Introduction
The Colyer-Fergusson Building, at the University of Kent, was completed in October 2012 and was an extremely prestigious and complex project, to bring first class concert facilities to not only students and staff, but also the local townspeople of Canterbury.
It had to be large yet flexible, in order to accommodate a full 80 piece orchestra, a 200 strong choir and an audience of 350. It also had to contain a foyer, practice rooms, offices as well as storage spaces for instruments and music, and technical spaces.
The Design
With such exacting requirements, the choice of both architect and building contractor, was of the utmost importance. Tim Ronalds Architects, who were responsible for the design, had previously designed the Performing Arts School at Sevenoaks School, Kent in 2010. This meant the practice had in-depth experience of designing music venues with finely-tuned acoustic quality.
The Kent connection was further strengthened by the appointment of R Durtnell and Sons Ltd, as the main contractor. Durtnell was founded over 400 years ago and has been trading ever since.
Durtnell’s experience has enabled them to successfully complete many projects, varying from a new music school at Brighton College to the construction of a purpose designed facility at the centuries-old Salisbury Cathedral.
Acoustically Challenging
The concert hall was to be used for several different types of performance – choir, orchestra and string quartet, for example. This created a number of challenges since different types of music has different acoustic needs eg a choral work tends to require more reverberation than an amplified performance.
The decision to use Douglas fir timber extensively throughout the building, provided the ideal warmth and acoustic qualities.
The walls and the ceiling of the concert hall were therefore completely lined with Douglas fir plywood panels providing a striking visual appearance. A series of vertical and horizontal battens from the same wood, were fixed to wall panels. This not only provided a unique look but also gave additional support and helped to diffuse the sound.
Enfield Doors provided the acoustic doorsets for the concert hall and also throughout the building. It was important that the doorsets not only had high acoustic properties, but also had to harmonise with their surroundings.
Award Winner
The Colyer-Fergusson Building was a winner of the prestigious Wood Awards in 2013 (Commercial and Public Access Category) as well as gaining a RIBA Regional and National Award in the same year.
However, what was the opinion of the performers? Initial reaction has been extremely positive and after performing at the inaugural concert, Daniel Rowland of the Brodsky Quartet described it as:
“Stunning, a world-class hall….The acoustics are just fantastic….I can’t wait to be back”.
In all, the building offers a world-class performance.
Thanks to TRADA for additional information. For more background about the Colyer-Fergusson Building, visit www.trada.co.uk.
