Laban. 1. Project Basics:

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Gwendolyn Robbins
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Council England Design Team: Architect: Herzog and de Meuron Visual Artist: Michael Craig- Martin Project Manager: ARUP 1.

Named after Rudolf Laban (1879-1958), the Hungarian dancer, choreographer and teacher, the school founded in 1953 now trains dancers and choreographers from around

The architecture team won the project after competing in an international design competition.

1 Laban 1. Project Basics: Location: Laban Creekside SE8 3DZ, London, England Building Type: Contemporary Dance Studio Square Footage: 7800m2 Completion: 2000 Client: Arts Council England Design Team: Architect: Herzog and de Meuron Visual Artist: Michael Craig- Martin Project Manager: ARUP 1.1 The Laban Center Context Image North of from Laban (1.1 Allinson) 2. Background and Context: Laban is Europe s leading dance training facility. Named after Rudolf Laban ( ), the Hungarian dancer, choreographer and teacher, the school founded in 1953 now trains dancers and choreographers from around the world. Their current facility, located at Deptford Creekside, was designed by Swiss architects Herzog and Meuron. The architecture team won the project after competing in an international design competition. Today the building is the world s largest purpose built center for contemporary dance. With their facilities tired and cramped, in 1995 Laban began the process of developing a vision for their future. The building began as a vision shared by two key individuals, the then Principal of Laban and now Honorary Life President, Marion North and the current Director of Laban, Anthony Bowne. Key to the design Context Image looking North Toward Laban (1.1 The Laban Center) Context Image Looking South From Laban (1.2 Allison)

development of the project was solidifying Laban s position as one of the worlds preeminent dance centers. Located within Deptford, the highly visible project was (Allison 1.

To do this, they slightly bend the building to locate the entrance to be on axis to Thomas Archer s St Paul s Church, a superb baroque work.

2 development of the project was solidifying Laban s position as one of the worlds preeminent dance centers. Located within Deptford, the highly visible project was (Allison 1.3) meant to be an icon for physical as well as social regeneration for the surrounding area of Deptford. The architects attempted to create a dialogue with the weak context. To do this, they slightly bend the building to locate the entrance to be on axis to Thomas Archer s St Paul s Church, a superb baroque work. To further relate the building to its urban context street markings were used as an inspiration for exterior patterns on the building. For example, the urban street markings were used on the exterior façade. The center houses 13 dance studios, a 300-seat theatre, offices, study rooms, and a dance health center. The 7800 sqm facility is meant to be a dynamic environment where one can both learn and work. The activities take place on two main floors within the building. The large dance theater, the heart of the building takes place on the bottom floor while the upper story houses dance studios. 3. Design Intent & Validation: Laban s primary goal was to create an inspiring focal point for regeneration within the outlying community. This was achieved though the elegant form of the building as well as the striking exterior. The exterior is clad with a multicolored polycarbonate which allows the building to change with the sun angle. Its expressive landscaping additionally adds to the lustrous quality of the project. One of the key issues throughout the design was keeping the project within a tight Section: Showing the setback footing which creates a feeling of levity (1.4 Allison)

budget. To minimize the cost of the building, the principle is clad with continuous sheets of tinted polycarbonate. To express the movement of dance, the building façade doesn t touch the ground.

The structural concrete base is painted black which is set back to further strengthen the illusion and suspense of the building.

To do this the architects created a series of interior courtyards and meeting places, centered around the main theatre space.

3 budget. To minimize the cost of the building, the principle is clad with continuous sheets of tinted polycarbonate. To express the movement of dance, the building façade doesn t touch the ground. Rather, the plastic walls stop 6 inches above the ground to give the impression that the building is almost floating. The structural concrete base is painted black which is set back to further strengthen the illusion and suspense of the building. Initial design intent for the interior of the building was to create an urban streetscape. To do this the architects created a series of interior courtyards and meeting places, centered around the main theatre space. The interior streetscape encourages students from different disciplines to meet and exchange ideas. Interior Image showing Materiality as well as the sculptur al forms within the space (1..2 Laban Center) 4. Key Design Strategies: Acoustics: Laban s previous facility was located in an existing building at Laurie Grove, New Cross. Studio spaces located in the old extended church were extremely reverberant and suffered poor sound separation. The HVAC system was also Interior Image showing the expressive use of pattern and color to express movement. (1.3 Laban Center) (Allison 1.5)

4 extremely noisy. Therefore, within their new facility, the users insisted that ARUP Acoustics study the sound performance of the building to ensure that the different programmatic elements did not interfere with each other. The studios all have irregular shapes, with one wall either convex, or curved of angled in plan. The ceilings are exposed to concrete slabs with deeply dibbed profile. These features work together to prevent the occurrence of flutter echoes which dance studios often suffer from. Lighting: It was a goal from the beginning for all dance studios to have natural day lighting. Natural day lighting was thought to not only create visual interest but also produce a high quality lit environment for students while being economical. Throughout the design process, ARUP Lighting made several detailed lighting models to test different façade materials. Consequently, ARUP selected a light admitting polycarbonate for the façade that would require no active shading devices. The team also tested different façade coloring, sticking a balance between external appearance and internal functionality. Security: Often referred to as a pavilion in the land, Laban achieves a welcoming atmosphere while keeping security concerns high within the project. The building is under constant CCTV surveillance, and many of the programmatic elements are oriented to restrict access and create barriers within the building. Laban employs a tight skin, which means that there is only one main entrance that is open to the public. No portion of the building opens to the outside terraces. The building is also set behind an operable security fence which drops flush within the ground during the day. Sustainability: One of the key design goals of the project was to minimize the impact of the building on the flora and fauna of the nearby creek system. To accomplish this Laban includes a diverse amount of plantings within the surrounding landscaping. Additionally, the roof of Laban also features a brown roof, that acts as a special habitat for the Black Redstart, one of the UK s rarest birds. A view taken from the cafeteria showing the amount of daylight infiltrating the space. ( 1.4 Laban Center) A View of the brown roof (1.1 Architecture)

5 5. Feedback: Both the students and faculty love the building overall. Anthony Bowne The New center hits all our targets. The students love it and we are delighted to be teaching in such a visually-exciting building. It gives us exactly the quality of space and personality we need for dance practice and performance; we opened on time and our limited budget was managed extremely wisely. The centre is a great inspiration to the local community Joan Ruddock the Member of local Parliament for Lewishan praises the project for its physical and social regeneration of the area. 6. Further Information: An Exterior Perspective showing the polycarbonate façade. (1.2 Architecture) For Laban Course Information: 7. References: Allinson, Ken. Londons Contemporary Architecture +. 4th ed. Elsevier: Architectural P, "» The Laban Centre: Adding Some Decoration to Deptford." Modern British Architecture. 07 April 2009 < "Architecture." Laban Contemporary Dance. 07 April 2009 < 8. Map and Transport options By the Underground The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) offers a frequent service to Cutty Sark station which is a few minutes walk from Laban. The DLR joins to the London Underground at Monument / Bank (Central, Circle and District Lines), Shadwell (East London Line), Canary Wharf (Jubilee Line) and Stratford (Central Line). At Cutty Sark turn right out of the station and right again on to Creek Road. Take the second left after the bridge, Directions from our dorm to Laban courtesy of

Creekside and Laban is a on your left. (10 min walk) By Train If travelling from Central London, travel from Charing Cross, Waterloo East or London Bridge Stations to either Deptford or Greenwich.

6 Creekside and Laban is a on your left. (10 min walk) By Train If travelling from Central London, travel from Charing Cross, Waterloo East or London Bridge Stations to either Deptford or Greenwich. There are frequent trains and the journey time is approximately 15 minutes. (Please note if travelling from Charing Cross or Waterloo East, you may need to change trains at London Bridge.) Laban is approximately a 10 minute walk from either station. By Bus Bus numbers 47, 53, 89, 177, 188, 225 and 453 stop near Laban. Map taking the Underground From our Dorm to Laban Courtesy of

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