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Crescent Arts Centre RICS success
The category recognises the importance of providing local communities with outstanding facilities. Projects could be single or groups of buildings which are entirely new or improvements on an existing facility. Judges were looking for projects that have had a strong interaction with the community throughout the process from start to finish. The projects are judged on feedback from the community and how they have enhanced the local landscape/streetscape.
The building was in a serious state of disrepair with only 50% of the building safe to use when the renovation works began. A collaborative approach to the design with Architects Hall Black Douglas to planning stage and Hamilton Architects from planning to completion was undertaken with the Centre and end users and the requirements of each art form and activity were considered in developing the layouts and finding solutions to the challenge of preserving the building while providing modern facilities.
The Crescent now provides a performance area, a dance studio and 10 other activity rooms of various sizes, enabling greater use by community organisations. The building fits well with the strategic Action Plan for the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland, given its role in each of the four themes namely people, business, infrastructure and knowledge. Since the refurbishment visitor numbers have increased by 50%.