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conceptual thinking

December 5th, 2010 | Richard Almond

The sailing and maritime acadamy is a linear arrangement of activity which projects into the harbour and so reconnects Reykjavik to the sea. Materialy is inspired by Reykjavik’s corrugated veil.

3. architectural aspirations

December 4th, 2010 | Richard Almond

1. Materiality: Corrugation & Jointing

Reykjavik is a city of humble pitched huts. There is a definite sense that the city is an outpost, a settlement thrown together out of necessity. The interest for me is in the materiality, the jointing and the colour. Primarily corrugated metal, the city’s thin skin sits on brickwork footings. Vibrant paint brings a wash of colour to dark, gloomy winters. Icelander’s inherent respect for nature sees buildings touch the earth gently, meekly in an epic landscape. Buildings aim only to enhance this landscape, as distracting from it is simply impossible.

 

2. Isolation & Silhouette

Agonisingly beautiful isolation is contained in charming boxes which sit proudly, yet respectfully amongst volcanic hills. The single insertion of a simple, spired church amidst jagged mountains and barren plateaus conjures up a sense of the mystical, and a beautiful silhouette. These silhouettes are a hugely inspirational and particularly important to consider on a prominent site so exposed within the harbour.

 

3. Protection from The Elements

Bracing winter gales tear at the fabric of Reykjavik, and the exposed harbour can become particularly uncomfortable. Huts huddle together for warmth and protection from the elements, a trait I feel should be expressed architecturally in my proposals.

 

4. Seasonality

Reykjavik is a seasonal city, Iceland a seasonal nation and sailing, to an extent, a seasonal sport. The dark days of winter in Iceland sees museums and attractions wind down to a skeleton operation, the cold outdoors can be punishing, pushing even humans to ponder hibernation in their homes. In contrast, the long days of summer see a surge of activity, festivals and events, as if striving to make up for the lost time of the winter. I do not intend to profess that sailing activities suddenly become rife in deep winter, rather I wish to embrace the seasonality of Reykjavik and reflect it in my building. By this I do not mean to propose that activity within the building grinds to a halt in the months unsuitable for sailing, I mean that the building adapts to reflect the differing program at different times of the year.

Summer sees the academy open, busy and bustling, expanding onto the water with sailing tuition. Ship’s chandlers and repair workshops are a hive of activity, throngs of schoolchildren don wetsuits and dinghys. Winter sees the building shut down, protecting itself from the elements, sheltering a still busy internal core where dry tuition, research and study take place take over and prevail.

 

5. Connecting Activities 

The dry educational spaces are within a concrete trough cast into the pier. Advantage is taken of Iceland’s crystal-clear coastal waters via a visual connection to the bobbing hulls of the sailing boats above. Specimen tanks are incorporated into sections of reinforced glass wall with the ocean as their backdrop.

2. programmatic aspirations

December 4th, 2010 | Richard Almond

The building’s primary role is in the maritime education of the people of Reykjavik and Iceland. The sailing academy is a major component of this programme, and although it is intended that the academy provides tuition up to major competition standard, the associated leisure facilities will be fully accessible to the public and equally important. Dinghy hire will be available to all. These activities and spaces will be primarily summer-based. A substantial club house and restaurant/bar will be provided for the sailing club, with the intention that it frequently opens itself to the local community in a bid to increase public interest in the sport of sailing.

The second major component is the dry educational facility, which will include a lecture hall, classrooms and labs, as well as marine specimen tanks. These programmes constitute the primary winter use of the building, and it is intended that they provide tuition in such subjects as marine biology, navigation, and marine geology. This component of the building will be fully accessible to the public, with resident geologists/biologists, etc, offering lectures and hands-on lessons in various areas of marine study.

Supporting the primary functions are a boat repair facility, a ship’s chandler, changing facilities and a boat storage house. All of these are essential for the efficient operation of a major sailing academy. Further more, accommodation is supplied for visiting sailors, researchers and students.

All spaces directly associated with sailing and wet tuition will be based at ground, or water level, with dry tuition, research and educational facilities below.

1. thesis aspirations

December 4th, 2010 | Richard Almond

Iceland is a maritime nation. Founded by Vikings in the 9thCentury, it has an explicit affiliation with the sea. Reykjavik grew out of the sea. It had to, the sea was its lifeblood, its food supply and its connection to the old world. Reykjavik’s main streets ran efficiently into the water, terminating in long piers. The sea was Reykjavik’s heart, the piers pumped life into the city like arteries. Below shows the how Reykjavik developed between 1800 and 1900.

Over the years this connection has gradually diminished. The industrialisation of fishing and the advent of air travel has, amongst others, lead to Reykjavik’s lessened dependencyon the sea, and therefore a lessened use of its harbour. Reykjavik’s planning department is well aware of the potential problems associated with the slow death of the harbour, and is striving to revive the area through Graeme Massie’s masterplan. My concern, however, is that the redevelopment through key cultural institutions such as the new Harpa concert hall is redevelopment of solely the fringe of the harbour, the threshold between the city and the sea. My aspiration is to propose a redevelopment of the water itself, and so reconnect Reykjavik to the sea, once again, through its harbour.

My intention is for the harbour itself to benefit from a resurgence in bustling activity, yet primarily through leisure based activity such as sailing, in keeping with the masterplan aim.

I propose not this:

but this: