Serious flaws at the heart of creating buildings for the arts have been uncovered by a recently published research project, which also throws a spotlight on the disillusionment and loss of faith felt by individuals involved in such projects.
The study, described in the book Geometry and Atmosphere, questions the validity of the current system used for major theatre refurbishing and buildings projects – a system that the National Audit Office (NAO) recommends should actually be reinforced to address the problem that new buildings are frequently over budget and damagingly late.
Instead, say the researchers, the entire process should be rethought. Distilling their findings into new guidance for the many stakeholders – architects, designers, administrators, engineers and builders – the researchers provide insight that will be useful to any sector where public money is spent on major building projects. Such guidance, they believe, will transform the process from one that is ‘corrosive’ to one that is inspirational for all those involved.
Image: The Lowry, Salford. Credit: Giorgos Artopoulos
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge