Galvanising Workshop

Hazle McCormack Young LLP were commissioned by the University of Kent to develop a design to convert the existing Galvanising Workshop at Chatham Historic Dockyard as the ‘gateway’ to the university for students and visitors.

The Galvanising Workshop built circa 1890 is a Grade II listed building situated within the Chatham Historic Dockyard. Originally, it was here where all the galvanising work for dockyard was done by hot dipping metal into large vats to protect it from the elements they were facing on the sea.

HMY were asked to provide a design that would accommodate a flexible performance space at one end of the building with a new café and kitchen/servery the other acting as a hub for the University students on the site. The courtyard was to be remodelled to provide additional café seating. The design and brief where developed in consultation with the University Project Manager and their end users.

The approach taken to the interior scheme was to pick up on the original industrial use of building. The language of the building and its scars from use tell a strong story and so new intervention still allow for that to be read.

New elements are of simple industrial, almost raw materials, but detailed and presented in a clean, contemporary fashion. This allows new and existing elements to contrast whilst using materials that are sympathetic to their environment.