FINE ART GALLERY
The fine art gallery on the edge of the River Taff in Llandaff is set in a site with a narrow entrance directed towards the water, the site opens up from a tree covered path to an open space with spectacular views. This fed into the concept of the design, the journey of moving through a space as it opens up to views and brightness, guided by the art and statues which draw visitors through the gallery. The aim was to create a tranquil gallery which invites people in and frames not only the artwork but also the views. The dark and light areas create this atmosphere of change within the journey through the space.
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Using recyclable materials, copper is 100% recyclable and low-carbon as it maintains its integrity through continuous recycling it can be reused multiple times for different purposes. The cedar is carefully sourced from sustainable sites, cedar is a renewable and recyclable material which requires little maintenance.
1:1000 at A2 - Opportunities and constraints
Depicting the relationship of the gallery to the waters edge and the story of the visitors
The journey from light to dark through the spaces and the story felt by the visitors as they move through the contrasting rooms
Working with the site and the boundaries within it to create open spaces and a variation between public and private areas in the gallery.
The gallery is lifted off the ground on supports, laid out on a 6m structural grid, using timber frame structure meant there was the flexibility of having more glazing which is important in the site to frame the views and in gaining natural light from the north, therefore avoiding direct sunlight.
1:1000 at A2
The gallery is a series of spaces, laid out around the courtyard of the magnolia tree, this enhances the flow through the building. The gallery will host visitors every day, so it is important to set out a circulation path which follows through the building, taking them from one artwork to the next, framing each artefact.
Copper allows for change over time as it corrodes from a shiny pinkish colour to an uneven matte green, the change happens over time and reflects the growth and change which happens within nature around the site, the oxidised layer forms a protective coat over the material.
1:200 at A1
The façade is mainly a Cedar cladding, from sustainable sources which also weathers, from an orange timber to a silvery material.
1:200 at A1 - The section shows the form of the roof and the use of the spaces through the gallery as the rooms get less public, away from the café and reception area towards the gallery areas within the building.
1:20 at A3
The roof form reflects the rhythmic movement of the water and the Brecon Beacons around the site. The copper is chosen as a statement material which envelopes the building, in the bronze age, northern wales was Britain's largest sources of copper.
1 Approaching the gallery - slope to the entrance, framing the ‘Tall Torso’ statue and the view beyond 2 Café 3 Reception Area - The ‘Encased Cross’ exhibited beyond on a plinth to frame it 4 Dark Corridor
5 Gallery Space 6 View 7 Courtyard - The framing of the magnolia tree and central point of the gallery 8 Light Corridor - A place to pause and reflect within the gallery