FINE arts students will move their studies into Bournemouth town centre for more than one year as a new university block is constructed.

On Monday, February 20, second year students from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) moved into an upper floor of The Avenue centre in Commercial Road.

The students will operate from the site until around August next year while AUB’s 22-year-old North Lights Studios building is replaced with a new modern block twice the size – which planners say will “raise the profile of fine arts within the university community”.

Having operated from The Avenue before, the arts students will partake in several exhibitions at the site to engage with members of the public.

An AUB spokesperson told the Echo: “We have a series of events and exhibitions also happening at the space as part of the ‘WAKEUPTOAUB Town Takeover’ and do already maintain a presence at the centre via our MA Fine Art and MA Painting courses in unit 7, next to HMV.

“The space already works well for the provision of teaching and learning for these courses, and the university is looking at how it could potentially maintain town centre teaching spaces further in the future.

Bournemouth Echo: CGI of proposed fine arts building at Arts University BournemouthCGI of proposed fine arts building at Arts University Bournemouth (Image: ACG Architects)

“With civic and regional engagement being at the heart of the university’s strategy, AUB continually looks at how it can play a key role in helping to add to the vibrant and innovative activities taking place across the local area.”

The new 1,800sqm block proposed by AUB is still out to consultation with no objections yet lodged by official consultees in relation to the building’s height, form, scale or external appearance.

While considerably larger than the existing building, planners have maintained the old North Lights building’s triangular roof design. The application says “the articulated roof form carries forwards the distinctive character of the existing building which is fondly regarded by the AUB community”.

Also as reported, an application has been put forward for Sports Direct to move into a new unit in Commercial Road, casting doubt over the future of its existing store at The Avenue.