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CBSO Centre

Associated Architects, Birmingham, 1998

 

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Exterior view 

Martine Hamilton Knight (website)     Download Original

  • Exterior view    
  • Narrow timber galleries are useful for adjusting lighting    
  • The auditorium: highly functional, but with a sense of occasion    
  • Steel frame structure is exposed    
  • the Barkley Street elevation is the main facad of an unlisted 1020s industrial building    
  • a well crafted elevation on Holiday Street reflects what goes on behind    
  • The main office space enjoys plenty of natural light from the Holiday Street facade    
  • The warehouse aesthetic has been retained    
  • Site plan    
  • Ground floor plan    
  • First floor plan    
  • Second floor plan    
  • Section    

Home for the the City of Birmingham Orchestra was designed to bring all the CBSO’s activities under one roof

The building is centred upon the rehearsal hall which accommodates a full orchestra or the CBSO chorus. The hall is surrounded by ancillary broadcast and recording facilities including practice studios, instrument storage and offices for the orchestra’s management. The centre was designed to have a comparable acoustic to that of nearby Symphony Hall.

Independent offices are provided for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. The multi-layer south glazed elevation allows useful passive solar gains, controlled with natural ventilation and adjustable screening.

Data

  • Begun: Jan 1997
  • Completed: Aug 1998
  • Floor area: 3,082m2
  • Sector: Arts and culture
  • Total cost: £3.2M
  • Funding: Lottery and Arts Council
  • Procurement: JCT 80 with design portions
  • Address: Berkley Street , Birmingham, B1 2LF, United Kingdom

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