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Corrin Hall, located within the Cathedral grounds, is badly in need of a new lease of life. The existing facilities have now become out dated, tired in appearance and under used. The building is substandard with regard to current standards of insulation, double glazing and energy efficiency and is in need of general maintenance and a facelift.
From an aesthetic point of view, Corrin Hall has always fallen short of its potential when viewed alongside the Cathedral. The hall, built in 1923, has elements that tend towards an Arts and Crafts appearance, such as the carved sandstone cross embedded within the main gable. However, the rest of the building is designed on a more functional basis.
The design brief is to enhance the external appearance of the hall and build on the Arts and Crafts elements, and provide a facility that responds to the modern needs of the community.
The day to day access into Corrin Hall is via the side door. The original entrance door in the main gable is little used as it has a poor relationship to the rest of the Cathedral grounds. The proposed entrance extension will provide a more instinctive access point to the hall with an improved relationship to the landscaped gardens. The entrance will form part of a 'processional' route from the proposed Derby Road access steps to the Cathedral. Visitors will pass through the archways of the new entrance to Corrin Hall which will frame views of the Cathedral and gardens as well as provide an improved link between the two buildings.
A new entrance foyer is to be created complete with a welcome desk and administration area providing full supervision of the entrance. The foyer will have sufficient space for groups of people to assemble. It will be a central link to the main hall, new refectory, 'One-stop' shop, toilet facilities and first floor committee room.
The central area will be a two storey space illuminated with natural light at high level. At ground floor there will be display cabinets for books and gift items relating to the Cathedral. A new staircase will provide access to the first floor committee room which is a smaller more intimate space that can be used for smaller meetings, aerobic/dance classes etc.
The main hall is to be a multi-functional space to accommodate:-
The hall is to be refurbished with particular attention to new insulation of the walls and secondary internal glazing, together with improved space heating. Storage areas, audio/visual equipment and display cabinets are to be constructed to allow for the hall to be as flexible as possible.
This forms part of the Social Services 'One-Stop Shop' initiative currently being trialled. The premise is that members of the public can access computer facilities for specific social services sites e.g. social security, job search, housing etc. At specific times specialists would be available within a number of regions to deal with particular issues. The Government is promoting such facilities in neutral areas such as Post Offices. However, Peel Post Office is deemed too small and so Corrin Hall would make a suitable alternative venue.
Facilities provided are a welcome/information desk, computer terminal area for a minimum of 3 computers, and an interview room/office area.
The refectory can be accessed via the entrance foyer or directly from a garden terrace. An 'Orangery' style extension will enable the space to provide dining facilities for approximately 50 covers with additional covers on the garden terrace. The interior space will also be enhanced with a glazed feature lantern. Folding rooms dividers enable the space to be divided into smaller areas to provided maximum flexibility so that the main refectory can be screened off for private functions etc while a smaller area can still be used as a coffee bar to serve visitors to Corrin Hall.
A full commercial kitchen is provided to serve the refectory while a smaller domestic kitchen is provided to cater for smaller events such as coffee mornings.
A new extension will provide upgraded male and female toilets, including a disabled toilet and baby change facilities. Showers are also provided for the users of the sports facility in the main hall. A new plant room is also incorporated in the extension.
Bell Tower - In additional to the extensions and covered entrance a new bell tower is to be constructed on the main roof of Corrin Hall to act as a focal point. This is very much along the lines of the bell tower at Onchan Parish Hall as shown in photograph 6 on the attached sheets.
Landscaping works include:-
The 3 landscaping items above are dealt with under a separate planning application. They form part of the proposals for the Cathedral grounds prepared by Prescott Associates, Chartered Landscape Architects.
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