Creative Centre, York St John University

The new Creative Centre at York St John University (YSJ) is is a permanent new home for the University’s music and computer science courses and features specialist spaces for performance, creative writing and media production students. Picturesque views to both the landscape and the surrounding city create an inspiring venue across the stunning historic site. The location and connections from the centre make the most of its proximity to York Minster connecting the University to the heritage of the surrounding city and throughout the campus Colour worked alongside the design team and client from the outset of the project providing both master planning and landscape architecture services and as part of the design process a landscape-led masterplan for the Lord Mayor’s Walk Campus was created to ensure a genuinely improved student and staff experience. The centre with 2,000m2 of flexible teaching spaces is wrapped in pre-fabricated timber which blend in perfectly with the new landscaping and planting as well as referencing the tall, thin niches that adorn the York Minster. The key concept of our design work was to seamlessly connect with the new building within the existing campus through a new and sustainable landscape design. This was achieved through detailed engagement with the client and design team to create a thoughtful design that not only responded to the new facility but provided a series of integrated routes that link the new centre creating an easy-to-navigate pedestrianised street for the University. Providing landscaped designed usable outdoor spaces and natural solutions that included both formal and informal planting both increased the biodiversity as well as enhancing health & well-being for the students, staff and community that use the facility. The centre has won multiple industry design awards including winning the RIBA Yorkshire Regional Award, a Civic Trust Award and was included in Archellos 'Best Projects of 2022' year book.  

Client

York St John University

Project Team

Tate + Co, MGAC | RLF, Atelier Ten, Atelier One, Sound Space Vision, Sensory Trust, Colour, McKenzie Town Planning, Kier

Location

York

Stage

Completed

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