The University of Warwick’s Faculty of Arts building has been recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as a National award winner.
The £60m building forms part of Warwick University’s £100m investment into the arts and is the cornerstone of the University’s new campus arts quarter.
Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the building brings together the departments and schools of the faculty under one roof.
Providing a world-class centre for teaching and research, it includes an antiquities room, cinema, theatre studios and a media lab, along with multi-purpose events and exhibition spaces.
Sitting at the heart of a campus which is designed to have a parkland feel, the building was conceived as four light-filled pavilions grouped around a central stair, sitting amongst the mature trees of its site.
The footprint was designed to keep existing large trees including oaks, pines and poplars. Innovation is at the very core of the building structure, with four distinct pavilion buildings connected by a full-height atrium, creating an open space for creative thinking, and cross collaboration across the arts.
The public realm extends into the exhibition, social learning, and café use on the ground floor. An internal “street” provides a route through the building. Lit from above by natural light, it is designed to be a flexible space, providing breakout areas for the auditoria, theatre performance, and cinema spaces that open onto it. Large moveable walls provide opportunities for performances or exhibitions to utilise the whole of the ground floor.
Commenting on the award, Vice-Provost and Chair of the Faculty of Arts, Rachel Moseley, said: “It’s a huge honour for our beautiful new home in the Faculty of Arts building to be recognised at a national level at the RIBA awards.
“The building is designed to encourage collaborative working and to inspire creative learning and research across and between disciplines. It’s already become a much- loved space for students and colleagues from across the University.
“The building underlines our deep commitment to the arts and humanities at Warwick – we’ve invested over £100m in the FAB and improving our world class arts centre.”
Andy Theobald, Partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, added: “The Faculty of Arts Building was designed around the needs of the faculty to come together, to exchange ideas and celebrate all aspects of the arts.
“This vision for creative, collaborative work underpinned the whole design process, the way the project and client team worked together and ultimately, resulted in a building that staff and students at the University of Warwick can be proud of. We are equally proud that it has been recognised by our peers with an RIBA National Award.”
Following on from the successful selection process, the University’s Faculty of Arts building will now go onto the RIBA Sterling Prize in recognition of architectural excellence on 19 October 2023.