Date: 21 March 08
Author: Caroline Ednie, Web Editor
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The Steeple is a new state of the art venue for the arts in Newburgh, Fife, housing six affordable studios for artists; a residency flat and studio for visiting artists; and a project room for art classes, workshops, performances and exhibitions.
The project by Nicoll Russell Studios encompassed alterations to Newburgh’s Town Hall and Steeple, which dates from 1808. The main hall and ancillary accommodation were on the first floor with a flat below. To the back, the ‘corn exchange’ was a linear storey-and-a-half building dating from 1830 and was essentially a traditional farm steading. The resulting L-shaped building completes the enclosure of a small courtyard. Both buildings are category ‘B’ listed
Though it clearly had some fine spaces, the whole building was in relatively poor condition, having been empty for some time. The main design challenges were: firstly to fit the desired accommodation into the existing shell of the building; and secondly to create a connection between the two original buildings - the corn exchange, which was built later than the main building, crashed awkwardly into the back of the town hall at a slight angle.
Structurally, meeting the original levels of the two buildings and designing the glass curtain wall link proved to be challenging, however the new link introduces light into the circulation and affords views out into the courtyard – it also complies with current fire regulations and accommodates a lift for disabled access. The original Palladian window is now encompassed wholly within the stairwell and the existing stone wall, complete with its history of previous alterations, has been left exposed.
The original hall has been retained and refurbished for use as an exhibition space (which is open to the public). The studios have been designed as simple white boxes. Additionally, the ground floor studios in the old corn exchange take full advantage of a wide open aspect to the courtyard with its original colonnade, which has now been fully glazed.
The project was completed in February 2008 and is now fully occupied.
Please visit www.steeplearts.co.uk for a run down of classes and courses that will be taking place in the building over the coming months.
Project: The Steeple WASPS Artists Studios
Architect: Nicoll Russell Studios
Client: The WASPS Trusts
Location: Newburgh, Fife
Cost: £430,000
Link: http://www.nicollrussellstudios.com/
Images: Andrew Lee
