Walltown Round House Walltown, Northumberland National Park Part I Final Major Project 2013-14
By Joseph Chandler
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The brief was to design a visitors centre and associated youth hostel for Northumberland National Park, along the historic border line of the ancient Hadrian’s Wall. The proposed scheme is designed to showcase the natural beauty of the landscape in which it is sited. The envisaged visitors experience is primarily focused on both the physiological and psychological connection to Northumberland National Park’s environment.
The scheme is position around the idyllic setting of Quarry Lake, with a spiraled external walkway connecting the visitors centre to the circular youth hostel building. The walkway envelopes the lake and creates a dialog between the different building across the water which encapsulating a sense of place.
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Linear movement of people
Movement of walkers on the wall from both directions
Movement of walkers, holding place - A pause in the journey
Views out
Views out from place of refuge
Internal warm space - glow of fire radiates out
Focal point relief from exposed walking
Views across lake
Focal point Quarry lake (Key feature)
External sense of enclosure
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Journey towards a final destination around quarry lake
Sense of enclosure
Constant connection between visitor and landscape - views
Conceptual diagrams associated with the way in which the visitor will experience the building and the surrounding landscape.
Views
Spiral walkway creates a sense of journey to final destination and continues to immerse visitor with landscape Views
360 degree views of the surrounding landscape
Circulation space
Trees Spiral walkway invited into building through cut out of circular form Fire (Heart of building)
External walkway connecting visitors with the outside
Central congregation chamber Views
Views Quarry Lake- Key feature enclosed by sweeping walkway to create a sense of place
Views Trees
Youth Hostel Design: A circular form was adopted for the design of the youth hostel, with a conical natural stone chimney at its centre, which acts as the hearth of the building, where weary walkers can warm themselves and recount stories of the landscape. The dormitories are located around the perimeter of the building and provide 360 degree views of the national park.
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Concept for Central Chimney: Taking cues from the surrounding landscape in the forms of derelict limekiln’s, cairn structures and chimney structures, The idea of a stone chimney stack became the central feature of the youth hostel. Arcing back to the primitive state of food, shelter, warmth and fire.
Cairn Structure Concept: The single rock represents individual achievement, while the stack unifies a community of achievement. The recognition of a place may be shared with other people; the memory and use associated with it then becomes communal.
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Conceptual Diagram: The significance of the central fire invites walkers down to the building and the glazed atrium creates a connection to the beautiful star studded dark-skies, which are native to the national park.
Concept Models: The glow of fire from within and the light which is omitted, invites cold walkers into the building.
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Sketch Study of Steel Cragg: In order to understand and inform the design it was important to study and document the types of natural landscape which occur within the national park.
Sketch Study of Quarry Lake & Whin Sill from above the site: The sites rugged and dramatic landscape with rocky out crops, long grasses and pockets of trees began to inform the material choices and location of the building.
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The building is a stop off point for walkers who are on their journey along Hadrians Wall from Newcastle to Carlisle. The external walkway connection between the two buildings becomes a small addition to the historic route.
Watercolour impression of the external walkway against the backdrop of the Whin Sill Cragg.
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Nestled within the topography around Quarry Lake, the buildings, constructed out of timber, stone and glass, reflect the colours and natural materials which can be found within the national park.
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View Across the Lake to the Youth Hostel: Smoke can be seen from the hostels central chimney stack, and the reflection off the lake embeds the building onto the face of the landscape.
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Site Section Through the Youth Hostel and Visitors Centre: There is a conversation between the two building across the lake. A local stone called Dolerite is used to constructed the central chimney stack as well as the feature spine walls of the visitors centre, which direct the viewers eye across the lake.
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View from Bunk-room Terrace: Each dormitory is provided with an external terrace from which they get glimpses of the landscape which surrounds them. The vertical timber louvers helps to acts and solar shading for the building.
Central Chimney Stack: The Chimney remains the prominent feature of the space. The Glulam timber frame is the primary structure of the building, which fans out from the centre. The space which surround the central chimney is the dinning space where walkers enjoy a warming meal.
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View of the bar over to the lake: To the south of the building a double height glazed curtain wall opens up a vista across the lake, for the visitors to enjoy as they sip on a well earned drink.
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