The story of this first sights day on 7th May really has to have been the weather! With soaring temperatures and a beautiful cloudless sky fourteen landscape architects piled onto a minibus to head south. The destination was unknown... but we all longed to end up at the seaside!
A little while later and we arrived at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum near Chichester. The museum is an ecclectic collection of ancient buildings which have been salvaged from across this region of southern england and re-erected at the museum. The buildings include many common sights from an ancient village including a mill, blacksmith and of course residentual buildings. One of the highlights of our visit was to view the 'Gridshell' building, constructed by Edward Cullinan Architects, and completed in 2002. This curvacious 'green' structure is used to house the museums extensive collection of artefacts and also to provide a large workshop space. The building is a modern timber framed design, with wooded beams streaching the length and breadth of the building in a grid pattern in a shape resembling an egg shell pattern. The building is very efficient- designed to use a minimum of energy and to elliminate the need for lighting in the upper floor during daylight hours. The structure of the building is fascinating and it is interesting to see and hear how it was build and the challenges which were faced along the way. It also responds well to the environment with a natrual wood cladding and sinuous lines blending the structure into the hillside.
Having enjoyed a pleasant coulpe of hours at the museum we boarded the minibus for our other destination- the seaside! The primary purpose of the visit was to view the 'East Beach Cafe' on Littlehamptons seafront, designed by Heatherwick Studio. The cafe was a replacement for a common white-washed seafront structure, and is as big a contrast as is possible. The modern metal structure is layered to avoid flat surfaces and has an open face to the sea where shutters can be brought down over the cafe. The structure is certinally architecturally intersting, and makes a statement within the costal landscape, however I personally do not like it's form which seems rather out of place for the area.
Finally with the days work complete it was time to get on the beach and enjoy the sunshine!
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