Brent Civic Centre

Solution

As part of a competition to produce a new civic centre in the London Borough of Brent, tp bennett came up with a collaborative and visionary design, involving a multi-disciplinary team to develop a highly sustainable model of the future of the ‘Town Hall’.

With the  230,000 sq ft centre to be situated at the heart of the masterplan for Wembley, close to Wembley Arena’s new stadium, Brent wanted to reinterpret and refresh the role of the traditional town hall. The practice’s masterplan design built upon the idea of the civic centre as a public market place or forum, where council services could be accessed, and which could be flexible and adaptable as needs changed over time.

Within tp bennett’s design, the full range of local authority functions were encompassed from a public library, shops and dining facilities to space for wedding receptions and other events. The council offices were arranged horizontally and across two floors, providing shading, natural heating, ventilation and daylight penetration, as well as encouraging interdepartmental collaboration.

All the services were arranged around a striking Council Chamber, making this hall into a heart space and microcosm of the society that it serves.