The Public Building

The Public was originally designed as a 10,000 square metre, four floor community arts complex housing a theatre, catering facilities and an interactive art gallery with offices and training areas for start up industries.

The Public Building 1
The Public Building 2
The Public Building 3
The Public Building 4
The Public Building 5
The Public Building 6
The Public Building 7

This project was an ambitious community arts capital development for the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands.  The programme for design and delivery took place over a period of 9 years and involved many different specialists, local agencies and parternships in it development and realisation.

Alex McLennan was initially appointed as as integrated arts manager for the interactive gallery and continued with the project as fit out project manager with a brief to procure team of designers and IT/AV engineers through the public procurement process of OJEU. In the final stages of the project, Alex was re-briefed to take on the role of Client Project Manager for SMBC, working closely with Davis Langdon Construction Project Managers.

The management of The Public Building has since been taken over by the local authority and recently proposals have been put forward to transform the space into a sixth form college. 

Services Provided

Management of interface between Davis Langdon, in-house staff teams, designers, contractors and the client

Advised on appointment and reappointment of consultants and specialist sub-contractors

Client reporting regarding changes to scope and approvals for variations to the contract

Monitoring of functionality and quality of construction and fit-out

Handover, training and documentation

 

Location
Sandwell, West Midlands

Year
2001–2010

Client
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Funder Clients
SMBC, ACE, ERDF, West Midlands Development Agency

Project Team
Architects: Alsop Architects, Flannery de La Pole Architects,
Exhibition Designer: Ben Kelly Design
Structural Engineers: AKT
M&E Services Engineers: Battle McCarthy
Lighting Designer: KSLD – Kevin Shaw Lighting Design
ICT/ AV Engineers: Arup
Landscape Architects: Camlin Lonsdale
QS: Faithful & Gould, Davis Langdon
Construction project managers: Davis Langdon

Photography © Mark Enstone

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