//SWOT ANALYSIS//
//CONCEPTS//
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort town and civil parish in North Somerset, part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, and is the most popular coastal destination. It is an established tourist resort with its wide sandy beach and seaside attractions include a long promenade, Winter Gardens and Grand Pier. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, 18 miles (29 km) south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Oldmixon, West Wick and Worle. It is the second largest town in Somerset with a population of over 70,000.
//IMPORTANT FACTS WHICH FORMS THE DESIGN AIMS AND COULD MAKE THE SITE MUCH USABLE// >Since the 1970s Weston has suffered a large decline in popularity, like virtually all British seaside resorts. The advent of cheap foreign holidays and the break-up of large industries like mining contributed, as working communities became less likely to holiday together. >The town has a number of arts venues Weston-super-Mare is a popular tourist destination, with attractions such as the long sandy beach, the world’s largest dedicated helicopter collection >On the Beach Lawns can be found a Miniature Railway operated by steam and diesel locomotives >Weston-super-Mare has a couple of live music venues of note. Hobbit’s on Carlton Street caters mainly for young up and coming punk and pop acts, whilst the nearby Scally’s bar hosts local and national touring rock bands. >On the other side of town The Back Bar, The London, and the Imperial hold regular open mic nights which attract a wide array of local musicians, as well as artists from further afield. The T4 on the Beach pop music concert attracts up to 40,000 music fans and is given national TV coverage each summer. >The town is also the site of the Upstart art+music Festival which highlights local artists and musicians. >The town is well known amongst motocross enthusiasts >There are two Rugby clubs in the town; Weston-super-Mare RFC, formed in 1875, and Hornets RFC, formed in 1962. >There are a number of races for quad bikes, sidecars.
//Strengths// Historical importance-both Weston-super-Mare and the Grand pier. Main key tourist attraction. Massive seafront. Building facades facing towards the sea. Tourism can be of a great importance. Activities like Bike riding, Roller skates, walking the dog, flying kites, sand castle, horse riding.
//ideas worth using//
//Weaknesses// No other attraction other than the pier. Public lawn not being used properly. Proper connectivity from the city centre and thesea front. Proper use of Vantage Points. Winters not being a favourable climate to the site //Opportunities// Seafront regeneration by introducing activities. More activities by the public lawns. Stage/Theatre/Connecting pathways/cafés/lingering areas.
//Initial Ideas//
//Tourism// Weston-super-Mare is a popular tourist destination, with attractions such as the long sandy beach, the world’s largest dedicated helicopter collection at the Helicopter Museum, North Somerset Museum, the Grand Pier, the SeaQuarium aquarium.The Paddle Steamer Waverley and MV Balmoral offer day sea trips from Knightstone Island to various destinations along the Bristol Channel and Severn estuary, tickets for which are on sale at the resort’s Tourist Information Centre. ’International HeliDays’, in association with The Helicopter Museum, are usually staged at the beach lawns over a long weekend around the end of July, where up to 75 helicopters from all over Europe fly in for static display. Weston Beach Race is an annual Motocross Enduro event in October, first held in 1982. In 2005 it attracted 1,400 competitors and around 80,000 spectators. There are a number of races for quad bikes, sidecars and children in addition to the main event.
The mainly flat landscape of Weston is dominated by Worlebury Hill which borders the entire northern edge of the town, and Bleadon Hill which together with the River Axe and in the centre of the town is Ellenborough Park a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the range of plant species found there.The beach lies on the western edge of the town. The upper part is sandy but, as the sea retreats a long way with the tide exposing mud flats. The tidal range in this part of the Bristol Channel is great, since the beach and mud flats are on a gentle slope. Consequently it is only at the part of the tide cycle where high tide is in the early morning and late afternoon that the sea comes well up the beach. Many day visitors see little of the sea because of this and also must be confused to see a long pier with little or no water under it. Driving on the beach catches people out as they drive too close to the sea and break through the sand to the underlying mud and are then stuck. The tidal rise and fall in the Bristol Channel can be as great as 15 m. This tidal movement contributes to the deposition of natural mud in bays such as Weston.
//Demography// According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Weston-super-Mare is 71,758. This makes it the largest settlement in North Somerset, which has a total population of 188,564. 20.7% of the town’s population are aged 65 or over, compared with the national average of 16%. 98.6% of the population are white, compared with 90.9% nationally. In 1831 the town population was 1,310, and in 1801 just 138 In 2001, the town comprised 31,715 households; while in 1829 are comprised just 250. //Traffic Management// Traffic is not at all a problem, the road surrounds the site on all four sides, which is good but not important. The Site is well connected from the city centre giving it potential well use opportunity. Parking is ample along the far south end of the site and an empty plot at the south east side of the site, next to an existing hotel. Motorcycle parking-juxtaposed both for viewing and exhibition type near the visitor’s centre. A greater inflow of People along the first two main roads creates an opportunity to play with potential activities involving performance or exhibits. //Existing Vegetation// Existing hedge planting along the west side of the long Green patch in the site. There are not very many trees in the site, a very few medium high plants of ornate variety. The land is covered by lawn and there are some areas which are not properly maintained, however there is scope for growing good plant species. The Sea shore is fine sand with Clay deposits. //Possible Activities// Children’s amphitheatre; Restaurant/cafe; Social / Public realm; Joy rides; Youth Space; Lingering; Kick about space; Viewing / Display Gallery for Helicopters.
//Design Aims// The main aim will be to regenerate the surroundings green lawns making the pier front much more usable than it is now. The Hotels and shop fronts will be much busier and full of people. This public space in an urban scenario will be a Holiday destination. The famous Helicopter museum and the Sea-quarium, both be integrated to the site. This will also be a favourite place for kids because of its water feature. This will also be a favourite place for middle aged men and women for its appealing planting design and the whole experience around the site. The older people will be able to appreciate the history of Weston for its public display on what it was and still is famous for. Finally it will bring the people of Weston good reputation for its redevelopment.
The fountain is designed as a stylized waterfall and offers great changes in elevation (5-6 m at the most), considered that it is a neighbourhood park in a downtown area. No railings, fences or other safety issues have been installed, making it easy to be amazed by the sudden depths and to come close to the water. Stairways for people are mixed with stairwells for water; there are places for resting, games, sunbathing or movement. The shallow steps that lead down to the water from the street opposite the Auditorium forecourt double as seats during performances in the part of the fountain that resembles a sunken amphitheatre. The design is very geometrical, where every level can be seen as a contour line represented in a landscape model. The height of the frontal planes is accentuated by a kind of trompe l’oeil perspective. Chest-high grassy beams on three side of the park are planted with trees, to separate the park from the streets and to keep out the noise.
//Lawrence Halprin’s Lovejoy Plaza//
//Wind// Prevailing W wind is practically dead on shore S & SW can be gusty. Anything with E in it is offshore, gusty & almost certainly flat water. NW to N is probably the best direction. Northerly is cross shore.
//The Pier Greens//
The park is built around a central, rectangular lawn of roughly 273 by 85 meters of size. It is embellished with two greenhouse pavilions (hosting exotic plants and Mediterranean vegetation) at the Eastern, urban end, which are separated by a paved area featuring dancing fountains. The South edge of the lawn is bounded by a monumental canal composed of an elevated reflecting pool that reaches through granite guard houses, lined by a suspended walkway. On the North side are two sets of small gardens: the six “Serial Gardens”, each with a distinct landscape and architectural design, and a “Garden in Movement” that presents wild grasses selected to respond at different rates to wind velocity. A 630-meter diagonal path cuts through the park, which constantly changes in its nature. Since 1999, the park has been home to a moored gas balloon. It allows visitors to rise above the Parisian skyline, and is currently operated by the Banque Populaire. The balloon is filled with helium. It is moored to the ground with a hydroelectrically-activated cable. It can rise to an altitude of 150 meters, and has a carrying capacity of 30 adults, or 60 children. The balloon provides a view of the Champ de Mars, the River Seine, Basilica of the Sacré Cœur and the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral.
//Threats// Possible Low tourist interest if site not give proper thought to the site. Winters and rains (although not a threat, but equally unfavourable)
//Tides// It’s a very flat beach, thus there’s no real shore break & the water literally disappears out of sight at low tide. This flatness also makes it particularly suitable for land speed sailing, kite buggies. Waves tend to be mushy, close together, and come at you from all angles - not well-behaved at all. Together with the almost onshore wind, it can be real struggle to get out back.
N
//Ira Keller Fountain//
//ideas worth using//
The picture showing a huge fire that has destroyed the historic Grand Pier on 28th July 2008. It first opened in 1904 and was previously destroyed by fire in 1930 and rebuilt, opening three years later. It was later bought by the Brenner family who sold it earlier this year in a multi-million pound deal to brother and sister Michelle and Kerry Michael.
The main idea is to have water around and in the public square which could be great, but keeping the history and the general trends in mind it’d be much apt having it around seperately as an entity and integrating it with the public open space and the woodlands for the people to appreciate; Hence the water feature on its own. The feature is shaped as a bowl holding water for fun and frolicfor kids and an eye cathcer for elder generations.
Different levels of the fountain help to create a lot of small spaces, where the water is the key feature that links one part to the other. There is one upper and lower pool connected to the fountain. The design has a very geometrical language with its straight lines and angles. The steps and the edges have been designed to resemble a process of erosion and are quite complex. In contrast to this complexity is the shelter, which is a rather simple feature in the southwest side. It is placed behind the fountain and is visible from all angles. The park is surrounded by 30-40 trees that make up a screen to the buildings encircling the park. On the other hand the upper and lower pool in the Lovejoy plaza is a suitable environment for smaller kid’s to play in. Lovejoy Fountain Park fits the definition of an urban plaza The hard concrete used in a park gives an idea of an urban plaza surrounded by offices and commercials. The houses surrounding Lovejoy plaza however are mostly residential. The plaza is beautiful in its geometrical pattern, but would probably be more appreciated by people looking down on to it from their offices, than by the general visitor passing through. As it is now, the plaza makes one more a spectator than a part of it. Lovejoy plaza could gain from being placed adjacent to the streets; it feels a bit cut off the city at its current location. Today, it is mostly the sound of the fountain that draws the attention of pedestrians who would otherwise simply pass through it.
//Bit fall// Bitfall is an installation where water is being used to project images taken from the internet. A computer observes various news websites and chooses thereafter the images to be displayed. 128 nozzles are controlled by synchronised magnetic valves, and the water drops falling to the ground shape the images. The visual information is only tangible for a second before the drops merge to become water again
//Edaw scheme for Waterloo, London// The existing proposal, which also involves closing subways, diverts the road system to run east of the Imax, creating a forecourt to Waterloo station. ‘Clear pedestrian routes’ with ‘vistas’ would replace underpasses, and make allowances for a potential landmark building on the site. EDAW has been selected to rethink the ugly and inaccessible street design in and around the IMAX roundabout, Waterloo Road and Waterloo Station to create a better experience for all users. Despite huge improvements since the ‘cardboard city’ days, the confusing labyrinth of streets and subways remains unwelcoming, unattractive and often feels unsafe. Waterloo is a meeting place for people, journeys and identities. It create seamless connections at ground level to allow dignified access for everyone to all local spaces - from The Cut to the South Bank, Kings College to Lower Marsh, Coin Street to Waterloo Station. The labyrinth of underpasses will be a thing of the past and the IMAX will finally be able to takes its place as a landmark at the heart of the area.
[special design]
//Built Structure// The Buildings here are Hotels, Residential and a series of shop facades. There is an interesting facade of building typology along the road edge. The prominent built typologies lie at the very base of the pier, Fish and chips, ice cream trucks in summer. Few Hotels facing the coast have a mild function because of lack of tourism.
Some main key issues to be enhanced on the site are described on the bubble diagram. The inner green colour describes the existing condition and the outer green describes the amount of growth the new redevelopment be providing. There will be much revitilization in the fields of tourism, leisure, culture and business.
//Parc André Citroën//
harish vangara
Weston-super-Mare is the type of resort you either love or hate. As an entertainment centre it has it all. It does however conjure up images of rows of deck chairs, donkey rides and middle aged men with rolled up trouser legs and knotted hankies. The sea is out more often than it is in and the town boasts more than its fair share of amusement arcades. It is served with excellent shopping facilities and some good restaurants. The Grand Pier has plenty of entertainment and the SeaQuarium features some fine examples of marine life from around shores. With other visitor facilities added such as the Grand Pier, Knightstone Theatre and Knightstone Baths Weston became a Mecca for thousands of visitors. As the number of visitors increased new shops and hotels opened. Many private boarding schools were set up; it was very fashionable for the wealthy to send their children because of the healthy climate.
//PRECIDENTS//
//ma2 landscape architecture //The University of Sheffield
//SITE ANALYSIS//
//Pier front regeneration// //Weston-super-Mare
//SITE Introduction//
1 2
5
10
20
Next, the Cafe’ Green; as the name suggests, it would be the most economical way to spend a day out in the sun with fish and chips and a pint of beer. One can eat-in or take away.
Although the bit fall being an interesting space, the steps can be used to perform on a bigger scale unlike the stage in the greens
Bit fall fills up the water pool creating a mirror effect.
Various Perfornamces, from mime artists, juglers, street magicians, singers, musicians and other performers and performances including orchestra.
The kids would love to get wet and have more fun with the water falling in a sequence rather than a regular fountain sort of gush.
One can have advertisements and otehr running media to promote the business.
The recycled sea water is used to run the bit fall keeping the salinity of the water into consideration.
This site is aimed to regain its prominence which was lost a year ago because of the pier’s Fire.
The Bit Fall add to the wow factor, why one should come and visit Weston.
Architects from Bristol, Angus Meek have been shortlisted in building the new pier. It would be interesting to see how this integrates with the public lawns.
The Pier Greens, is where one would like to lay and get a tan on a hot summers day. The Greens holds an amazing ecology in it self. Exciting naturalistic planting and a Bug hotels is its speciality.
Concern for old age also is taken consideration. Old people can have walks from the bottom of the greens to the end of the amphitheatre. The site is accessible not only for pedestrians, but also for cyclists.
10
20
[special design]
Most importantly the design of the floor, pointing to wards the grand pier, the strips of granite in shades of grey carries the simplicity forward.
The Bit fall is a special attraction where people of all age gropus get excited watching sequential words falling in order to create suspense.
harish vangara
Detail Plan
Master plan bd
1:200 metres 1 2 5
1:500 metres
The Three Windows, made of glass and stuffed with shoes, aluminium window frames and scientific instruments- Weston-super-Mare is famous for this. This also is a big public space which attracts Musicians, street magicians, jugglers and almost all sorts of street performers. It is a very big space, hence the proportion of its space matching with the three windows, with benches made of concrete, and trees in the corners for a bit of privacy.
The Heli-Plaza is another attraction for people of all age groups. famous helicopter museum off M5 towards Bristol, one can appreciate the beauty of enginering on a helicopter exhibition, rest of the time it would be serving the kids as a Skating rink.
N N
The Amphitheatre, where puppet shows for kids take place. This is a very interactive space where the kids also get to explore by climbing the structure. There is rock climbing for teenagers. When they reach the top of the climbing srtucture, they shall be able to see the sea and the pier from a much higher angle. They will love it !!!
section ab
//ma2 landscape architecture //The University of Sheffield
section cd
//Pier front regeneration// //Weston-super-Mare
ac