Project :: 471 : Towner
Introduction
"This beautiful and resourceful building houses some stunning concrete-shell gallery spaces and achieves a remarkable feat of connecting well both visually and physically with the classic-modernist conference centre next door. The range of activities it can accommodate seems limitless, while at the same time housing the remarkable Towner art collection which is kept in very accessible, but well-managed conditions. Spatially the building is easy to read and focuses on some key views of the South Downs by the use of large areas of glazing, particularly from the café at the top. The entrance atrium and stair feel spacious for what is a compact building, and this is enhanced by the clever use of the transverse slot through the building at all the key levels. "
RIBA 2010 Judges Comments
Description
The project is a major new public building in a prime location in Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, on England's south coast.
Sited next to the Grade II* listed Congress Theatre, the new building brings a twenty-first century addition to Devonshire Park, which plays host to the pre-Wimbledon annual International Ladies Tennis Tournament, and strengthen its position as Eastbourne's cultural quarter. The Cultural Centre provides a new home for the Towner Art Gallery collection, as well as providing new conference exhibition space, community activity rooms, gallery and retail facilities and a cafe.
The building incorporates art storage for the Towner permanent collection and is designed to enable the public to view the Gallery's entire collection for the first time. Flexible spaces have been designed to accommodate touring exhibitions, conferencing and the promotion of education and learning with the building, acting as a base for community outreach programmes. The design of the new building is informed by many factors including views, circulation and the scale and nature of neighbouring existing buildings.
Conference and exhibition spaces are located at ground level with independent access encouraging multi-functional use. Galleries are stacked vertically adjacent to the existing Congress Theatre, allowing connections between the buildings on all floors. These links encourage sharing of facilities and the option to function together, or independently if required. Community spaces and meeting rooms are arranged over the top two floors, with the cafe and roof terrace opening out to views across the South Downs to Beachy Head.
The materials and finishes of the Cultural Centre facades are intended to complement rather than imitate the Congress Theatre. The solid metal-clad volume of the art spaces is intended to act as a neutral foil to the transparency of the Congress Theatre-emphasising rather than detracting from the elevation. A glazed vertical slot window between the buildings on the south facade acts as a transparent link between the two buildings. Fairface concrete finishes are used for the entrance area and canopy, and render is used on the remainder of the building, defining community facilities and the cafe to the west.
Press
Architecture 10
RIBA Buildings of the Year
Tony Chapman - Jan 11
Urban Design
The Towner Art Gallery - Eastbourne
Jefferson Collard - Autumn 2009
Museums Journal
Towner, Eastbourne
Tom Flynn - Jul 09
Museum Practice Magazine
Clear Vision
Javier Pes - Summer 2009
Financial Times
Modernism with seaside rust
Edwin Heathcote - 3 May 09
The Guardian
Bring me sunshine
Jonathan Glancey - 20 Apr 09
Architects' Journal
Towner Gallery, by Rick Mather Architects
Kester Rattenbury - 15 Apr 09
Wallpaper.com
Towner Gallery, Eastbourne
8 Apr 09
The Independent
The evolution of seaside architecture
Jay Merrick - 7 Apr 09
Eastbourne Today
The New Towner
Ian Lucas - 6 Apr 09
The Argus
Sussex Gallery hailed as a 'milestone for England'
Emily-Ann Elliott - 5 Apr 09
Culture 24.org.uk
Eastbourne's new Towner Art Gallery
Ben Miller - 3 Apr 09
BBC News
Opening of seafront gallery
3 Apr 09
Eastbourne Borough Council
Towner opening an 'Important Milestone'
3 Apr 09
The Argus
A space for the Towner's people
Duncan Hall - 3 Apr 09
Eastbourne Herald
A milestone for the nation's arts
Annemarie Field - 3 Apr 09
Blueprint
New seaside architecture
Tim Abrahams - Apr 09
Blueprint
Out of Towner
Vicky Richardson - Apr 09
Art Quarterly
The Towner Art Gallery
Charles Darwent - Spring 09
The Guardian
What to see this spring
G2 - 23 Mar 09
The Observer
What makes the perfect art gallery?
Stephen Bayley - 28 Sept 08
Concrete Quarterly
A considerate neighbour
Graham Bizley - Autumn 08
Building Design
Art beside the seaside
29 Aug 08
The Times
No-nonsense Mather pulls Eastbourne together
Stephen Gardiner - 21 March 2005
Awards
2010
RIBA Award
Sussex Heritage Trust Public & Community Award
2009
British Design Award - Architectural Achievement
Details
Client
Eastbourne Borough Council
Location
Eastbourne, UK
Size
2,600m²
Total Project Value
£8.6m
Build Cost
£2,100 per m²
Completed Dec 08
Opened Apr 09
Supported by
Eastbourne Borough Council
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Arts Council
SEEDA
Media
The unique architecture of Towner provides the backdrop for an innovative exploration through Performance Parkour - fusing the language of the built environment with human movement, expression and ‘l'art du deplacement'.
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/community/media/
- Started : 2003-11-01
- Completed : 2008-12-20
- Country : UK
- County : East Sussex
- City : Eastbourne
- m2 : 2600
