Nottingham Contemporary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nottingham Contemporary |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°57′04″N 1°08′45″W / 52.9511°N 1.1458°W |
| Completed | 2009 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Caruso St John Architects |
| Structural engineer | Arup, Elliott Wood Partnership |
| Services engineer | Arup |
| Main contractor | Sol Construction Ltd |
| Awards and prizes | 2010 RIBA Award Winner |
Nottingham Contemporary is a modern art center located in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, United Kingdom. It used to be known as the Centre for Contemporary Art Nottingham. The gallery first opened its doors to visitors in 2009.
This art center is built on a very old spot in the city. It was once the site of a Saxon fort! To celebrate Nottingham's history of making lace, the outside of the building has a special pattern. This pattern looks just like traditional Nottingham lace. Nottingham Contemporary is also a charity, which means it's run for public benefit.
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Discovering Art: Exhibitions and Learning
Nottingham Contemporary hosts many exciting art shows each year. These shows bring the work of famous modern artists from all over the world to Nottingham. The gallery also has special programs for all ages. These programs help people understand the ideas behind the art.
The museum opened on November 14, 2009. Its first exhibition featured early works by David Hockney. It also showed recent pieces by artist Frances Stark. Since then, the gallery has presented many important exhibitions. These include "The Place is Here" (2017), which explored Black British Art. Another was "States of America" (2017), a huge show of American photography.
The Building: A Modern Masterpiece
The building was designed by London architects Caruso St John. It has over 3,000 square meters of space, making it one of the largest modern art centers in the UK. The outside of the building is covered in green-blue panels. These panels have a wavy shape and the traditional lace pattern.
Large windows let you see directly from the street into the art spaces. The building is actually bigger than it looks from the outside. This is because much of it is built into the sandstone cliff that runs through the city center.
Nottingham Contemporary has four main galleries for art. It also has an auditorium for events, a space for education, and a study center. You can also find a café-bar and a shop inside the building. Many architecture experts have praised the building's design.
The Oldest Site in Nottingham
Nottingham Contemporary stands on Garners Hill, the oldest known site in Nottingham. This area has a rich history! Long ago, it was home to cave dwellings and a Saxon fort. Later, a medieval town hall stood here.
In Victorian times, these older structures were removed to make way for a railway line. The art center is located in the historic Lace Market. This area was famous for its lace, especially when new technology made lace popular worldwide. A special concrete technique was used in Nottingham to create the lace design on the building's panels. Some of these panels are as tall as 11 meters!
Leadership of the Center
The director of Nottingham Contemporary helps guide the art center. Sam Thorne became the director in early 2016. He took over from Alex Farquharson, who was the founding director from 2007 to 2015.
See also
