LONDON — A Southwark town hall conversion into a student and community art hub features a surprising element: a vibrant protruding iridescent tile-clad glacial structure. The structure is in stark juxtaposition to its adjacent brick antecedent — like a willful glacier in a slowly warming mountainous environment.
Contained inside the tile-clad structure, is the reprovisioned state-of-the-art Theatre Peckham, which offers affordable performing arts classes to children and teens. The new theater complex includes a 200-seat auditorium, rehearsal space, studios, visitor facilities and offices.
Architecture and interior design firm Jestico + Whiles oversaw the renewal of the historic building, which was built in 1872, and in use for nearly 150 years before its sale to the University of the Arts London, Dezeen writes.
The project includes a 166-room housing development for students of Goldsmiths College, private gardens, as well as communal areas, lounges and gallery spaces. Additional community-use space includes 12 self-contained artists’ studios, which are supported by an independently managed public gallery space on the top floor overlooking the London skyline and a cafe located on the ground-floor.
Jestico & Whiles’ design was a 2017 RIBA London Awards finalist.
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