20/AP/1302

Demolition of existing buildings and construction of new centre for Children and Young People to include outpatients, inpatients, school, research and clinical floorspace, associated roof terraces, cycle parking, and landscaping.

The proposed Children and Young Peoples' Centre is a building in search of a design.

The circular stairway at the back of the building appears to be a significant feature on plan, but is concealed internally and externally by surrounding walls. The two different radius curves on either side of the back door seem inexplicable.

The staircase which runs diagonally across the centre of the building from basement to second floor could potentially be the focal point of an atrium at the heart of the building, except that the spaces around the stair are irregular in shape and in places concealed behind walls and no view out at the back of the building
There are many internal rooms and some rooms lit only by a small light well.

There seems no good reason for the eastern wing of the building to be angled sharply towards the west, thus putting the front door and half of the front elevation at an angle to the Green Campus Spine. This is the main pedestrian route across the site, and the obvious location for the front elevation of the building is alongside it, especially since there is a garden area belonging to the site on the other side of this route, which could be linked to the building's main elevation by landscape planting.

On the plus side there are strong indications that the Ortus building has been an inspiration for some of the materials and elevations, though not always with the same attention to detail, and the roof terraces are a welcome addition.

Proposed comment: Support