Architects: Caruso St. John.
Location: Nottingham, GB.
Year: 2009.
Photographs: Hélène Binet.
A project called Nottingham Contemporary was influenced by the 1960s downtown New York artists’ colonies. With two blocks on the roof coated in fluted gold anodized aluminium and a facade covered in pre-cast concrete with lace patterns, it tries to re-create the sensation of finding spaces in a new structure. The site’s existing north-south public path has been given a new purpose, and the stairs leading up to Garner’s Hill have been straightened and made wider than 5 metres. The circuit ends in a second public garden at the southern end of the building, which serves as both a second entrance to the building from the south and an area where the café can flow outside. Upper Yard serves as the primary entrance to Nottingham Contemporary, and a sizable canopy marks the point of entry.
The ground floor galleries have top lighting that is controlled by a grid of lightweight coffers and a clear height of 4.5 metres. The gallery closest to the north is 10 metres high, contains one huge ceiling light, and a 9-meter-wide window that looks out into Holy Cross and beyond. The 1.5 meter-deep concrete beams span the bottom display space, which is 7.5 metres high and made of concrete. The area may be used for both visual art and film and performance thanks to retractable bleacher seating. Office and educational areas are located on the mezzanine level.
