Seven-storey scheme built by B&K is centred around timber staircase

A new arts building designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for the University of Warwick will open its doors next week.

The 拢57.5m faculty of arts will bring together previously dispersed teachers and researchers in humanities departments under one roof.

FCBS Warwick 2

Four main areas are arranged around a central timber staircase within a full height atrium

The seven-storey building consists of four clusters of spaces arranged around a grand timber staircase built within a full-height atrium.

Rooms across 15,000sq m of floorspace include a cinema, screening rooms, theatre studios, rehearsal rooms, an antiquities room, a media lab, an editing suite and event spaces.

Outside, the ground feature a grove of trees grown from saplings taken from the ancient sanctuary of Delphi in Greece.

The trees were donated by the Greek Press Association in honour of the academic research and public engagement work of classics and ancient history professor Michael Scott.

The scheme, which was built by main contractor Bowmer and Kirkland, used a low carbon cement substitute which FCBS said saved around 260 tonnes of carbon while the foundations used the recycled concrete from the car park which previously stood on the site.

The project team also includes engineer Buro Happold, project manager Mace and cost consultant Turner and Townsend.