Runnymede Civic Centre
| Runnymede Civic Centre | |
|---|---|
 The building in 2023 | |
| Location | Station Road, Addlestone |
| Coordinates | 51°22′14″N 0°29′27″W / 51.3706°N 0.4908°W |
| Built | 2008 |
| Architect | Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios |
| Architectural style(s) | Modern style |
  Shown in Surrey | |
Runnymede Civic Centre is a municipal building in Station Road in Addlestone, a town in Surrey, in England. The building accommodates the offices and meeting place of Runnymede Borough Council as well as a library and police station.
History[edit]
In the 19th century, Addlestone was a chapelry within the parish of Chertsey.[1] After Chertsey Urban District Council was established in 1894,[2] the new council was initially based in offices in Guildford Street in Chertsey.[3] However, in the late 1950s, the council decided to commission new offices. The site they selected was open land on the south side of Station Road in Addlestone.[4]
The council offices were designed in the modern style, built in dark brick, and were completed in 1962. The rear part of the building, which had a rather dull appearance on account of the dark colour of the bricks,[5] was supported on stilts and it featured a landscaped garden.[6][7] The council offices continued to serve as the offices of Chertsey Urban District Council for another 12 years and then became the headquarters of the enlarged Runnymede Borough Council when it was formed in 1974.[8] In the 1980s, during the Cold War, a bunker was established under the building for use in the event of a nuclear attack.[9]
In the early 2000s, the council decided to relocate to a new civic centre, which would incorporate a library and police station, in addition to the council headquarters. Although it was originally planned to sell the old building, the Great Recession of 2008/2009 reduced demand and so the council decided to demolish the structure instead.[10][11] The site was later occupied by a Waitrose Supermarket and a Premier Inn.[12]
Meanwhile, the council proceeded with the development of its new civic centre on a site immediately to the east of the previous council offices. The new three-storey building was designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios in the modern style, built by Willmott Dixon in brick and glass at a cost £12.6 million and was officially opened in 2008.[13][14] In October 2023, it was announced the roof was leaking and would require replacement.[15]
Architecture[edit]
The ground floor of the facade is fenestrated in plate glass, to make the building's functions visible from the outside. The right-hand section of the first floor is canted forward and supported by a pier at the north west corner: it is clad in alternating sections of clear and coloured glass. Inside, there is a double-height space housing the library and help desks, with consultation rooms behind, and a wide staircase leading to the upper floors. There is a mezzanine floor with a staff cafe, while the first floor contains the council chamber, a drum-shaped space with desks for councillors in three horseshoes. It is lit by a skylight, with a lantern above which shines a red light when the council is in session. The second floor and remainder of the first floor house offices, as well as the police control room.[16] The design was one of the regional winners for the 2009 RIBA Awards.[17][18][19]
References[edit]
- ^ "Addlestone". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Chertsey Urban District Council And Predecessors: Records, 1870–1946". Exploring Surrey's Past. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Field Archaeology: Weekend Lecture Courses" (PDF). Surrey Archaeology. 1 December 1971. p. 5. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1955. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Addlestone Town Centre Strategy: Supplementary Planning Guidance". Runnymede Borough Council. 1 September 1999. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Addlestone". Edith's Streets. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "No. 45567". The London Gazette. 7 January 1972. p. 265.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
- ^ "Runnymede Borough Council bunker interior, showing bunker door, taken before bunker was filled in". Chertsey Museum. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Rising costs of council offices demolition revealed". Surrey Live. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "The demolition of the old Council Offices, Addlestone showing a crane, rubble and buildings in the background". 1 April 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Premier Inn hotel confirmed for Addlestone redevelopment". Surrey Live. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "New civic offices open for business". Surrey Live. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Specialist Contracts". Construction News. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ Caulfield, Chris (3 October 2023). "Runnymede Borough Council's 15-year-old £12.6m civic centre roof leaks and needs replacing". Surrey Live. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Spring, Martin (29 August 2008). "Library fines and other crimes: Feilden Clegg Bradley's Addlestone town hall". Building. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Sell, Christopher (21 May 2009). "RIBA Award winners for 2009 revealed". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "2009 RIBA Award Winners Announced". Bustler. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "RIBA Awards 2009". E-architect. Retrieved 4 July 2024.