A new drawing studio at Arts University Bournemouth has been constructed using 17 painted steel plates from ArcelorMittal's plant in Gijón, Spain.

Designed by award-winning architect Peter Cook, himself an alumnus of the university, the studio is illuminated by a 30m2 oval window and a so-called "booster" window at the back, with the curvaceous interior designed to provide a space in which students from all of 17 AUB's art departments can be inspired.

"When it came to the design of the studio I wanted to ensure I created a space which all students, from all disciplines - be it fashion design, graphic design, fine art, or architecture like me - could make use of and feel inspired in," commented Peter Cook, who in the 1960s founded the avant-garde architectural collective Archigram. Archigram went on to deliver original concepts such as the miniature capsule home and a city installed inside an airship, receiving the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004.

Designed by Peter Cook and the CRAB Studio architect firm, the drawing studio is reportedly the first stand-alone of its kind to be built at a British art college for more than 100 years. World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid officially opened the structure in April shortly before passing away.

 

Photo by Arts University Bournemouth