The Curve
Location Slough
Client Slough Borough Council | Slough Urban Renewal | Morgan Sindall
Content 4,500m² Library, Performance Space, Classrooms, Exhibition Space and Café
Status Built
Collaborators
bblur architecture: Shell and Core Design
Awards
2017 AJ Architecture Award, Shortlist
2017 Local Authority Building Control Award, Winner
It has been a long, complex journey for the team. Collaborating with CZWG has been very successful and I am delighted that our building successfully transforms what was a dreary, cluttered part of Slough into a distinctive and vibrant new community hub.
Matthew Bedward, BBLUR Architecture
The Curve is the flagship public building and the key community amenity in the on-going regeneration of Slough’s town centre – ‘The Heart of Slough’. The 4,500m², three-storey, 90m long building, designed by BBLUR architecture in collaboration with CZWG, was conceived as a vibrant community hub accommodating a library, 280 seat performance space, teaching and exhibition space, and meets the Council’s aspirations to consolidate disparate community and Registrar services from across the town centre.
BBLUR’s concept creates a welcoming sculptural marker. The gently curved silver clad ‘tube’ wraps around the rear of St Ethelbert’s Grade II listed flint Church to form two new public squares and a reading garden. CZWG expanded the ground floor pedestrian route to become a journey throughout the whole building.
The ground floor houses a café with its view to the reading garden, exhibition space and the performance venue with doors that can open to the public plaza. Two generous curving staircases tempt visitors up to the first floor main library, double height atrium and generous study areas on the second floor.
Designed as a single integrated community space, inclusive design features of The Curve include the level entrances, widened automatic entrances, fully accessible Changing Places facilities , a children’s library and a multi-purpose performance space. The completion of a memorable new public landmark within the regeneration area coupled with the imminent arrival of Crossrail is facilitating the transformation of Slough’s town centre as a desirable place to live and work.
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