Hawkins Brown is a small architecture firm based in London. Their portfolio includes projects in offices, universities and schools, to arts venues, housing and community-based environments. They were appointed to design The New Art Exchange, in Hyson Green, which is due to open this summer. The Art Exchange is comprised of 1,500 square meters of mixed use, multi functional arts space, including gallery, workshop and rehearsal facilities and a cafe. This striking looking new development marks a turning point for Nottingham’s art scene allowing the people of Nottingham the chance to experience a wide variety of performing and visual arts. We spoke to Harbinder Birdi project architect at Hawkins Brown about the building.

Sustainability is now a key concern across most areas of industry. Is this something you now consider with all new projects?
Always, The New Art Exchange will be one of the only naturally ventilated galleries in the whole of the UK. Most galleries require a constant temperature internally to control humidity levels. What the client wanted was a naturally ventilated building, that would not require air conditioning. What happens with an artwork, is that the material can crack if there is an extreme fluctuation in temperature. If there is a gradual increase the artwork can acclimatise. We have made the whole frame of the gallery concrete, and concrete acts like a sponge, so if its hot outside, the concrete absorbs the heat, and in the evening it let is out slowly. It acts like a duvet, and the temperature is controlled for free.

Could you tell me about the black bricks that have been used externally for the New Art Exchange?
When we looked around the site we realised that everything was made of red brick, and there were lots of period buildings that had been really well built. So it was almost a homage to the buildings around. And although the building looks alien in its form, we wanted to give it some contextualisation, by building it out of a material that was inherent in the area. We could have used a red brick but because of the mass of the building, we felt that red would be very prominent, and quite brash. But you know what it’s like; if you wear black you look slim! We wanted to give the building the appearance of being one mass, and that is what the black does. The Brick that has been used is Semi-gloss, so during the day the building will reflect the light and seem impenetrable, but in the evening, when the lights are on it will begin to reveal itself making it a bit like a chameleon.

You have varying windows in the building, why is this?
We wanted to have a system where you could open the windows, and the air would pass through the building. It’s almost like the whole facade of the building is perforated, and it allows air to flow through. Also the windows also create views out, in each of the rooms you get different views because the windows are shifted around in the space. Some of the windows are low and some high, giving you a snap shot of your landscape. And from the outside, people can see the activity going on inside the building. A lot of people haven’t been within an arts environment ever and the biggest barrier is the often the building itself, so we tried to create as many openings as we could so the building became completely transparent. In the evening, when its dark, and the lights are on internally, the activities going on inside are framed within a black frame. It becomes really vivid and really apparent.

The building seems quite minimalist or modernist in its design, what effect are you aiming for?
Yes, we wanted to keep the building as simple as possible, to keep the pallet very simple, so you have the windows and the brick. The rest of it is for the artists inside, and they will really make the building. What we really didn’t want is for the building to compete with what was going on internally. So that’s why it doesn’t look very eclectic.

You have had creative input form the resident artists during the project. How has this dialogue informed and affected the decisions you have made?
What we wanted to do was collaborate with artists on certain areas of the building. The challenge was, where does their art go, and how does their art manifest itself within the fabric of the building. We have artist Hew Locke, who has proposed to do a ceiling scape in the café. He is keen on exploring the period architecture in Nottingham, and has photographed buildings and screen-printed these onto aluminium sheets. So the pattern will reference buildings in the surrounding area, and become quite a contextual piece of art. Artist Sutapa Biswas wanted to work on the openings we had created within the building. So what she has proposed are art works that will manifest themselves in the form of glass, a red glass. What will happen is in the evening the glass will be lit from behind and in the daytime with natural light pouring through, they will look more like a stained glass windows. Her approach was to create a garden within the glass. This is inspired by the Arboretum, in Nottingham, which is quite organic with the idea to soften the quite austere, minimalist mass and form of the building. We are using the manufacturer, Juicy Glass, which is a local, Nottingham-based company. The woman who runs the company is herself an artist, so we are trying to use local know how, and local resources, for the gallery.

How do you hope the building will appear welcoming for the public?
The main entrance area is very transparent, we wanted to put the café right at the front like a big glass box that is about two meters away from the pavement, so you are experiencing the building every time you walk past. You will have Hew’s work on the ceiling, so even if you don’t want to enter the building just walk up to the cafe and look at his art, so you are engaging with art work immediately. The staff at the Art Exchange have chosen not to have a staff room, so when they have lunch or meetings they will use the café. It shows activity in the building, and means everything is not happening behind closed doors. And brings everything into the public domain. And it also makes the building a lot more inclusive and a lot more communal.

What do you consider during the design stage to ensure a building is user friendly, with a multi purpose building this must be quite hard to achieve?
What’s difficult is that every client wants a flexible building, and this costs more than buildings that are fixed brief. The Art Exchange had a good idea of what they wanted. You have the main gallery as an arts space, the rehearsal space upstairs can also be used as an arts space, and there is a terrace that can be used as a sculpture park. You have a meeting room on the top floor that can also be used for an artist in residence to exhibit work if they want. So each of the spaces are exceptionally flexible. And we have specified furniture that can be moved from room to room. There is bleacher seating in the rehearsal space, so it can be a theatre for small performances, and you can have a yoga class in there as there is a sprung floor. Its acoustically sealed so you could have a club night in there, and it will not disturb anyone in the surrounding area. More importantly sound will not break into the building, and affect any performances that are going on inside.

Do you hope that the building will encourage further regeneration in the surrounding area?
Apparently this has started already. Jim Robertson, the client for The New Art Exchange, is saying that already the locals are talking about it and realising that it’s going to be a catalyst. Its in a really great area, the tram goes right by, and the park and ride, so people in Nottingham will see the building. Plus it’s in the Midlands, so it’s not London-centric. You will be able get from London St Pancras, to the New Art Exchange, door to door, in 2 hours.

The New Art Exchange is due to open its doors this summer 2008

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