Book Description

building culture describes how cultural buildings are conceived and procured, through a review of data, case studies and interrogation of the processes - an invaluable resource for anyone commissioning arts and cultural buildings in the UK. building culture is a uniquely comprehensive investigation that offers research, guidance, analysis of Covid impacts and recommendations for communities, arts professionals, commissioners, clients, architects, project teams and policy makers for future best practice. building culture contains: · Contributions by eminent architects, competition programmers and a client · Unique data analysis of the procurement processes of the sector · Arts funding guidance and procurement analysis · Resources and references. building culture looks at the procurement data for 421 arts and heritage capital projects across the UK between 2013 and 2018 to establish what procurement route was taken, what guidance was provided and by whom, who were the consultants appointed, some examples of best practice and some less good, and lessons learnt. Based on this evidence and previous research, building culture then makes recommendations for the key funding bodies and those advising or undertaking arts and heritage capital procurement and projects. In order to understand the landscape of arts and cultural buildings and their procurement it has also been required to understand the funding ecology and specifically that of the national arts funding bodies. This is seen in the light of the current context as the sector responds to Covid, Brexit, austerity and the future challenges of a Climate Emergency. “Building Culture is a comprehensive survey and commentary of the processes and power of cultural development and its reach across the United Kingdom. The authors … then present some of the urgent and important challenges and issues of our time … expertly framed through a diverse set of exemplar projects as case studies … situated … within the complex … world of planning, policy, and funding regimes. The result will prove an essential resource to students, practitioners and others looking to understand the world of cultural development with all its many challenges and opportunities … The recommendations the authors present to us here are central to a dialogue which is much needed about the values and principles needed for our society in the future.” Donald Hyslop, Chair of Creative and Cultural Skills UK. “This in-depth study of how cultural spaces are conceived and procured is hugely valuable to clients and design teams who often work in seeming isolation creating and adapting projects … It is especially valuable as returning from the pandemic we can appreciate the strategic and symbolic significance of cultural spaces and their role in coalescing places and sustaining relationships between people. The impressive depth and span of evidence gathered demonstrates how we could invest more wisely with a greater common understanding of the processes that prepare the ground for inspiring, robust and sustainable cultural buildings. The case studies demonstrate how this is done well.” Juliet Bidgood, Architect and RIBA Client Adviser.