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Newcastle Leisure Building

Part 2 Project 2003
Gareth Mcknight
Rory Crawford
 Queen's University Belfast | UK
The premise for this thesis design was to promote a connection between the town and countryside, as traditionally this area has been relatively undefined in Ireland.

Newcastle, a linear town, was chosen for its unique geographical location between the sea and the Mourne Mountains. The aim is to connect these three elements, as the site is located on the edge of town. The landscape of the mountains promotes a natural connection between the urban and rural areas.

The building, akin in language and scale to the mountains, is to act as a gateway between the Mournes and Newcastle, thus connecting both.

Gareth Mcknight
Rory Crawford

TUTOR STATEMENT

“Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea”
The words of the Percy French song admirably sets the scene where the building acts as a gateway to the Mourne mountain range and provides a space for social interaction between all users and links town, sea and mountain at this historic point.

From inception through to the beautifully presented final design, the work has consistently shown the students aim to produce a building which was potentially big in scale, but nevertheless, he sought to solve this problem by creating a series of carved out spaces, large and small, allied to a careful study of materiality and sustainability.


Tutor(s)
Mr Mark Baines
2003
Town plan showing scheme’s contextual relationship with town, countryside and sea.
Photographic study of route from town to countryside recording sense of place (genius loci).
3D image illustrating scheme as a geological hewn object deposited at the base of the mountain.
Early modelling of initial response to brief, site and architectural language.
Site plan showing the scheme adding to the fabric of the town by re-establishing a route to the Mourne Mountains.
Lower ground floor plan showing pool hall sports hall and changing facilities.
Upper ground floor plan showing urban space continuing through the scheme filtering people along the linear block
First floor plan illustrating a relationship of small scale spaces and large scale spaces on either side of the route.
Second floor plan showing faceted timber skin enveloping the brief
North elevation as response to the mountains.
South elevation showing flush glazing and timber image depicts vibrancy of route through
Images depicting omnipresent of mountain and sea on town and scheme as threshold to the mountains.
West elevation addressing nature and scale of the mountains.
Section through public concourse showing route rising to meet the mountain, images showing scheme on natural link to mountains.
Images and section depicting pool hall and sports hall as cave-like spaces shaped by natural forces.
Images and section showing climbing wall as deep crevasse pulling light into the base of the scheme
Detail section showing flush detailing of materials to read as skin over the object
Detail study of environment structure and fabric.
Sections depicting natural vent strategy
Images illustration form, materiality and connection in the scheme
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