The heart of Colchester’s cultural quarter is created by the new square. This project is the first new urban space for Colchester’s Cultural Quarter. The square has a simple aesthetic of grey blue stone and white concrete punctuated by detailed mosaic benches in gold, pink and brown.
The use of mosaic refers back to the history of the site as a mosaic workshop in Roman times. The Square sits around the Rafael Vinoly Visual Arts Facility which is a semi circular golden building.
The site is part of the Conservation Area and is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, due to the proximity of the roman wall and archaeological remains at lower levels. These remains are being preserved by careful design and construction using raised ground levels.
KLA are working closely with the conservation officer, English Heritage, the various design teams and a multi-headed client group to bring their disparate needs together into one simple beautiful design.
New Square for Visual Arts Facility | Colchester UK | Kinnaer Landscape Architects
Landscape Architect Kinnear Landscape Architects Limited
Client: Colchester City Council, Arts Council, Essex County Council
Location Colchester, Essex
Value: 1.7m
Architect: Rafael Vinoli
Design Team: Stockley
