises the Corby Hub by HawkinsBrown and a new landmark 50m swimming pool designed by S&P Architects. Both buildings are set within a new town square and linked to the rest of the town by a treelined polychromatic paved walkway, the Corby Walk, designed by Grant Associates. By setting the building in the centre of the new town square, rather than to one side as suggested in Edaw’s town centre masterplan, the Corby Hub will become a dynamic heart of the town.
Inside facilities include:
• A modern flexible 445-seat Theatre and Arts space, and additional studio space
• A modern well equipped Library
• A ground floor Café and Hair Salon
• A rooftop restaurant with views over Hazel Wood
• Corby Borough Council One-Stop-Shop and offices
• Council Chamber which will also provide a marriage room for civil ceremonies
• Terraced Roof Garden
All facilities have a ground floor presence and are inextricably linked, arranged around a spiralling ramp, which rises from the foyer through the building and culminates in a helical stair leading to the rooftop restaurant. The ramp, although predominantly providing space for the library, is used as a device to enable multiple facilities to be located on the perceived ground floor and provides the principal architectural promenade through the building.
The pure form of the building is completely unobstructed by service entrances, bin stores and plant (all of which are contained in an undercroft), and its highly reflective surface projects a strong image alluding to the reinvention of Corby. Inside references to the town as a former symbol of the Steel Age appear in many of the internal surfaces, which will be of varying steel finishes.
A series of components spiral around the exterior characterising each elevation; the North elevation is animated by the projected transparent glazed entrance foyer, the East elevation by display vitrines and window into the council chamber. A cantilevered reading room projects out of the first floor of the South Elevation and the West elevation features a café and hair salon at ground floor level.
Irregularly spaced apertures appear on the upper levels framing views into a planted terrace and providing views out to the historic woodlands beyond. The roof is treated as fifth elevation continuing the pattering of the façades with banding of sedum roof and brown roof.
To reduce its presence on the overall building the theatre is a walnut-clad casket submerged in the Southeast corner of the cube with the interior and form of the balconies influenced by Victorian playhouses. Designed in collaboration with theatre designers Charcoalblue it has a flexible flat floor auditorium with a curved retractable seating system, the first of its kind in the UK.
The building is naturally ventilated using exposed thermal mass for night-time cooling and aims to meet a BREEAM rating of Excellent.
Corby Hub Building image / information from ING media 070607
Corby Cube architects : HawkinsBrown
Location: George Street, Corby, Northants NN17 1QB, UK
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