The Renault Centre (or the Renault Distribution Centre) is a

high tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the state of the art, cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the ...

building in

Swindon Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...

commissioned by the French car company

Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...

for their UK operations. Designed by the British architect

Norman Foster Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank (born 1 June 1935) is an English architect. Closely associated with the development of high-tech architecture, Lord Foster is recognised as a key figure in British modernist architecture. Hi ...

of Foster Associates, it opened in 1982 and Renault moved out in 2001. Since 2001 the building has been known as The Spectrum Building. It was listed Grade II* by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

in 2013.

Design

The architecture expressed not only the corporate ownership, through the yellow of Renault used on all the structural elements, but also promoted a modern statement on industrial relations by using the same roof over the warehouse and offices, making no distinction between white- and blue-collar workers. The cable-stayed steel structural system provides a 24m column clear zone, with the columns being of only 450mm diameter. Renault commissioned the building in 1980 after outgrowing their premises in Reading. Planning permission was granted in June 1981, construction commenced July 1981 and practical completion was achieved in December 1982. The building won several awards in 1984 including the British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Award, a

Civic Trust Award The Civic Trust Awards scheme is a British awards scheme to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. It was established in 1959, and is the longest-standing built environment awards scheme in Europe. The ...

and a ''Financial Times'' 'Architecture at Work' award. It also won '' Private Eye's'' Sir Hugh Casson Award for the worst new building of the year.''Private Eye'' (602). 11 January 1985, p.9.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control High-tech architecture Foster and Partners buildings Grade II* listed buildings in Wiltshire Buildings and structures in Swindon Recipients of Civic Trust Awards 1982 establishments in England The Twentieth Century Society successful interventions