COVENTRY | University Engineering & Computing Building | Gulson Rd | 7 fl | U/C

[skybluecity]

Work has now started on the £30m Arup-designed engineering and computing building for Coventry University.

To be built on Gulson Road just outside the city centre, the 14,000m2 building will have a sedum roof and photovoltaic panels in its facade. Construction by Balfour Beatty will be completed in May 2011.

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[NewTroll]

You'll need a lot of eggs to fill that box!

[Dr Pepper]

I rather like the 80' sci-fi retro look.

[morestoreysplease]

It's going to look terrific!

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by Dr Pepper

I rather like the 80' sci-fi retro look.

Yeah, me too. I can see the Dr Who team back in Cov to use this - plus Warwick Uni as "Dalek City".

[Biosonic]

Good to see they are getting on with this! This has the potential to become one of my favourite buildings in the west mids

[Erebus555]

Wow, I never come on to Coventry threads because I can't relate to them but this was a surprise! I love it. Great to see a start guys.

[GrAfiK_248]

i'm always pleasantly surprised by the varied types of buildings (that university building with the chimneys made me chuckle) in coventry when driving through on that lovely flyover. great addition!

like the use of pvc cladding panels! something i might use for next year to look good hehe

[CityGent]

Is this Gulson Road? Looks a lot like Bearwood.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by CityGent

Is this Gulson Road? Looks a lot like Bearwood.

Yes, that's Gulson road. It's very inner city in character, although if you go to the top there's the remains of Coventry's medieval city wall and a cloister of one of the abbeys that used to be inside the city walls (With the ruins of the chapel next to it).

Never heard of Bearwood.

[jonbon88]

any thing going on at the other university site ?

[U475 Foxtrot]

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This one's nearing completion. Photo's a few days old and it's being landscaped at the moment

[Dr Pepper]

Somethings up.

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[NewTroll]

Good to see the Uni acting as "recession busters".

There's a actually still a lot going on in terms of high tech business parks in Cov - Ansty, Whitley, etc. A lot of out of town stuff.

[stig1982]

Originally Posted by Dr Pepper

Somethings up.

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There's a good view of this from the bottom of Gosford Street. I think it's going to be the new MSCP - it's certainly nothing to do with the Engineering and Computing Centre as it's too far away from the top of Gulson Road.

Has anyone seen any artists impressions of the new car park? There is a very non-committal image lacking any detail contained within the video clip available via the University's masterplan page, but I'm not aware of a detailed planning application which gives any more information.

Meanwhile I see that the Swanswell / City College MSCP has opened, and is now awaiting the installation of the large 'flower' art work on the side. I hope we get a decent car park like this along Gulson Road - it'd be a shame to put up a bland boring box like so many other MSCPs.

[NewTroll]

Stig, here's the planning app:

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/port...et?PKID=692271

I took a fews images from the design statement:

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Enjoy! It's a big one, isn't it?

[stig1982]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

Stig, here's the planning app:

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/port...et?PKID=692271

I took a fews images from the design statement:

[IMG]http://i32.************/2zsbhqf.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i32.************/2u5cbya.jpg[/IMG]

Enjoy! It's a big one, isn't it?

Cheers.

I have to say I think it looks shit. Another uniform, grey cladded box devoid of feature.

I'm very disappointed by this. The Belgrade Plaza car park and the new Swanswell MSCP are both a lot more attractive with glass work and other features. The University's attempt here is laughable - how can they think this will look good between the ultra modern Computing and Engineering building and the old tax offices on the other side? Not to mention that it's a stone throw away from the Far Gosford Street Conservation Area and completely out of character!

[stig1982]

At least it would appear the old Peacock pub is staying!

Looking at the renders again, the side facing Gulson Road isn't too bad, it's the side facing Gosford Street that offends me!

[NewTroll]

I don't really mind it that much, it's just a car park, though, so I wasn't expecting anything great. My low expectations have been met.

The problem, IMHO, is the dismal city scape down there - the view from Gosford Street is a complete mismatched mess, with all these different styles and heights of buildings - the old pub, the factory, the library, the car park, and the single storey tyre place and a surface level car park with nothing in it. The whole place lacks any real sense of being somewhere - just buildings thrown up where there's space.

The best thing that could happen down there is for the tyre place to move out, and for the site to be redeveloped in such a way that it fills in that big gap and continues the streetline properly. And at the same time hides the stuff behind it!

i.e from the peacock down to the river, a series of buildings that match the height of the pub and some stylish elements... These open spaces with little buildings surrounded by car parks just ruin the sense that you're on a street.

[Dr Pepper]

Way to go yet.

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