UNIFYING THE SCHEME
The unity of the scheme is key to the success of the Essoldo's regeneration. To achieve this, there must be a visual relationship between old and new. Therefore the new elements must work as one cohesive design in order to provide a contrast for the original building.
1. ORIGINAL PARTI: contemporary geometric intervention inspired by the unique shape of the Essoldo facade.
2. RESTORATION PRINCIPLE: Contrasting, simple development to extenuate the old and new. A difference in style eliminates superfluity.
3. APPROACH: The restaurant is the principle new massing, therefore the design of the link should stem from its geometry.
Rehabilitation of Coracera Castle - Madrid, Spain
Caernarfon Castle Entrance Pavillion - Gwynedd
Royal Ontario Museum - Toronto, Canada
Staircase - Royal William Fort, Plymouth
Ara Pacis Museum - Rome
Sant Francesc Church - Palma, Mallorca
OLD NEW FUSION
Each of these six projects demonstrate how a contemporary intervention can elevate the old elements, and raise the profile of a project as a whole by providing a contrast.
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The examples intervene with block structures with simple, plain materials. The sharp and clean nature of these make the contrast particularly obvious. Structurally, the junctions are obvious. This is important as blurring the line would compromise the impact of the contrast.
AN APPROACH
1. Demolish brick cinema of no historic value to leave iconic Essoldo entrance.
2. Add new restaurant massing.
3. Open the rear of the Essoldo onto the site to create a connection between the spaces.
4. Add new massings for the auditorium and frontage.
5. Develop link from restaurant and adapt new frontage to correspond to the form.
RESHAPING THE LINK
1
To achieve an abstract, angular design which relates to the scheme, a grid is formed from the lines of the restaurant, key intersections, and vertical and horizontal midpoints.
2
This allows for a footprint to be marked out with dividing walls. The form is abstract, but as the angles are derived from the restaurant, they do not look out of place.
3
The glass frontage has been developed in keeping with the grid, so the continuity is not broken. It creates a more dynamic boundary between the outside and in.
4
Walls are added on the vertical axis to split the area into 3 zones: the Essoldo entrance, the information hub and the restaurant entrance. The enclosed space of the office has glass walls that allow sight-lines through to the garden, ensuring it is not isolated. The other two exterior path ways have partitioning walls blocking the line of sight, encouraging people to walk through.
RESHAPING THE GARDEN
The raised planting/ seating concept was successful, however poorly set out in the first proposal. As one curved mass, it was not substantial enough and had no relationship with the building.
In order to change to create a relationship between the link and garden, key angles from the bottom edge will be used to set out new planting beds.
The shape of the new planting beds are determined by the angles found in their location. This means that they mirror the shape of the building and fit in as an intermediary between the exterior and interior.
Multiple beds give more of a physical presence to balance out the large massing of the buildings. Beds at the top and bottom of the plan [blue] engage with zones outside of the garden area, whereas the three central beds [red] create a square and pathways to and from the garden.