Art Department . Education

Art Rooms are great places.  The transitory art works change the colour, smell and shape of a space constantly.  Things are created, hung and laid out to dry.  They move reacting to the needs of the occupiers who are equally moulded by them.  Formally a science laboratory the existing Art Department has adapted well to the space it occupied but has ultimately outgrown it.  The vertical external windows posed a problem as they allow too much sunlight and the area they occupy is valuable display space.  The laboratory benches equally were useful but do not allow the display of art on the walls, end of year exhibitions are difficult to arrange. 

As well as the existing courses the College provides it is beginning a new pre-degree art foundation course that links ‘A’ level and University.  An increasingly important qualification for students seeking places at University for art and craft based subjects such as fashion and architecture.  

The design provides a new Art Department with large open spaces with rooflights to wash the walls with natural daylight.  A new separate teaching space is also provided linked to the main spaces.  A new studio for the pre-degree art foundation course is also created and will be linked to an external sculpture garden.  The method and type of construction will follow the previous project completed in 2007.