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