Breathing New Life into a Historic Building: Koha Architects Wins MusicAbility Foundation Competition
Koha Architects is thrilled to announce our recent success in winning the competition hosted by the MusicAbility Foundation, an incredible charity dedicated to enriching lives through music. Our mission? To transform a stunning Grade II listed building in the heart of Penzance into a dynamic, inclusive music centre that will serve the community for years to come.
MusicAbility Foundation: A Vision for Community and Creativity
MusicAbility Foundation is deeply committed to music therapy, education, and performance, fostering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to connect through music. By creating flexible and accessible musical spaces, the foundation promotes community learning, well-being, and creative expression—values that align perfectly with Koha Architects' approach to design.
A Thoughtful, Phased Approach
Our redevelopment plan follows a carefully structured three-phase strategy:
Phase 2: Enhancing Accessibility for Music Therapy
A key priority in this transformation is ensuring the building meets modern accessibility standards. This phase will focus on refurbishing parts of the existing structure to create music therapy spaces that allow for level access for wheelchair users and individuals with mobility needs. These improvements will enable MusicAbility to restart vital therapy sessions, bringing essential support back to those who need it most.
Phase 3: A Bold Vision for a New Music Centre
The next stage is even more ambitious—a full-scale extension and refurbishment of the building to establish a brand-new music centre for Penzance. To deliver this vision, Koha Architects is proud to collaborate with Foster Wilson Size, renowned for their expertise in theatre architecture. Together, we aim to revitalise this historic space, blending heritage sensitivity with contemporary design to create a centre that inspires creativity and connection.
A Future Filled with Music
Winning this competition marks a significant milestone in Koha Architects’ journey, reinforcing our dedication to adaptive reuse, sustainable design, and community-focused architecture. We look forward to bringing MusicAbility’s vision to life and crafting a space where music continues to uplift, heal, and inspire.
Stay tuned as we progress through each phase—Penzance’s musical future is about to get even brighter!
