Soundhouse music will have rubber soul
TO Sheffield's list of eyebrow-raising new buildings can be added a black rubber music box in Gell Street.
It's part of the University of Sheffield's Department of Music, which is being split between the new Soundhouse and, at the other end of the architectural scale, the Victorian former Jessop Hospital just along the road.
It is hoped that 150 undergraduates and 70 postgraduates will relocate to both buildings from Taptonville Road, Broomhill, in November.
At a cost of around 2 million the Soundhouse offers state-of-the-art rehearsal rooms and recording studios; for 4.6m the Jessop Building is being refurbished to provide lecture rooms and administrative offices.
A rubber-quilted building? It's a pioneering architectural approach in the UK.
From a technical point of view, it's not, as might be imagined, to enhance the sound insulation, but is a novel way of ensuring that the three-storey complex is watertight.
At the same time, the overall appearance is designed to reflect the activities inside the building.
Mike Harris, director of Leeds-based careyjones architects, praised the university for allowing them "to really push the design boundaries".
He said: "The simple and bold music box design creates a stunning piece of architecture that sits well as part of the dynamic fabric of existing and new buildings in the surrounding area. Furthermore, the overall aesthetic of the black rubber quilt is intended as a literal translation of the building's use contained within."
Sheffield-based Jefferson Sheard Architects also played their part. Managing director Tom Rhys Jones said: "From the outset this project was always going to be technically challenging as it was highly innovative in terms of both the cladding and internal fit out.
"The building required intricate detailing at every stage; internally to meet the demanding acoustic requirements following through externally to the unique envelope of the Soundhouse using a construction method never before used in the UK."
Dr Adrian Moore , a lecturer in the Department of Music, is delighted both with the new location and the design. "It's fantastic to be in the heart of the university and will make collaboration much easier."
He said the Soundhouse "looks really contemporary, but we've got an amazing Victorian building to relish as well, so we are getting the best of both worlds".
The Soundhouse – built by Kier Northern – is the latest in a series of university developments in the Portobello area.
Also scheduled to open in November is a multi-coloured glass building on part of the site of the former Jessop Hospital, a 17.7m development that will accommodate the departments of English and History and the School of Modern Languages.
Turner and Townsend are the construction and management consultants for all the university's new buildings on the Jessop site.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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