The North Sea is integral to the way of life of many on the UK’s east coast, supporting good jobs in shipping, fishing, oil and gas, and in the formation of important networks and touristic landscapes. In the present century with growth in industrial activity and vastly expanded technical capabilities of states using the North Sea, resources are near the point of overexploitation. The consequence - a narrative of declining seaside towns that so heavily rely on these traditional industries.
In the backdrop of this narrative, new opportunities arise in emerging industries of green energy production of the North Sea such as offshore winds. Coastal regions, like the town of Cleethorpes, are ideally placed to benefit from the coming renewable energy boom. “The Ark” is a multilevel, elevated mixed-use linear park spanning all the way from Cleethorpes Station into a brand new substation for distribution of community-owned electricity that is generated by localised small-scale renewable energy sources. A dynamic pavilion, The Nucleus, sits on top of the substation at the end of this park, moving in rhythm with the levels of available energy. The intervention questions the typically passive relationship we have with our energy infrastructure and consumption, acting to facilitate decentralisation of electrical distribution and enabling much greater control in the Cleethorpes community over the sources of the energy they consume whilst securing a stable green industry for the town's regeneration.
