Guy Nelson Hall

The Challenge

Built in the 1960s, Warwick School’s Guy Nelson Hall was no longer fulfilling the needs of a modern, growing school. As well as not being too small to accommodate increasing student numbers during exams and large events, technical and IT infrastructure upgrades were needed to continue its use as a theatre space for the community.

Located at the heart of the school’s site, the hall plays an important role in creating a good first impression for visitors to the school. Any redevelopment of the hall would also need to complement the existing buildings.

The Solution

Forterra’s County Multi Smooth, part of the Butterley range, a heritage brand that has been synonymous with brick making in the UK for over 150 years and is manufactured at Forterra’s Wilnecote brickworks. It was the ideal construction material for the project, enabling freedom of design with regard to form, scale and mass, while making a visual link with surrounding masonry.

The brick gives a modern, uniform finish, which complements the smooth finish of the glass and concrete panels that also form part of the hall’s design.

The Benefits

Following extensive redevelopment, that included the addition of an entrance foyer, kitchen, performance studios and a balcony area, Guy Nelson Hall has been transformed from school hall to a state-of-the-art 1,000 multi-use venue and concert hall.

The clever design and materials used in the hall’s redevelopment have resulted in a building that incorporates modern design elements, such as its sweeping, curved façade, while blending perfectly with the existing vernacular. There has also been a significant improvement to the buildings acoustics.

The project was completed in July 2016 ready for the new school intake in September that year.