Viva Brighton September 2015 Issue #31

icks and mortar
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A facelift for Fabrica
And a ‘floating cube’, too
You’d be forgiven for not knowing about the new
extension to Brighton’s beloved Duke Street art
gallery Fabrica. The project, funded by the Arts
Council and designed by Brighton-based CDMS
Architects, has been on the table since 2012, but
building will start in September.
I meet CDMS Director Corin Morton and Architect
Tom Wainewright, to find out more about the
attractive ‘floating’ cube they will append to the
deconsecrated church. It’s a compact addition, comprising
three stories of modest office and storage
space to the rear and a new glazed ‘shopfront’ on
Duke Street. The size belies the build’s importance,
however, as Corin says, “It will enable Fabrica to do
what they do so well, properly,” freeing them from
having to run the charity, and its network of about
90 volunteers, from inadequately-sized offices. As
Corin says, “you put in extra effort because you’re
doing it for the right people and the right organisation.
What they do is just brilliant.”
Its compactness also compounds the build’s difficulty,
says Tom: “it’s essentially a big juggling act.
The amount of complexity does not reflect the size
of the finished building, but it probably does reflect
its cultural importance in Brighton… We’ve said
a few times, you could probably build something
ten times the size with the amount of drawings and
details we are producing for it.”
The intricacy of the build is a big part of what has
Corin and Tom fired up about the project. “The
least interesting thing for an architect,” says Corin,
“is to ask them to design a building where there’s
no point of reference, there’s no challenge.” A big
obstacle here is the access, as the space borders a
‘landlocked’ pocket of Dukes Yard. “One of the
intriguing things about this, is it’s going to be this
hidden gem that few people actually ever see,” explains
Corin. “It’s made us all the more determined
to make sure that it’s a really interesting piece of
architecture.”
I’m personally attracted to the Fabrica extension because
of its modernity. Slim, glazed panels partition
the extension from the brick and flint of the original
Grade II listed church. As Corin says, “It needs to
be distinct”. His thinking may be challenging, but it
reflects how the church has been developed in the
past: originally sporting a stucco façade, then the addition
of a gothic revival front. “It’s changed materials
and styles all over the years,” says Corin. “The
most logical thing to do was to change it again.”
I ask if there is much difference between the sorts
of builds commissioned in Brighton to elsewhere.
“The unfortunate truth is it can be quite difficult
to get interesting architecture built in Brighton,”
replies Corin. The heritage, geography and the
varying interests of community groups can make it
hard to build, especially for contemporary projects.
“Where this seems to be happening more easily is
within the larger institutions such as the university,”
he says, “but whether that trickles down is another
matter… [Brighton] has to continue to embrace
modern architecture.” Chloë King
cdmsarchitects.com
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