Coventry University transforming Arts and Humanities faculty with major redevelopment
Friday 28 May 2021
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Work is well underway on a redevelopment at Coventry University which will transform the teaching and student experience in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
The steel frame is now in place for a new building which will become home to a range of state-of-the-art technologies, studios and equipment.
The demolition of the Bugatti building made way for the new development, linking the Graham Sutherland and Maurice Foss buildings, which are both undergoing complete internal refurbishments as part of the ambitious project.
With hopes for the redevelopment to be completed in the summer of 2022, the new facilities will feature a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects and immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed reality technologies, enhancing the faculty’s creative, teaching and learning spaces and offering students sector-leading facilities in a unique environment.
The project, undertaken by construction firm McLaughlin and Harvey, will also provide high-quality studios and workshops for film, photography, printmaking, wood, metal, plastics, ceramic faber clay and digital education.
The new complex will also be open to the public with a gallery space, café and events atrium where students, staff and visiting artists can showcase their work to members of the community.
The project provides a direct point of contact between the local community, the university, and its industries allowing the city, its residents and visitors to engage with the creative work Coventry’s students are producing. It will also aim to inspire diverse audiences and participants locally, nationally and internationally with new ways of engaging with creative practice and education.
We have a great history, we were founded in 1843 through a collaboration between educators, the city and industrialists who wanted to help improve the skills of the people of Coventry. The faculty cherishes that history and our reputation for educating students who achieve amazing things, with some of them going on to win prestigious awards and secure careers with world-leading companies – but who all contribute to the communities around them.
This development and investment in our faculty takes what we can offer our students to a whole new level. Providing students and staff with such fantastic, creative learning spaces and state-of-the-art facilities is a once in a generation opportunity to move things forwards in a big way.
Dr Shaun Hides, Academic Dean (Arts and Humanities)
