Big Lamp
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Type: Community
Service: Concept Design
Description: Creative hub for recording studios within listed building
We are working with Salt Recording (link to salt recording) on their initiative to open pathways for local musicians to bridge the gap between early talent and launching successful music careers.
Big lamp (www.biglamp.co.uk) will be a creative hub including music recording studios and teaching spaces with an artistic venue to include a café, shop and exhibition space for networking and sharing of ideas.
Big Lamp gets its name from its location at the junction of Westgate Road with Elswick Street that saw one of the earliest incandescent streetlamps. It will be located within George Bowran House that forms part of the grade 2 listed Westgate Hall and will celebrate the past cultural significance of this part of Newcastle as it fosters and encourages the future culture makers.
The proposed design utilises vacant areas of the existing building, reopening active street frontage of five shopfronts and connects them to the basement that will host new exhibition space. This new active frontage provides a generosity of public facing creative space whilst also facilitating a new accessible route into the upper floors that will contain recording studio space.
Key conceptual design moves:
1. Re-Occupy – Re-occupy vacant areas with vertically stacked private spaces & open public spaces
2. Linked Frontage – Combine cellular units retaining original shop frontage and rhythm
3. Reorganised Levels – Reintroduce ground plane omitting later mezzanines and connecting to new basement exhibition space
4. Route – Route new entrance experience through active public creative space and connect lift to ground floor to improve accessibility