Gunning London, the Chartered Building Company specialising in refurbishments for the Higher Education sector, has been awarded the contract to renovate City University’s Great Hall, part of their Grade II listed College Building.
Built in the 1890s, the Great Hall is an integral part of City University’s history and has survived intact to the present day, in spite of post-WW2 reconstruction and a fire in 2001.
The interior is now being reconfigured to maximise the available space and to equip the facility with the latest technologies, whilst improving the acoustics and lighting. The works will see the stage replaced with a raised access floor and will bring the speaker and presentation wall closer to the audience.
Improvements will also be made to the IT and AV equipment, and new energy-efficient LED lighting will be installed.
Matthew Nash, Business Development Manager at Gunning London, says that the project will restore some of the Great Hall’s lost beauty while bringing it into the 21st century: “To recover some of the grandeur of the space, we will accentuate the strong visual impact of the existing wooden design using light grey walls and up-lighting.
“At the same time,” he continues, “students will be able to learn in a modern environment with state-of-the-art tech and full data connectivity to every seat. This project blends the best of heritage and high tech.”
Having recently achieved UKAS accredited certification from Bluesky, Gunning London launched its own fire division, Gunning Fire, and this project includes an improvement to the existing fire strategy.
