Collaborative Arts Centre
Architecture: BArch
Erin Sherrard
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Atelier 01: Cabinet of Curiosities
Project
Set against Newark Castle, the Collaborative Arts Centre responds to its context with three pitched volumes, each framing views of historically significant parts of the site. Timber cladding softens the building's presence, while limestone intersections reference the castle’s stone, creating a respectful contrast between old and new. The public realm reinterprets the historic approach to a castle —moat, drawbridge, portcullis—through modern landscaping, maintaining a link to the site's past. Inspired by Nottingham’s Lace Market Creative Quarter, the design uses the concept of the 'street' to organise space, encouraging movement, interaction, and creative exchange.
Project
The perspective section shows the Collaborative Arts Centre’s interior, where pitched-roof volumes serve distinct functions—diverse studio spaces for artists, visitor amenities, and galleries—aimed at revitalising the town’s market spirit. Visitor amenities are connected to the artist studios by a central atrium that acts as a public thoroughfare, embodying the reconnection between consumers and the creative process often lost in modern production. This atrium forms part of the central spine—an inspired ‘street’—which encourages collaboration and creative exchange. Two bridges at different levels span the atrium, allowing uninterrupted views and access to the castle grounds, with the spine ending in a double-height cantilever space that extends over the river.
