Purcell's new entrance to the grade I listed building means the public can access the tower for the first time in several hundred years
Purcell for A Space Arts
Contract value: £1.3m
GIA: 540m²
Cost per m²: £2,481
The new entrance created to mark the public access grade I listed God’s House Tower feels as though it has always been. For the first time in several hundred years the public can now access the tower and a new route has been created through the building which allows everyone to experience its rich history as well as occupation by a charity a-space arts.
Connections through floors and layers of time are a theme. The 1960s additions have been stripped away, retaining only better elements (such as tower staircase, parquet floors and handrails). This layering creates a dynamic tension that enables the new additions a little more liberty of expression. The new café spaces and reading nooks, located where the old meets new, create moments of serendipity. There are real moments of joy within this building that are delightful.
South Regional Award 2022
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