Have your say on plans to renew the Sainsbury Centre
By: Communications
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is inviting the public to help shape plans for the refurbishment of the iconic Sainsbury Centre.
A public consultation event, taking place in the Sainsbury Centre on the UEA campus on Thursday 9 July, 2-7pm, will provide an opportunity for the public to view the design proposals and provide feedback on the project. The scheme is intended to revitalise and enhance the Grade II*-listed building which houses a world-class art museum and teaching facility on the UEA campus.
The consultation is open to all, and members of the project team will be present at the event, in the School of Art History (next to the Modern Life Cafe in the Sainsbury Centre), to provide further information and answer any questions.
The proposals will also be available to view online, from Friday 10 July at www.sainsburycentre-refurbishment.co.uk, where feedback can be submitted via the consultation website between Friday 10 July and Friday 24 July.
The refurbishment is expected to halve the amount of energy required to operate the building, significantly reducing carbon emissions and making an important contribution to the university's commitment to achieving a net zero campus by 2045.
Breaking all the rules when the museum opened in 1978, this Lord Norman Foster architectural masterpiece is innovative in its use of light and space to create an open indoor landscape for the public to enjoy the world-class art collection within.
Foster + Partners is undertaking this new phase of refurbishment, to protect and enhance this iconic building as it approaches its 50th anniversary.
In 2024, Foster + Partners was appointed to undertake a feasibility study to determine which parts of the Centre should be upgraded or replaced to improve energy efficiency, enhance the visitor experience, and ensure easy maintenance. The project team identified three key areas of the building for renovation: the envelope, its environmental systems, and some of the key visitor amenities.
Photovoltaic panels will be incorporated into the new roof system to allow renewable energy to be generated on site. Aging environmental systems will also be replaced, and the building will be connected to the university’s district heating and cooling systems to allow improved control over the building’s internal environment.
Renewed entrances, lifts, signage, and flooring will further enhance the visitor experience, while renewed solar controlled blinds will bring more natural light into the gallery spaces throughout the day in line with the original design intent.
There will also be upgrades to the bathrooms, café, kitchen, and spaces for staff, as well as an extension to the south café terrace and enhancements to the surrounding landscape to improve connections between the building and the sculpture trails within the surrounding campus.
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