A design team led by FCBStudios has been chosen as the winner of the RIBA Competition for the University of Portsmouth’s new academic building
The new academic building will be located on the Victoria Site, as a northern gateway to the University’s campus and will bring together the Faculty of Business and Law with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The new building will also provide student support services, general administrative space and public space on the ground floor.
On the ground floor of the 13-storey development, a ‘Market Hall’ will be a highly versatile flexible civic space for the University and the city to gather. A roof terrace, together with a destination restaurant situated on the top floor, will provide panoramic views to the Spinnaker Tower and will be open to the public.
Professor Graham Galbraith, vice-chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, said: “I am extremely pleased to announce FCBStudios as the winner of the RIBA International Design Competition for our new academic building.
“We had a large number of high-quality submissions and the panel felt that the practice’s extensive experience in the higher education sector was very evident. The panel agreed that the building would create a strong identity for the University and a statement for the city.
“The design is an outstanding example of a sustainable and environmentally responsible building. By bringing the two faculties together within one building it will enable us to become a centre for collaboration, creativity, innovation and above all inspiration and interaction.”
FCBStudios beats the competition
FCBStudios was selected by an evaluation panel, the panel considered the design proposals developed by FCBStudios to offer a comprehensive response to the multi-faceted brief, in which the new academic building would be rooted within Victoria Park, with a physically and visually permeable ground floor establishing a new, publicly accessible route between the city and the park.
Panel members admired the aesthetic sensibility of the scheme and the strong sculptural form and diaphanous veil to the new academic building, which they felt would create a strong visual identity for the University and striking addition to the Portsmouth skyline.
The new building is part of the University’s ambitious £400m Estate Masterplan to be delivered over the next 10 years, including a new indoor Sports Facility in Ravelin Park.
