My proposal takes a dark and airless residual space below a well-known department store next to the Thames and transforms it into a sanctuary that allows people to escape from the pressures of daily life. The building is opened up and then flooded with naturally filtered water from the Thames. Walkways are inserted to guide visitors above, around and through a submerged landscape populated with treatment cabins that seem to float. Visitors will be stripped of their daily lives through a ritualised journey that leads to the oldest part of the site; the ruins of a 14th century bridge. My design is focused upon enhancing people’s experience of natural phenomena. It will be a journey that takes the visitor through a sequence of encounters. Through a transition through spaces and a sense of ritual, visitors can gradually separate themselves from the outside world and immerse themselves into the journey and the building. A proposal that redirects a town back towards its river, creating the opportunity for people to continue to develop a deeper, more emotional connection to nature.
We cannot ignore that the current global pandemic has changed our relationship to constructed and natural landscapes. There has been a noticeable shift in attention from city centres to suburban town centres. The challenges facing urban centres can be redefined as opportunities for towns like Kingston to reinvent themselves. Traditional retail has left a challenging legacy for towns trying to rebuild after the impact of the pandemic. We are now in a better position to develop interior landscapes; public spaces that are more open and porous with internal courtyards and other strategies to improve air circulation and create a sense of ambiguity between your indoor and outdoor experiences. In the event of another pandemic, these new interior landscapes may be better adapted to give people a better experience and reduce the impact on their lives.
Ending ……..