Viñoly strikes gold in England with new visual arts center

A crescent-shaped structure clad with gold-colored copper-alloy panels designed by New York-based Rafael Viñoly is expected to become the new artistic heart of Colchester, England, a rapidly growing city 60 miles northeast of London. When completed in mid-2008, the $31 million facility will be the new home for Colchester's main art gallery, firstsite. The 420-foot-long, one-story structure will have 37,700 sf for galleries, a restaurant, and an auditorium.