THE ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA
FEBRUARY 2017
On the 9th February Niall will be attending the 3 day Architecture Foundation Ozetecture Diversity and Community Conference in Melbourne to deliver a key note speech. Drawing speakers from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America and Australia, the theme Diversity + Community is a unique opportunity for architects to explore some of the less-charted terrains of architectural practice and to consider the role of architecture as a positive force in uncertain times.
JESUS COLLEGE TOPPING OUT
JANUARY 2017
On the 11th January Jesus College held a topping out ceremony to celebrate the laying of the final stone on the roof of its West Court development. The project provides state-of-the-art conference and lecture facilities, hotel and student accommodation, and social spaces including a new café and bar.
Professor Ian White who led the ceremony said: “We are delighted that the chance has arisen to restore the college site to its original boundaries and excited by the opportunity it brings to take the facilities we can offer to students, fellows, alumni and the wider world to a new level of excellence. Our West Court Development has an outstanding selection of spaces and accommodation, suitable for a wide range of different uses”
The below image shows the Managing Director of Cocksedge Building Contractors Steve Nugent, the Estates Burser Christopher Pratt and Professor Ian White at the topping out ceremony.
A SITE FOR SAURIIS
JANUARY 2017
Our proposal to redevelop the grounds of the Natural History Museum is due to start on site this month. The work to the main entrance – the first of three phases – will introduce level access to this area for the first time while also restoring the Grade-I listed fabric to its former glory.
The works include changing levels, repaving the forecourt, restoring railings, installing planting, and repairing or reinstating original terracotta details across the site.
Ahead of this, the main entrance and central hall of the Museum are now closed while both teams gear up for construction – including some unusual enabling works. As part of these works Dippy the diplodocus has now been dismantled ahead of going on tour around the country; to be eventually recast in bronze for the next phase of our project.
The railings have now been removed for off-site restoration and re-painting:
And scaffolding is also going up for the removal of display cases and various specimens:
This will need to go up again halfway through construction of Phase 1 allow for delivery of the blue whale skull through our active site. Here it is just before it left the Museum.
If you’re wondering how that that will fit through the front doors, the answer’s simple: the same way the elephants do.
Phase 1 is due to complete mid-July ahead of the main entrance reopening to the public shortly after. In the meantime, there’s a pop-up conservation studio in the Darwin Centre – which we highly recommend – where you can see the conservationists at work restoring the whale’s bones.