Johnson Matthey to build a Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) that inspires and engages customers and future partners.
The centre will showcase how Johnson Matthey applies cutting edge science to create innovative, sustainable solutions to its customers’ complex problems. The preferred site for this new centre is at Johnson Matthey’s Sonning Common facility, near Reading, which is the base of its corporate science and technology centre. It is expected that the building will be an innovative and flexible space where individual visitors and small or large groups can be accommodated in an integrated experience. The site is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and as such will need careful design and presentation for planning.
Four practices have been shortlisted to prepare initial design approaches and present these to the evaluation panel, these are (in alphabetical order):
- Design Engine Architects with SWECO, Eckersley O’Callaghan and LUC
- Hawkins\Brown with Buro Happold and B|D Landscape
- Napier Clarke with Atelier Ten, Expedition Engineering and Grant Associates
- Wilkinson Eyre with Buro Happold and Churchman Landscape Architects
Jo Wright, Director for Architecture at Arup and RIBA Architect Adviser for this competition commented: “We received a fantastic range of first stage submissions and after lots of energetic debate we have arrived at a great shortlist. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they respond to the challenge of delivering an iconic sustainable innovation centre for Johnson Matthey.”
The winner of the competition will remain confidential to protect the commercial sensitivity associated with this project.
