Component 1 Ibrahim Ahmed
Location - Melwood Melwood is the Liverpool FC training ground, located in the West Derby area of Liverpool. It is separate from the Liverpool Academy facility, which is based in Kirkby. In 2017 the Liverpool late 2017 Liverpool Council's planning committee granted outline planning permission and with club no longer requiring the facility they made the decision to flatten the area and use it to build what would be around 160 houses. They made this decision against the will of almost all residents especially those most local. The facility had become a symbol for the locals through the clubs history and they therefore want it to be used at least as a community facility. This is the most desired use for the area by the locals. With majority of the residents being very passionate on it being used for this reason I want to design a facility in this area as a proposed plan to the club and council.
Design Brief Melwood, in West Derby, Liverpool, was once home to Liverpool Football Club’s training ground. It was transformed into a useable facility in 1959 by Bill Shankly, who kick started Liverpool's incredible history in football, became a historic idle for the Liverpool fans and Melwood was a huge factor of his success. Refurbishing the facility was one the first things he did upon arriving at the club. With Melwood being such a historic part of the Liverpool FC history, I intend to design the community facility the locals want but all the while keeping the Melwood ‘feel’ and making sure that it doesn’t lose its history. To do this I aim to conduct a short study on the current Melwood structure and find important factors of the design that I could implement into my own. By keeping these I could delineate a structure, that the community and especially the youth can use, which keeps its salient place in the clubs history.
I am also determined the incorporate design factors that fit in with location of this structure. Therefore, I will also carry out research on the area, West Derby, mainly and potentially Liverpool as a whole. This could be the fact that the area is full of greenery and surrounded by trees or even the history of West Derby itself and incorporate factors of that. Also, considering the area doesn't really have a tourist attraction, I want the structure to be a standout piece of architecture in Liverpool. This would also mean more income for the club which would make the design more attracting to them.
Specification
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To build a community facility A structure unique to Liverpool Maintain the 'Melwood feeling' Incorporate parts of Liverpool history Incorporate parts of the Shankly history Follow a similar interior style/design such as colour Include a large car park Structure should be capable of maintaining multiple facilities for locals especially those that aren’t around in the area The design should consist of possible areas for other business to rent and use to add extra facilities This structure should be a standout in the city to attract more visitors It should be capable of making a sufficient amount of income for the club to find it more appealing Incorporate designs inspired by the area along with the club to make it more special for the local community Include inspiration from nature to match the surroundings of the structure The structure should cooperate with the environment but simultaneously stand out in the city
These images are records of different parts of Melwood that I felt would be good to keep in mind. The images are labelled to show important factors such as the colours and the way blank areas in the walls are covered up. The common colour theme is red and the structure is full of memorabilia and reminders of the clubs history and success. These are all factors I will keep in mind for my design
Design Idea 1
Primary Research
I noticed that while I may have designed it to function from the outside, there were too many gaps in between parts of t he st ruct ure t hat I didn’t want. To solve this I decided to add larger areas like rooms that could fill those gaps between the branches.
This coloured drawing shows how the structure would fit into the actual existing space I am going to use. The darker line outlines the whole area to the edge to the road
These images show in 3D how this type of structure would look if built within the actual space im using. The general floor plan/shape is still an interest of mine that I would be happy to keep but there isnt yet a proper exterior design. As mentioned in the specification, I should create a structure that would stand out and look modern all the while complimenting the enviroment. For this I will take furt her inspirat ion from ot her sources.
Top Elev ation
SketchUp Views
This would only be the shape of the design but not necessarily how the exterior would look
To get a better v iew of what this design idea may look like I made a brief SketchUp model. This allows me to see the structure from multiple angles and giv es me a a better on whether it would work with the location
Design Idea 2
West Derby is a suburb in the east of Liverpool, England. The name ‘West Derby’ comes from an Old Norse word meaning “wild dear park” or “place of the wild beasts”. This could be good inspiration for my design in the future. The use of dears or their antlers to match the location. Melwood is also surrounded by loads of trees and greenery. This could also potentially inspire my work or be incorporated into a dear inspired design
By overlaying the drawing over the existing location I can see the this general shape can work really well, with slight refinement. The exterior design would be the next step of this design idea
While looking at shape and how my structure could be shaped upwards, a building I came across was Galaxy Soho. A design known for its interesting, round, cylindrical structure.
Galaxy Soho
From the last design idea, looking at Zaha Hadid's Galaxy Soho building inspired me to conduct a short study on her architectural style as I believe it would fit nicely with my intended structural design. I looked at the exterior designs of many of her different structures but my most favoured design and the design I thought would help most for my idea was the Heydar Aliyev Centre
Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center has a smooth, flowing exterior design that really stands out in its area. It’s a structure that fits the style of my design idea and could play an ideal part of the inspiration for my design.
This structure looks like a piece of fabric over a foundation. It flows from corner to corner which gives a great aesthetic pleasure which can be seen to continue from the exterior to the interior. Similarly, I could use paper to create a similar model to experiment and see if it may work for my design.
Physical Model 1
In response to my physical structure, I began to look at other architecture with a flow to it for further inspiration to aid my refinement
Physical Model 2
THE AUDI RING
Physical Model 3
Developments
From the original drawings of this physical model I drew a refined v ersion that could work as a structure. I enjoy the aesthetic the curvature giv es and how the the whole structure is in a curv e too. It allows for open space near the centre of the two ends. A space that can be made to good use as an outdoor area. The idea works for me but the exact structures were not ideal. I feel it need to be more complex and larger to allow for more facilities within. These two side elev ations were the most encouraging for me. Its similar but not the same as the Audi Ring. It consists of multiple small shapes put together to form a larger structure. This idea is something I will take forward into my next model with some refinements to better suit the specification.
Physical Model 3
Full View of Model
In response to my last model, I made a similar model using paper again to allow for the curvature but this time within a shape inspired by design idea 2
These drawings are a refined v ersion of the model. It's been smoothed out to work as a structure. I see this model as successful as a structure that incorporates a free-flowing modern theme and also is designed through inspiration from the location. The next step would be to see how it would work within the location and then would be to incorporate nature ev en more and make a final model that also looks natural and organic to some extent too.
Copenhagen Multi-purpose Sports and Community Facility
Frank Lloyd Wright
My favourite building of Frank Lloyd Wright was Falling Water. I began t o study it’s structure and drew drawings and elevations views to gain more understanding
Falling Water Different areas of the home protrude out of the central stone of a soft nude neutral colour, complimenting the soft, organic setting.
Partially constructed with stone which compliments the location, the cliff edge. Use of natural natural complements surrounding trees due to its organic properties and texture. Also compliments the stone the structure is set on.