A Space to breathe
Interior Architecture & Design
Site Analysis
Site History
The original architectural drawings from 1877 show the building being used as a single dwelling. As well as the void on the first floor (referenced on the images as the Balcony), there was also a void on the ground floor, which would have provided views of the glass roof all the way from the basement level. The Mal Cross was built by Charles Weldon as a music hall. The basement level was briefly used as a skating rink, and then as a dining hall at another time.
Th basement level was not yet divided properly into 2 levels here.
Drawing of the First Floor
Here you can see where there was still a void on this level also.
This level shows the current sport's shop being used as an Ale Cellar, with access to the 'main cellar' which looks to be in the Caves.
The copyright to these images belongs to Nottinghamshire Archives - Malt Cross, Charles St,6.4.1877, new PH
For most of it's history, the basement & sub-basement levels have been used as a 2 storey restaurant, firstly it housd "Trattoria Conti, then Sapna'"(MaltCross Website)
In 1977 the building had a big refurbishment, and expanded into the building directly behind it, the Newcastle Chambers. This created a lot of extra rooms for the Malt Cross, as well as the installation of a lift. At this point, the front section of the building was also sectioned off into the separate shops it has today.
Drawings by Helmore Bewers Architects; 1995-97; found on: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/planningapplications
Site Visit
The Malt Cross building has had a long journey, being owned by many different people, having various different uses as well as a few substantial refurbishments. When I visited the site for the first time, I noticed how the front façade stands out from its neighbouring buildings with its dark green and red colours. This made me assume it was all part of the same building, however, these front spaces have been divided into separate shops and are currently being let out individually.
Here you currently have the main entrance to the Malt Cross.
This is the entrance directly to the basement level for the art galleries.
This is used as a pop-up shop, though it is still accessible from the main building.
This is currently let to 'Non-Stop' (a sports shop), and is now separate to the Malt Cross.
Site Photos
The double doors on the left take you onto the ground floor level, where the bar is currently located
Only these first two windows are part of the current pub. The other two bay windows and all four smaller windows above are part of the storage space for the Sports Shop to the right.
Below all of these there is still the Cave level.
This is facing towards the back of the building, looking up at the large glass roof
The mezzanine level can be reached by stairs on either side which go up to the 1st level. The lift at the back of the building also stops on the mezzanine level.
View from 1st floor looking towards the bay windows above the main entrance on St James' street.
These pavement lights are directly under the void in the ceiling, so the natural light from the roof can reach the basement level
This is the space under the pavement lights from the ground level. They allow natural light to come into the space.
Da Silva; 27/01/15 (all images above)
Latest Architectural Information
These were the proposed architectural drawings submitted in 2013 by William Saunders Architects. There were a few amendments at the time of refurbishment, but these drawings are almost accurate to the current status of the building.
The Malt Cross received a £1.3 Million investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to carry out the refurbishment and restore the building to its current status, with 5 stories and the addition of access to the Caves.
The following documents were also submitted by William Saunders when aquiring planning permission for the refurbishment, and contain a lot of useful information about the site:
drawings by William Saunders Architects; 2013;
Found on: http://publicaccess.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/online-applications/
Understanding the building
At this point I decided to create a simple card sketch model of the whole site in order to understand the building three-dimensionally. I chose to construct the levels with the minimum amount of walls possible, so that I could look into the building and understand how the stairs connect the levels, and how big the levels actually are.
I have used the latest plans from William Saunders Architects to create the model, but when I layered the levels, some of the walls don’t quite line up. I will be revisiting the site soon to measure a few areas myself, and understand the parts that I haven’t been able to comprehend through the model.
In particular, I need clarification about some areas of the extension into the Newcastle Chambers building, as this is currently being used for staff/office spaces and therefore I could not gain access to them.
Perspective view standing outside the main entrance
View from the main entrance, looking at the stage level, and you can see the 1st level through the void
Birds-eye view looking down through the void in the 1st floor. You can see the mezzanine stage level and the ground floor.
Side view of the building looking into the lower basement and showing the stairs that connect it to the cave level.
View from the right hand side. Concept model created with minimal walls in order to understand how the spaces work, and how the levels connect.
View from the front left
This coloured diagram shows roughly where the levels are in my model.
In reality, there are 6 levels in total if we include the mezzanine, and there is potential for a 7th if I expand my design into the atrium area of the 1st floor. The area at the front of the building which is being used by the adjoining shop is already using this '7th level', so if I include that area into my design, it will create even more space.
Da Silva; 28/01/15 (All photographs of model on this page)
The building is very big, but it is also quite 'quirky' in its layout. I think all the small tucked-away areas will be useful for my design as I can use them for the quite, personal spaces I want to provide.
A large part of the building is actually underground, with limited natural light, but again, this could also work in my favour, as I would like to control the lighting quite carefully in the soothing spaces to maintain a certain atmosphere. The 1st & Ground floor can be naturally quite bright with the big glass atrium above, so perhaps these should be used for the more sociable areas of my scheme.
The ground floor currently provides these very smart pavement lights (highlighted in the image below to the left), which carry some of the natural light to the floor below. Originally, that area had a second void, which meant more light for the basement, but less floor space on the ground level.
I could potentially reinstate that design if necessary, because the structure is held up by the 9 columns that run through the building (highlighted below to the right), so theoretically, anything in the middle could be taken out.
There could even be a potential to create a two storey indoor garden area, to diffuse some of the natural light and provide the outdoor element I was looking for. The site is also taller than its adjoining buildings, so hopefully I could expand onto a neighbouring roof to create an outdoor area, like a roof garden for example, as part of my breathing space.
I think there are plenty of possibilities for my scheme to work in this site, due to its many levels, cave features and location.
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