Client: Hampshire Police
Location: Southampton, UK
Size: 7,500m²
Skills: Architecture
Designed for the Hampshire Police, the proposed £27m Operational Command Unit is a landmark 8 storey building located on the edge of Southampton city centre. Broadway Malyan was instructed as planning consultant, architect and landscape architect to secure planning consent and implement the approved proposals. The planning and design process involved public and stakeholder engagement and the need to overcome some significant flooding issues through negotiation with the Environment Agency.
The scheme comprises a new police station, a custody suite to accommodate 42 cells and a new headquarters building to command police operations in the city. The southern and northern elevations will be finished with natural stone, which is contrasted by the predominantly glazed east and west elevations, giving a light modern feeling. Vertical louvres are attached to the elevations in a staggered pattern, changing the appearance of the building when viewed from different directions. The public entrance is marked by a double height canopy and generous public plaza which is both welcoming and formal. The scheme forms phase one of a larger development on this important gateway site.