BLUE LIGHT INDICATES THE BUILDING IS TRUSTWORTHY
Archicontest
London Call
2020
BRITISH CONFERENCE HALL
contradiction on public spaces of aggregation
Bloomsbury
London, UK
The design of the new British Conference Hall lays on a contradiction: the private character of a public building that aims to create moments of aggregation through debates and shows. Al though events are considered social occasions, their character is strictly reserved and private: there is always a l imi ted number o f spaces available and a ticket is required in order to access them. Such
features affect the public nature of the buildings, that results in less performance towards its purpose of being available and used by the major i ty of people
throughout the maximum time along the day. Starting from this analysis, the proposal for the design addresses the following question:
How can a public building be more inclusive towards its users allowing them to use the space more freely, without the limited use of a ticket?
With the aim of creating a space for public gatherings, the new building is developed on the entire site area available:
such dimensions reflect the intention of considering the architecture not only as a building but as a new par t of the city of London, welcoming the highest number of people and hosting a variety of functions. Private and public functions are separated into two different levels: to an open and continuous ground floor, is opposed a closed upper level. The main façade, composed by these two characters, already represents the purpose of the new centre: a public building constantly open to the city with the addition of specialised spaces for planned
events. The ground floor is conceived as a public open space, hosting all the activities that can be experienced by the users without any prior reservation: the library, the bar/restaurant, the workshop, the courtyards and the covered public square. The variety of functions are defined by glass partitions and located into a structural grid of pillars, creating the effect of continuity both in the inside space and with the city. The upper floor instead is only accessible through the use of the ticket, where the different auditoriums can host the events planned.
