The building will be the new home of charity The Caspian Cultural Centre and the Library of Iranian Studies, housing its collection of more than 50,000 books and manuscripts from and about Persian culture.
The 876m² culture centre will be funded by 105 new student rooms above the centre, comprising a mix of studios and cluster flats.
It will involve the demolition and replacement of the charity’s existing two-storey premises on the site, by Woodlands Park in Acton, which it has occupied for more than 30 years.
Ealing council’s planning committee approved the project on Wednesday (24 January), following the recommendation of its planning officers.
According to officers, the existing building is no longer fit for purpose due to failing building fabric, out-of-date heating, electrics, plumbing and damp and an inflexible, inaccessible layout.
Permission is subject to a hefty S106 Agreement with 15 terms, including that the client, Carolla Group, makes a carbon offsetting contribution of £117,990, a low-carbon energy monitoring contribution of £7,916, and an air quality monitoring contribution of £48,392 – as well as further contributions towards community employment, healthcare and general amenity provision.
Source:GRID Architects
GRID Architects’ new Caspian Cultural Centre and Library of Iranian studies in Acton, west London
The ground floor of the cultural centre will include a café with a park side terrace, and a double-height atrium with community and library spaces which can be used for functions.
The first floor will consist of more library space, a seminar room, and shared and individual research and reading areas, while book archives will be housed in a basement.
A major part of GRID’s brief was to ‘maximise visual accessibility’ of the new facility, ‘creating a welcoming community building’, according to the architects.
GRID said during the preapplication process that planning officers encouraged the firm to develop ‘an architecture which displayed the buildings community function, whilst referencing the charities’ unique purpose and heritage’.
Source:GRID Architects
GRID Architects’ new Caspian Cultural Centre and Library of Iranian studies in Acton, west London
The building’s staggered façade features overlapping pointed arches as ‘a subtle nod to the gothic arch and a playful fusion between the Persian style and Neogothic influences that dominate the local area’, while ‘subtle Persian influences’ in the material palette include green ceramic tiles, pigmented concrete and bespoke metalwork.
GRID originally submitted its planning application for the culture centre in 2021, but later added a second staircase, reducing internal office floorspace, ‘to future-proof the design’ of the building, despite it being under 30m tall.
Laurence Osborn, director at GRID Architects, said the firm’s design would help to ‘raise the profile of the charitable trust and safely secure the future of its historic and culturally valuable collection’.
He praised the client for having ‘the vision to develop a visibly inviting building that will bring significant benefits the community, including local businesses and the student population’.
Project Data
Architect GRID Architects
Client Carolla Group
Location London Borough of Ealing
Use Library and student accommodation
GIA 876m² (culture centre/cafe), 307m² ancillary, and 105 student rooms
Start on site (anticipated) Q1 2024
Construction cost TBC
Project Manager Equals Consulting
Quantity Surveyor Equals Consulting
Structural Engineer WSP
Services Engineer WSP
Fire Engineer WSP
Environmental Consultant Greenbuild Consult
Acoustic Consultant WSP
Planning Consultant NTA Planning
Heritage Consultant N/A
Arbo culturalist Crown Tree Consultancy
Landscape Architect GRID Landscape
Transport Consultant WSP