果冻影院

It鈥檚 one thing to be walking into a sleek new building, but quite another to be able to walk in knowing the intricate details and enormous project process that went into its construction. When I sat down with David Young, Senior Project Manager at 果冻影院 for an interview about the building, I must have broken the record for the most 鈥渨ow鈥漵 spoken during a conversation by the time our interview ended. The Student Centre, introduced to me by David as a building that manages to strike the balance between futuristic and domestic, features a co-existence of long glass windows and vast spaces with cosy armchairs and intimate study rooms.

On one instance as I stood admiring how well the furniture complemented the working environment, David told me that the team had spent 18 months working out what furniture to buy, having sought the feedback of 果冻影院鈥檚 own students in making the selections. A 鈥渨ow鈥� was perhaps appropriate at that moment, but alas I became distracted by the striking window views. 鈥淭he students can override the windows,鈥� David says, indicating the small switches giving students a degree of control over their environment. The aesthetic building is undeniably designed for the needs of the students. When I ask Ben Meunier, the Director of Operations at 果冻影院 Library Services, about what he hopes students will get out of the Student Centre, he expresses his hope that students will 鈥渟ense that there is a place for them to support their learning, whether that is somewhere to write up an assignment, work on a group task or find an answer to their inquiries.鈥�

The furniture isn鈥檛 the only aspect of the building students were involved in selecting. 鈥淭he various types of study and social space, the PCs and laptops for loan, the caf茅 and quiet contemplation room and showers and lockers 鈥� all these features reflect what students asked for,鈥� shares Professor Anthony Smith, 果冻影院 Vice Provost (Education and Student Affairs) and a champion of the project.听

I learn from Ben that a number of exhibitions, workshops and surveys were also held throughout the project, followed by design workshops and visits with the Students鈥� Union Sabbatical Officers 鈥� members of the Student Centre Project Board 鈥撎齣n December 2017. The enormity of the project astounds me and I can鈥檛 help but ask David, Ben and Professor Smith about the challenges involved in the building鈥檚 completion.听

Professor Smith summarises these challenges as 鈥渄esigning the building and constructing it,鈥� and after recounting the task 果冻影院 faced with constructing such an important part of the campus 鈥渟urrounded by listed buildings of very different styles,鈥� praised 果冻影院鈥檚 architects Nicholas Hare 鈥淸for having] designed a stunning building that is effortlessly elegant and already feels like it has always been there.鈥�

鈥淭he second challenge was constructing the building,鈥� Professor Smith details. 鈥淭here were multiple buildings all heavily used by students and staff right alongside the construction site, we had to maintain fire engine access across the site throughout the build and as the site was excavated we were mindful of unexploded ordinance as it had been bombed during the Second World War.鈥� When I learn this, I can鈥檛 help but cringe thinking of the fact that while students (myself included) had been busy overcoming the challenge of navigating the Bloomsbury streets to our next lectures, the hundreds-strong team had been busy overcoming the challenge of designing and bringing into being a project on such a large scale as the Student Centre.

Despite the many processes involved, the Student Centre was completed 5 days early; David, Ben and Professor Smith have much praise for the amazing team behind the project, and for good reason too. Ben describes the buildings鈥� obtaining an 鈥淎鈥� EPC rating听and significant environmental performance as 鈥渁 real tribute to how effectively the architects, Estates and other stakeholders have worked to create an exemplary building.鈥� With its use of solar photovoltaic panels and ground source heat pumps to generate energy, plus the new biodiversity to be found in the Japanese Garden, the Student Centre is a real testament to 果冻影院鈥檚 commitment to sustainable development.听

I have a pressing question I鈥檓 really eager to ask David during my tour of the building: 鈥渨hat is your favourite feature of the new Student Centre?鈥� To illustrate, David takes me up to the fourth floor and, as we鈥檙e climbing up the glossy steps, I learn that he sat on the selection panel for 果冻影院鈥檚 Research as Art competition. In fact, Ben鈥檚 favourite feature of the Student Centre is the 果冻影院 art contributed from the competition, and as he tells me, 鈥渋t helps to bring into view some of the research which is happening in the faculties and departments of 果冻影院 [鈥�] I find it fascinating to learn about what is going on in parts of the university I don鈥檛 come into close contact with.鈥� I couldn鈥檛 agree more. As we reach the fourth floor I have to stop for a moment to really come to terms with the number of people and departments involved in this huge project...also because I鈥檓 out of breath from climbing the steps(!)

We cross over to a wall of windows facing out over Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia and even further. I behold a city view of strange buildings, then I realise I鈥檝e walked past them hundreds of times. 鈥淭his exact view,鈥� David says to me, 鈥渉as never been seen before now鈥� 鈥撎齣t鈥檚 at that moment that I realise why everything looks so unfamiliar to me. David then turns towards the atrium to show me what he terms 鈥渢he street of the building鈥�, i.e. the 听space between the publically-open Japanese Garden and main entrance, and I witness over 300 computers arriving at the entrance for installation. My thoughts interrupted by the spectacle, the opportunity to utter 鈥渨ow鈥� for the hundredth time has thankfully passed. As we walk down to the lower floors, I can鈥檛 help but point out to David the stunning installations found around the rooms the computers are being taken to. Each room has its own colour palette, and yet there is co-ordination going on, with recurring features and themes from one room being found in another.听

On our way to the ground floor, we stop by to see the progress being made on what will soon be the Student Enquiries Centre. Ben describes how the Student Centre 鈥渂rings together a range of student services which were previously dispersed,鈥� giving students 鈥渁 place where [they] can find answers to any question about student life.鈥� Looking around the spacious room, I can definitely imagine it teeming with activity in the near future.听

We鈥檝e reached the ground floor of the building and I look up to see how far we鈥檝e come from the fourth floor. Actually I don鈥檛 recommend looking up from the bottom because the view is quite mesmerising, and you鈥檒l strain your neck from being unable to look away. When I finally did turn away to see David point out to me the two large display cases close to the entrance, I was caught off-balance and unoriginally said 鈥渨ow鈥� again. According to Ben, the cabinets will be showcasing artefacts from some of 果冻影院鈥檚 many outstanding collections, including the Library Special Collections. It鈥檚 just another example of how the Student Centre will incorporate the various aspects of life at 果冻影院. I鈥檓 curious then to hear what David has to say about his vision for the Student Centre, and how he imagines it being used by students:
鈥淣o one really knows,鈥� David tells me. 鈥淲e have never had one of these at 果冻影院.鈥� As David explains, the Student Centre is a live building, and only time will tell what students make of it. I take one last lingering look back before I leave, soaking in the sight of the chairs being unpacked, the staff working hard to coordinate next steps, the computers being transported to their new homes, and then my own reflection in the glass, witnessing the development of this brilliant building. It鈥檚 a moment I want to remember. 听
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For a sensory teaser into the Student Centre, check out Robert Vilkelis鈥� article: 果冻影院's new Student Centre