Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth architect, AUB Wallisdown building news, Poole architecture images
Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth, Poole
Modern English higher education building development in Wallisdown, Poole, Dorset design by Sir Peter Cook, UK
24 March 2026
A Decade of Design: Celebrating Sir Peter Cook with new exhibition
Dignitaries and esteemed guests from the worlds of architecture, design, and academia all came to the iconic Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) to celebrate its 10th birthday with guest of honour, the building’s architect, Sir Peter Cook.
Sir Peter Cook:
photos courtesy of Arts University Bournemouth (AUB)
Professor Sir Peter Cook is an alumnus and Honorary Fellow of AUB and one of the most influential figures in contemporary architectural culture, most well-known for the Kunsthaus Art Museum in Graz, known affectionately as the Friendly Alien thanks to its biomorphic, blue, glassy facade.
The afternoon also marked the launch of an exhibition at TheGallery dedicated to Sir Peter Cook’s life’s work.
You can also see a
Time-lapse of the Drawing Studio being built
Tash Diamond:
Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth, Poole – Sir Peter Cook Exhibition
A Decade of Design: Arts University Bournemouth celebrates 10 Years of iconic Drawing Studio with new Sir Peter Cook Exhibition
Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) marked a historic milestone on Wednesday 18 March as it celebrated the 10th anniversary of its world-renowned Drawing Studio with the building’s architect, legendary Professor Sir Peter Cook, returning to campus as the guest of honour.
Professor Sir Peter Cook is an alumnus and Honorary Fellow of AUB and one of the most influential figures in contemporary architectural culture most well-known for the Kunsthaus Art Museum in Graz, known affectionately as the Friendly Alien thanks to its biomorphic, blue, glassy facade.
The festivities began mid-afternoon with live drawing from students and a string quartet from University Music, a joint AUB and Bournemouth University department, entertaining dignitaries and esteemed guests from the worlds of architecture, design, and academia.
Speeches followed by Lisa Mann, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer at AUB, and Sir Peter Cook, who said, “The Drawing Studio was always meant to be a place of light and contemplation. Seeing it ten years later, still inspiring the next generation of artists, is a testament to AUB’s commitment to the fundamental craft of drawing.”
Left to right – Sir Peter Cook, Lisa Mann, Stuart Bartholomew:
In a highlight that blurred the lines between architecture and art, the afternoon event culminated in the cutting of a spectacular ‘illusion cake’ created by celebrated AUB alumna and viral sensation Tash Diamond. Bournemouth-based Tash, who has gained millions of views online for her hyper-realistic cake creations, was commissioned to recreate Sir Peter Cook’s original architectural model of the Drawing Studio in edible form.
The cake sat side-by-side with the actual model, leaving guests stunned by the precision of the blue, sculptural curves and the seamless finish that matched the building’s iconic steel skin. “Coming back to AUB to celebrate a building that defines the campus was an honour,” said Tash, “Recreating Sir Peter’s vision in cake was a unique challenge—matching that specific ‘AUB Blue’ and the fluid geometry of the studio required the same precision I learned during my time here as a modelmaking student.”
The anniversary celebrations transitioned into the official opening of a major new exhibition, Moves On from the Beach to City and Landscape, at AUB’s TheGallery. Tracing the career of Professor Sir Peter Cook, the exhibition highlights the intersections of imagination, experimentation, and architectural making across more than seven decades and passing through the years of the Drawing Studio and the Innovation Studio also built at AUB.
The story begins at the ‘beach kiosk corner’ in 1954, where Peter worked from a small mobile cabin at Durley Chine, Bournemouth, selling fruit while he was studying architecture at AUB, then known as the Bournemouth College of Art, from 1953 to 1958. Cook continued his education at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where he graduated in 1960.
Lisa, said of the occasion, “It’s truly an honour to welcome Sir Peter Cook back to the University, to the place where he first studied architecture, and to where his first UK building, the magnificent Drawing Studio is.
“When AUB commissioned the build over a decade ago, it had been over 100 years since a purpose-built drawing studio had been constructed in the UK. The Drawing Studio has become a symbol of AUB’s dedication to creative excellence, winning numerous architectural awards and becoming a landmark of the South Coast.
“We’re incredibly proud of this magnificent building and to call Sir Peter Cook an alumnus and Honorary Fellow.”
Paul Kinvig and Lisa Mann:
The exhibition, Peter Cook: City and Landscape, is now open to the public and students alike, showcasing a lifetime of sketches, models, and digital renderings that continue to challenge the boundaries of what architecture can be.
Moves On from the Beach to City and Landscape is showing at TheGallery from 19 March – 21 May. For more information, visit aub.ac.uk/latest/peter-cook-moves-on-from-the-beach-to-city-and-landscape.
Arts University Bournemouth, Wallisdown, Poole, Bournemouth, BH12 5HH, United Kingdom.
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Previously on e-architect:
2 Jan 2017
Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth Shortlisted for Mies van der Rohe 2017 Awards
Mies van der Rohe 2017 Award Nominations
25 Nov 2016
Professor Sir Peter Cook RA Celebrates 80th Birthday at Arts University Bournemouth
AUB hosts lecture & drinks reception for acclaimed architect and AUB alumnus in award-winning drawing studio:
Previously:
A RIBA National Award Winner 2016 – 23 Jun 2016
4 + 3 Mar 2016
Drawing Studio AUB Wallisdown
Design: Sir Peter Cook, CRAB Studio
Location: AUB, Wallisdown, Poole, Dorset, southern England, UK, BH12 5HH
Drawing studio opened by architect Dame Zaha Hadid at Arts University Bournemouth
The first drawing studio built in the UK for 100 years to open at the Arts University Bournemouth
The Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is delighted to announce the opening of its new drawing studio, the first of its kind to be built in the UK for 100 years.
The drawing studio will officially open on the 3rd March by special guest, the world famous Dame Zaha Hadid.
The new addition to the AUB campus was designed and completed by renowned architect and AUB alumnus and Honorary Fellow, Professor Sir Peter Cook RA and his office CRAB (Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau). Not only is it the first purpose-built drawing studio to be constructed at an art school for more than a century, it is also Sir Peter’s first building to be built in the UK.
The building will be accessible to students from all courses across the University enabling all creative artists, working in any genre, to be in the same space together, from costume designers to architects, animators to etchers. It also offers students from other disciplines the opportunity to share and observe others’ work and interact with those from other creative fields.
The room has been designed to reflect the central theme of light in the tradition of looking and drawing. There is a large north-light in the studio tradition, a rear clerestory that throws a softer light back from the rear wall, as well as softer lighting from the east and a graded wash of light that comes along the curve of the entrance.
Professor Stuart Bartholomew CBE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, AUB commented: “We are delighted that the Drawing Studio will provide students with a new space in which drawing can be taught and practiced. We are also keen to reassert the centrality of drawing to the subjects we offer. We believe the simplicity of the monocoque construction will allow the act of drawing to become a calm and considered activity within the lively world of a very busy creative institution.
“AUB is one of the few remaining independent art schools in the UK and we retain much of our original mission as an art school, providing studio-based learning and teaching and progression to the creative industries. What’s more we pride ourselves on producing the ‘thinkers’ and ‘doers’ who have the highest level of employability in the real world.”
Sir Peter Cook commented: “As an alumnus of AUB, I am deeply honoured that this University, where I learnt my craft, is now home to my first building in the UK. The studio represents a fundamental recognition of the importance of drawing for all creative subjects. When it came to the design of the studio I wanted to ensure I created a space which all students, from all disciplines – be it fashion design, graphic design, fine art, or architecture like me – could make use of and feel inspired in.”
Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth images / information received 030316
4 Nov 2021
Arts University Bournemouth Innovation Studio in Poole, AUB Wallisdown campus
Design: Professor Sir Peter Cook Architect
photograph © Richard Bryant
Website: Arts University Bournemouth : AUB, Dorset
Address: Wallisdown, Poole BH12 5HH, England, UK.
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Comments / photos for the Drawing Studio at Arts University Bournemouth building design by Sir Peter Cook / CRAB Studio, London, England, UK page welcome