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Centenary Building

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Coordinates: 53°29′11″N 2°15′48″W / 53.4864°N 2.2633°W / 53.4864; -2.2633
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Centenary Building
Map
General information
Town or citySalford, Greater Manchester
CountryEngland
Construction startedJune 1994
CompletedDecember 1995
Cost£3.2m
ClientUniversity of Salford
Design and construction
Architect(s)Stephen Hodder
Structural engineerAMEC
Awards and prizes

The Centenary Building is a building at the University of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. It was designed by the architect Stephen Hodder, completed in December 1995, and opened in 1996. The building won the RIBA Award and inaugural Stirling Prize in 1996,[1] as well as the Civic Trust Award in 1998.[2]

In October 2024, the Twentieth Century Society submitted a listing application for the building citing its architectural significance.[3] In November 2024, the University of Salford announced plans to demolish the building. These plans have been met with opposition, including from the original architect.[4][5]

Site and brief

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The site is situated on the edge of the city of Manchester and lies within the campus of the University of Salford. The brief specified a building which was a "fusion of design and technology" to house the Spatial, Graphic and Industrial Design Department of the university.[6] Hodder had 11 weeks to finish the design stage and begin development on site in order to ensure the European Union grant was eligible[7] and it was built for less than £4 million.[8]

Architecture

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The building consists of two separate glazed structures set as a frame to an informal galleried atrium, with service towers, studio and seminar accommodation are housed within a four-storey orthogonal block on the "City side" of the development.

The connection between the two blocks is a raised street within which all horizontal circulation is contained in galleries.[4] Working details of the escape stair are enclosed in glass block screen. Other materials include stainless steel cladding and concrete. Accommodation includes seminar rooms, video-editing suites, and lecture halls.[9]

The building was designed without air conditioning, instead relying on a natural ventilation system and underfloor heating which were hallmarks of its environmentally-friendly construction. However, this led to staff complaints of it being too cold in winter and too hot in the summer.[8] Some rooms have no external windows, relying instead on borrowed light from the central atrium. Outside of rooms, all spaces are designed for transit and thus there are no informal 'social' areas in the building.[citation needed]

The Centenary Building received several awards, including the RIBA Award (1996), the RIBA Architecture in Education Category Award (1996), the Stirling Prize for Architecture (1996), and the Civic Trust Award (1998).[10]

Listing and demolition proposals

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In October 2024, the C20 Society (Twentieth Century Society) submitted a listing application for the Centenary Building. The building had been vacant for several years and had suffered from vandalism. Previous proposals to repurpose the building had not progressed, and the application aims to protect it amid the ongoing redevelopment of the surrounding area.[11][12]

In November 2024, the University of Salford announced plans to demolish the building as part of a redevelopment of the Adelphi Village area.[13][14] In its rationale for the decision to demolish the building, the university has said the "ageing infrastructure means it no longer meets modern standards and requirements." The design, which features the visible movement of people and had a lack of sound insulation, made it noisy with the sound of feet on the metal staircases reverberating around the building.[8]

The proposal to demolish the Centenary Building has sparked controversy. Stephen Hodder, the building's architect described the building as a key part of his professional legacy,[15][16] and argued that the building, which is under 30 years old, should not be demolished solely due to aging infrastructure, as this does not justify the environmental costs of demolition and rebuilding.[17] Hodder also highlighted the contradiction between the university’s sustainability goals and the significant carbon emissions that would result from the redevelopment project.[18]

Dr. Carole O'Reilly, a senior lecturer at Salford University,[19] acknowledged the building's architectural significance but suggests that its failure to meet current needs might justify its demolition.[20]

Conservationists, including the C20 Society, have raised concerns about the environmental and cultural loss involved in demolishing an award-winning structure, advocating for adaptive reuse instead, emphasising the building's historical value.[18] In response to the demolition proposal, RIBA board chair Jack Pringle, while not commenting specifically on the Centenary Building, emphasised the importance of the inventive re-use of buildings to achieve a net-zero future. He also suggested that all Stirling Prize-winning buildings should be considered for listing.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "First Stirling Prize winner could become primary school". Architects Journal. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Centenary Building - University of Salford". Civic Trust Awards. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Listing bid revealed for first Stirling Prize winner – The Twentieth Century Society". c20society.org.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Guy, Jack (12 November 2024). "Award-winning building to be demolished less than 30 years after being built". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ Waite, Richard (11 November 2024). "Exclusive: first Stirling Prize winner set to be demolished". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Centenary Building, Salford". Hodder and Partners. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Practice History". Buildings R Us. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Sillito, David (11 November 2024). "Salford: Britain's 'best new building of 1996' to be demolished". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ "HE Estates website : Compendium of Good Practice : Capital projects : Value of design : University Challenge : Projects : Hodder Associates". HE Estates. Archived from the original on 8 December 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. ^ "centenary building, salford". Hodder + Partners. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Listing bid revealed for first Stirling Prize winner – The Twentieth Century Society". c20society.org.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ^ Crook, Lizzie (12 November 2024). "Inaugural Stirling Prize winner at risk of demolition in Salford". Dezeen. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  13. ^ Guy, Jack (12 November 2024). "Award-winning building to be demolished less than 30 years after being built". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  14. ^ Waite, Richard (11 November 2024). "Exclusive: first Stirling Prize winner set to be demolished". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  15. ^ Guy, Jack (12 November 2024). "Award-winning building to be demolished less than 30 years after being built". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  16. ^ Waite, Richard (11 November 2024). "Exclusive: first Stirling Prize winner set to be demolished". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  17. ^ "The Centenary Building, Winner of the First RIBA Stirling Prize, Under Threat of Demolition". ArchDaily. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  18. ^ a b "First Stirling Prize-winning building to be demolished, 30 years after it was built". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  19. ^ Salford, The University of. "Salford media expert features in new book on relationship between Royal Family and British media | University of Salford". www.salford.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  20. ^ Taylor, Ben (12 November 2024). "900 homes on way as award-winning Salford University building to be demolished". Salford Now. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  21. ^ Guy, Jack (12 November 2024). "Award-winning building to be demolished less than 30 years after being built". CNN. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
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53°29′11″N 2°15′48″W / 53.4864°N 2.2633°W / 53.4864; -2.2633

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