New order.Robin Snell's experience is unquestionable, despite his relatively modest output since leaving Michael Hopkins Sir Michael Hopkins CBE RA AADipl (b. May 5 1935 in Poole, Dorset) is an English architect. He studied at the Architectural Association and after working for Frederick Gibberd and a spell in partnership with Norman Foster[1] almost ten years ago. Having sharpened his teeth on the awe-inspiring Schlumberger phase one before becoming project architect on Glyndebourne, Snell is part of the second generation of Hopkins graduates to have gone it alone, following first generation pioneers Chris Wilkinson Chris Wilkinson (born January 5, 1970 in Southampton) is a former tennis player from England, who turned professional in 1989. He represented Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui. (with Jim Eyre), John Pringle Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet, FRS, (April 10, 1707 - January 18, 1782) was a Scottish physician who has been called the "father of military medicine" (although Ambroise Pare (1510-90) and Jonathan Letterman (1824-72) have also been accorded this sobriquet). and Ian Sharratt. After an initial flurry of projects--including a golden handshake golden handshake token of gratitude bestowed on retiring employee after years of service. [Br. Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Farewell commission at Hopkins' offices in Marylebone--Snell Associates has been relatively quiet. This year, however, that will change. Four Snell projects are now nearing completion, including this [pounds sterling]4.3m refurbishment in Bristol. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For over six years, Snell Associates has been the architect for Bristol's principal contemporary art gallery, the Arnolfini. Established by Jeremy and Annabel Rees in 1961, the Arnolfini moved from its modest bookshop location to its current home in 1975. Through the generous support of developer John Pontin, who offered the ground and first floor of his Bush House refurbishment on a lifetime peppercorn pep·per·corn n. 1. A dried berry of the pepper vine Piper nigrum. 2. A small or insignificant thing. peppercorn Noun the small dried berry of the pepper plant lease, the new galleries, auditorium, cafe and bookshop soon became one of the city's most popular cultural venues and meeting points. Pre-empting London's dockland renaissance by almost a decade, this dramatic warehouse conversion, with distinctive concrete waffle See WAFL. slab and glazed mansard roof mansard roof (măn`särd), type of roof, so named because it was frequently used by the French architect François Mansart. It was not devised by him but was used early in the 16th cent. , was well ahead of its time, and led the way. Subsequently refurbished by David Chipperfield David Chipperfield CBE (born 1953) is an English architect, born in London. He has offices in London, Berlin and Milan, and a representative office in Shanghai. Uncompromisingly modernist in outlook, his practice is driven by a consistent philosophical approach, rather than a and Bruce McLean in 1990, it went on to break new ground in the British art world. Throughout the '70s and '80s, leading curators visited its galleries for inspiration, and with a broad programme of events the Arnolfini continued to respond to emerging tendencies. Architecture, for example, was well represented with regular lectures that followed the debates of the mid 1980s. Film and photography also featured heavily, leading the Arnolfini to inspire and spawn other local arts spaces, such as the now popular Watershed and Architecture centres, both of which now occupy once redundant neighbouring warehouse structures. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With no major investment since 1990, however, the Arnolfini began to fall slightly behind other regional and national galleries. With limited space, and no provision for wheelchair or ambulant ambulant /am·bu·lant/ (am´bu-lant) ambulatory. am·bu·lant adj. Moving or walking about. ambulant, ambulatory walking or able to walk. disabled access, a serious upgrade was required. The provision for this came, thankfully, through an Arts Council England Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is an Executive Agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. lottery grant, and through the continued support of many influential project champions, including Nicholas Serota, artist Susanna Heron and the Arnolfini's committed team, headed by Caroline Collier. Serota's influence was particularly significant, leading to additional funding being sought to enable the Arnolfini to purchase the whole building, making it possible to implement necessary structural changes without encountering opposition from a less charitable new landlord, post Pontin. While this additional cost was made at the expense of plans to extend the facilities by more publicly addressing the prominent site--most conspicuously with the loss of Snell's quayside quay·side n. The area adjacent to a quay or wharf or a system of quays, especially in a port city. quayside quay n → Kai m glazed pavilion--the purchase secures the long-term future of this important regional centre. With Snell's 'future proof' strategy, the Arnolfini is now much improved, with a new spatial order that has the capacity to service future phases of migration on upper levels. With this phase, gallery provision, orientation, environmental control, and specific features such as sprung floors for dance are just a few of the many improvements. Two additional floors have been taken over for the Arnolfini's own use, while commercial office suites on the upper levels continue to provide essential revenue. Furthermore, with an exciting series of installations by Bruce McLean, the much missed bar that has been out of bounds during the last two years of reconstruction is sure to make a welcome return onto the city's vibrant cultural scene. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Arnolfini opens on 10 September, for more information visit www.arnolfini.org.uk |
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