Posted by James Hart and Jess Knowles, 10th October 2012
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the new Central Saint Martins, we were kindly invited inside for a guided tour. The £200 million Victorian Granary Building created by architects ‘Stanton Williams’ is imposing, and stunning in equal measure. The brief was to create a building that inside, never looked finished - a work in progress. The mismatched brickwork and steelwork of the original Grade-II listed Granary Building provides an interestingly beautiful contrast to the rawness and industrial materials of the new build.
There is a fantastic sense of space when you walk through the barriers looking down the indoor street, which is 110 metres long and 12 metres wide, with 20 metres above your head. The translucent vaulted roof further adds to this sense of space.
The flooring in the central atrium is a mosaic of tiny hardwood square blocks, and provides a meeting place for the many creative’s who occupy the build. The central 'street' is flooded with natural light which bounces off the robust concrete walls.
The building acts as a blank canvas, it's flexibility allows each department to create it's own identity.
The walls are marked with the remnants of bold Victorian numerals to identify what were originally grain chutes but are now windows. We were told that these numerals are becoming iconic in their own right and were a feature of the branding for this Summer’s degree shows.
Although the studio spaces of the Holbornsite have been sacrificed for larger workshop, the art of craft and makingremains to be the beating heart of Central Saint Martins. Indeed, theincredibly high standards of finished products at this years degree shows aretestament to this bright new era in the history of the school.
Product Design Studio
Product Design studio
