My ongoing interests in the preservation and conservation of existing elements on a site and the aspiration to create exciting and responsible designs were the ultimate catalysts of my proposal.
Through the atelier’s emphasis on the term ‘networks’ in mind, the town of Cleethorpes appeared to be significantly disconnected and undervalued. The brief focused on adopting a regenerative approach that would restore the town’s reputation, economy, and significance. Through a thorough research on the meaning of the identity of the town, an overarching absence of appreciation for the existing, natural potential of the territory is what formed the mission of my project ‘Wanderland’.
With direct adjacency to Cleethorpes’ renowned ‘Wonderland’, a space which back in the 1980s nurtured most of the town’s tourism and attention, the proposal wishes to reintroduce the sense of destination that once formed Cleethorpes’ reputation. Through an adaptation of the meaning of wonderland within the current context, the importance of the environment stands out: the Lincolnshire County is home to many of the UK’s nature reserves, with thousands of species that characterise the country’s natural beauty. The project, therefore, seeks to create a journey that intensifies the importance of the currently missing biodiversity, while providing the infrastructure to reconnect the town’s centre and coast. This comes to be through the intricate development of a pathway that extends the North Promenade while centralising the formation of a nature reserve that features the unique intertidal and wetland habitats. The programme, in turn, develops into a botanical research institute and educational facility that becomes both a local and international network. Through visual and physical representation of the territory and digitalised research, the design appeals to both the present and future role of architecture.
