We need your views on our new bars and nightclub!
Thursday 03 Dec 2009
We’ve had some good news this week, as our plans for Phase 3 (refurbishment of the ground floor bars in Beit) have, in principle, been formally approved. Our first student focus group has met to discuss the plans, but there’s still time to get involved – you can send your views to Daniel Hill, the Deputy President (Finance & Services) on dpfs@imperial.ac.uk. We want to hear from everybody, whether you currently use our bars or not. In fact, if you don’t use the bars and nightclub very often (or at all), we’re especially keen to hear your views; what would encourage you to come over? Where do you go now and why?
Phase 3 is the final part of the Union Building Redevelopment project which started in 2006. Since then we have radically changed the way we use the space we have in both the main building and basements. We want to achieve the same with the redevelopment of the ground floor. Some things are not possible to change due to time, money and planing constraints. What we will have at the end of this phase is a new nightclub/bar where dB’s is now and a new cafe/bar where da Vinci’s is now. We will only be making slight changes to the Union Bar to modernise the lighting and some light re-decoration.
The nightclub, dB’s, will be a completely blank slate with lots of extra space: we hope to create a bigger, better venue with a more efficient design. We need your feedback and ideas to help our architects design the best space for you. Our bar/cafe da Vinci’s will also be completely refurbished to better utilise the space and make services more efficient.
Below we have included a plan of the ground floor of the building with the space in both dB’s and da Vinci’s that we can utilise during these works marked in red. We would really like you to print this out and sketch your ideas on it. Think about where the bars could go, where we would put catering and where we would put the stage in dB’s. The space behind da Vinci’s will be the cellar so that has to stay as it is. In dB’s there are unfortunately load baring walls to take into account which cannot be removed! Once you have completed your sketch hand it in to Union Reception, floor 2M of the Union Building, email it to dpfs@imperial.ac.uk or post it to us.
We are still finalising the exact project plan, but we are currently aiming at minimal disruption to our bars, catering and nightclub until the end of the academic year. The major works will be completed over the summer with the new venues ready for October and Freshers’ Week 2010.
Remember: it’s your Union, so tell us what you want, whether you currently use our bars or not. We will continue to keep you up-to-date on this project as it continues on a special area of our website and in Felix. Next week we will open a survey to collect more of your ideas, with some prizes to be won as well. Please do take the time to let us know what you want, we have the opportunity to create something really special for you and future generations of students!
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