{"id":763512,"date":"2024-11-12T10:19:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T10:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=763512"},"modified":"2024-11-13T08:54:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T08:54:01","slug":"revealed-first-images-of-graftons-latest-kingston-university-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/revealed-first-images-of-graftons-latest-kingston-university-plans","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: first images of Grafton\u2019s latest Kingston University scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dublin-based practice won the competition<\/a> for the south-west London university\u2019s new \u00a322 million school of art building in early 2023, seeing off the likes of Haworth Tompkins, Carmody Groarke and Caruso St John<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The victory came less than two years after Grafton\u2019s Town House<\/a> scheme for the university won the 2021 Stirling Prize<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The latest proposals for what is known as the Middle Mill project have now gone out to a six-week pre-application community consultation.<\/p>\n

Early visuals for the five-storey block next to the university\u2019s Knights Park campus suggest a north light, sawtooth roofline, a double-height foyer and a mainly timber construction.<\/p>\n

The consultation website<\/a> says: \u2018The building is expected to be no more than 30m high, which is lower than the Kingston School of Art tower north of the Hogsmill River.\u2019<\/p>\n

The building aims to provide more studio-based education space and technical support facilities for students at Kingston School of Art, as well as a caf\u00e9 and exhibition space open to \u2018everyone in the community\u2019.<\/p>\n

According to the university, the design will incorporate a range of green materials and make efficient use of natural light.<\/p>\n

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Middle Mill: Grafton’s proposed site location plan<\/p>\n\t

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Outside, significant improvements to the public realm are planned to \u2018enhance greening and wilding and create a vibrant creative quarter\u2019 with the Stanley Picker Gallery<\/a> at its heart.<\/p>\n

The scheme will involve removing 120 student bedrooms on the Middle Mill site. However, the university says on the consultation pages: \u2018Because of the upgrades we\u2019ve made to our other halls of residence in more practical locations within the borough in recent years, there is now not as much need for student accommodation at Middle Mill.\u2019<\/p>\n

On winning the competition last year, Grafton co-founder Shelley McNamara said: \u2018Our aim is to develop an optimistic model of how we inhabit the earth \u2013 how we can occupy land in responsible, imaginative, caring ways. While education is a serious business, we also want to capture the joy of discovery.<\/p>\n

\u2018We see the river as a thread binding the campus together, joining Knights Park to a new building.\u2019<\/p>\n

A planning application is expected to be submitted later next year. Subject to approval, the university hopes the building will be ready for use during the 2029-30 academic year.<\/p>\n