Serenity - Art Gallery of England

Location

Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland – England

Job type

Conceptual art gallery development

Pre-design condition

The site is the location of the Banburg Castle built in the 11th century

Client requirements

Propose a design (exterior and interior) that transforms a specific – individually created – pattern into an architectonic piece where there is a balance between negative spaces (rooms) and its solid masses (walls)
Rethink the design process by making use of the ‘Cubus’ Method (Robert Tuckwell) and being inspired by the Hollow walls concept (Louis Kahn)
Allow the ‘Cubus’ Method to determine our architectural form and find throughout the pattern the articulation to create the final floor plan design

Based on the Cubus method, developed by Professor Robert Tuckwell (Billy Blue College of Design/Torrens University), students were challenged to study a series of patterns and develop them further, from that choose the most interesting one to be transformed into a floor plan. This was done systematically by observing how each pattern has its own black-and-white/full-and-empty spaces. With these spaces delimited on paper, it seemed as though the volume of the building coming up at the same time, so we experimented with different wall heights until we achieved the desired building form.

Not only was a new design method explored when creating the art gallery, but I also salvaged Louis Kahn’s memories and teachings, which reclaimed all the value and importance of rooms.

With an interesting and bespoke shape on my hands, I was able to imagine this design shining beneath the sunlight of the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland, where Bamburg castle sits today.

The Serenity Art Gallery is where the past and the present have been fused together. A space made not just for exhibitions, but a place to enjoy, contemplate, and appreciate every second of the day through the playful shadows that are constantly changing because of the sunlight.

The sand colour of the concrete was carefully chosen as the main material. This conveyed the concept of the building blending with the surrounding landscape, while also providing a crisp and luminous backdrop for the artworks showcased in the exhibition.

The Serenity Art Gallery has a minimalist architectural approach and materiality since it is a place to find connections - a connection between architecture and landscape, interior and exterior, person and building, and a connection with a person's inner thoughts, emotions, and identity. The building, therefore, could not talk louder than anything within it.