RIBA Wessex Annual Forum
Memorial Hall & Dancy House
17 October 2019
This year’s RIBA Wessex Forum was held at Marlborough College in Wiltshire. Members celebrated the achievements of the past year, welcomed the new Chair, and enjoyed the College’s historic and contemporary architecture.
Tours and talks were given by Dominic Gaunt, Director of Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt, and Andrew Nevin, Associate Director at Allies & Morrison.
Memorial Hall, Diamond Schmitt Architects and Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt
Memorial Hall was opened in 1925 to honour Marlburians who died in the First World War. The refurbishment re-establishes the building’s original purpose as a theatre and memorial while preserving its character and unique ambience. The project was delivered in time for the Armistice Centenary and has been incredibly well received by those teaching, learning, performing, and visiting the building. The Hall has already hosted prestigious ensembles such as the BBC Big Band and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and has been highly commended as a concert venue – an amazing transformation from being virtually unusable prior to refurbishment.
Dancy House, Allies and Morrison
Set within the picturesque grounds of the old Bailey of Marlborough Castle, Marlborough College is one of the most successful co-educational independent boarding and day schools in the UK. In order to improve the proportion of female students at the school, the College embarked on the construction of Dancy House, an additional boarding house for female boarders. The new building provides bedrooms for 70 pupils, a range of communal, kitchen, and dining spaces with associated facilities.
TAGS RIBA, Dominic Gaunt