Brief Synopsis - Second Draft - Nottingham Cultural Centre

transitory  adj.        Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary

event  n.                 1.  a. Something that takes place; an occurrence.
                                  b. A significant occurrence or happening.
                                  c. A social gathering or activity.
                              2. The final result; the outcome.


A transitory event building can be interpreted in a number of ways. It can describe a building which is designed for an particular event but can then be adapted to accommodate an alternate use afterwards e.g. the Olympic Park 2012. Alternatively it may also describe a building which houses a reoccurring primary event with intermediary, secondary events in between occurrences e.g. Nottingham Market Square. The main characteristics of the typology are adaptability and flexibility.

“As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.”
- Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

The city of Nottingham has a growing cultural movement. The recent completion of the Nottingham Contemporary has added to an already varied stock of cultural iconic buildings in the city which includes the Theatre Royal, Nottingham Playhouse and Nottingham Arena.  At the moment however, there is no cultural building currently in the centre of the city around the Market Square.

The Nottingham Contemporary has succeeded in creating a high-quality exhibition space for the city but has failed on several other levels. The gallery has isolated itself from the city both through its exterior design and location.

Nottingham’s most famous cultural icon is Robin Hood. This world famous character is the city’s most recognisable symbol. Since the closing of The Tales of Robin Hood (the indoor visitor attraction) in January 2009, there is no building dedicated to Nottingham’s global symbol.

A new cultural centre in the city would help enhance the city’s edifying building stock as well as developing links between Market Square and the Nottingham Contemporary. The building would also provide the opportunity for a permanent focal point for the iconisation of Robin Hood in Nottingham city centre.

“Architecture is the simplest means of articulating time and space, of modulating reality, of engendering dreams. It is a matter not only of plastic articulation and modulation expressing an ephemeral beauty, but of a modulation producing influences in accordance with the eternal spectrum of human desires and the progress in realizing them.”
- Ivan Chtcheglov (French political theorist)

The design for a new cultural hub should present an engaging and inspirational environment for  the public. It should be integrated into the urban context and be adaptable for a variety of different uses and events.

The building will consist of a series of multifunctional zones which advocate usage flexibility for a variety of events. Through parametric design techniques, the building will be able to link zones seamlessly into a fluid and interrelating series of spaces. Through the manipulation of light in the spaces, unique zones will be established based on individual event requirements. The fluid connections will allow the natural expansion of individual events into the surrounding spaces as needed.

Pattern illustrating the proposed blending of distinctive zones in the building