Category Archives: Building for the future

The new Colyer-Fergusson centre for Music Performance project.

Building for the future

Wood you believe it: another award nomination

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We’re delighted to reveal that the Colyer-Fergusson Music Building has been shortlisted for the Wood Awards 2013, which celebrate excellence in design in wood.

cf_hall_webIt is one of thirty UK architecture, furniture and design projects that feature wood to be selected for the awards’ shortlist. The winners, including the main Gold Award, will be announced at a ceremony in London on 19 November hosted by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters.

This follows on from our RIBA National Award for architectural excellence earlier this year, when we were one of only two buildings in the Southeast to win an award and one of forty-three to win nationally.

Designed by Tim Ronalds Architects, the Colyer-Fergusson Music Building is notable for its wide range of innovative design features, which include the extensive use of wood.

Fingers crossed…

 

Building for the future

Re-imagining the new concert-hall

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I’ve spent a very productive and exciting afternoon in the new concert-hall, exploring some new ideas for next year.

Without giving too much away, Mark (our new technician) and I have been finding ways to re-imagine, or redefine, the hall for a particular concert I’m planning – this afternoon we mocked up the event, played with lighting and multi-media, and photo_01crafted a completely different space in the hall.

It feels almost as if we’re imposing, digitally, a new identity on the hall, re-purposing it both visually and acoustically using digital technology to make it feel very different to its customary incarnation. There’s some additional avenues to explore resulting from this afternoon’s efforts, which will enhance the effect further still.

We’re already very excited about the event – and the academic year hasn’t even begun! Watch this (re-imagined) space sometime in the spring…

Building for the future

Blogging live from #kentopenday

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It’s Open Day today, and we’re very excited as it’s our first opportunity to welcome visitors to the University interested in music – in the new Colyer-Fergusson building!

Cathedral
In-spiring future students…

We’ll be here throughout the day until 3pm with information on all the extra-curricular musical activities open to students at Kent, as well as details about Music Scholarships for more advanced performers.

We’ve been setting up in the foyer this morning, and are now ready to go: follow us on Twitter throughout the day, or follow #kentopenday; either way, we’ll see you later!

11.00 and we’ve seen visitors from Norfolk, Surrey, Sussex, London, but the contender for the informal Visitor from the Farthest-Flung Shore has so far come from Toulouse! Lots of people interested in studying History as well… Clearly this year’s President of the Music Society, flautist and Historian Kathryn, has inspired them!

11.45am: a new contender for the Visitor from the Farthest-Flung Shore coming to talk about music – Rome! I wonder if anyone might beat that today…

1.30pm and we’ve seen a steady stream of visitors, over thirty interested in the musical possibilities offered as part of life at Kent. Quite a few interested in Musical Theatre as well; watch out, Music Theatre Soc, you might be very busy next year…!

3pm: and that’s it for the day. Many thanks to all those visitors who came to see us about making music here, safe trip home to wherever you may be going, see you in 2014 perhaps!

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Building for the future

Medallion Man: RIBA plaque

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Further to the previous post about the Colyer-Fergusson Building winning a RIBA award, here’s documentary evidence – project manager Mark Ashmore, from the University Estates Department, bearing the wall-plaque announcing the award.

Mark had to carry the award, made from lead, heroically back from the awards ceremony in London all the way to Dover after the event; and believe me, it’s heavy…Worth the effort, though…!

Mark Ashmore bearing the award
Mark Ashmore bearing the award
Building for the future

Music building wins national architectural award

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Still flushed with the success of last week’s musical extravaganza that was Summer Music Week, we’re delighted to announce that the Colyer-Fergusson Building won a RIBA (Royal Institution of British Architects) National Award 2013 on Wednesday evening.

The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall
The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall

It is one of only two buildings in the Southeast to win a 2013 RIBA National Award for architectural excellence and one of 43 to win nationally, and will now go forward for RIBA’s top award, the Stirling Prize, with the shortlist being announced on 18 July.

Fantastic news for the University, and for Tim Ronalds Architects. Fingers crossed for July…

Building for the future

Awards are like buses…another nomination

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We’re delighted to announce that the Colyer-Fergusson Music Building has been shortlisted for a 2013 Canterbury Cultural Award.

This nomination, in the Cultural Landscape category, comes less than two weeks after it was shortlisted for the 2013 RIBA (Royal Institution of British Architects) Southeast Regional Awards.

The Canterbury Culture Awards were launched in 2011 to recognise the value of cultural activity as a vehicle to stimulate economic growth, and to acknowledge and thank those who have made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the city. The Cultural Landscape Award is for a cultural organisation, group or individual making a significant positive impact to the district’s environment, architecture or public space.

cf_hall_webDesigned by Tim Ronalds Architects, our music building and its facilities have revolutionised the University’s extra-curricular musical provision, and helped the musical life of the University rise to new levels, with students, staff and members of the local community combining to make music in this exceptional space.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 20 June. Fingers crossed. Again…

Building for the future

We’ve been nominated for an award!

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We are particularly delighted to reveal that the Colyer-Fergusson music building is one of two buildings from the University which has been shortlisted for the 2013 Royal Institution of British Architects Southeast Regional Awards.

The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall
The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall

Both the music building and the new Crit Building (part of the School of Architecture) have been shortlisted for the presitigious award, of which the winner will be annouced in June.

Read the full press release online here. Fingers crossed…