The New Art Exchange designed by Hawkins\Brown is the UK’s first regional inner city arts centre for Black and Asian Arts. It has significantly boosted the cultural dimension of one of the East Midlands most deprived neighbourhoods, Hyson Green in Nottingham.
The New Art Exchange took occupation of its new £3.1 million home on Gregory Boulevard in Hyson Green last September and has since won a 2009 Civic Trust Award and a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) award.
The striking black brick 4-storey building is distinguished from the ubiquitous red clay buildings of the neighbourhood. A playful arrangement of frameless windows ranging in size (from 0.16 sqm to 4.84 sq m), offers incidental and unexpected views into and out of the building.
The building provides 1360 sqm floor space, which is divided into a visual arts gallery, workshop spaces, studios, rehearsal spaces and facilities for an artist in-residence.
Hawkins\Brown worked directly with visual artist Hew Locke who has made a site-specific ceiling installation in the ground floor café, comprising aluminium plates embossed with imagery of the local area. The installation provides a counterpoint to the building’s rigorous rectilinear form as well as celebrating and promoting the centre’s relationship with its immediate locality.
Awards: RIBA Award 2009, Civic Trust Award 2009
