Mina Eghbal

This project was developed through readings of W. G. Sebald’s book, “The Rings of Saturn”, specifically his retelling of Somerlayton Hall. “The Rings of Saturn” is set out as a recollection of Sebald’s experience while walking along the coast of Suffolk. Sebald talks about earthly matters as an outsider. When describing Somerlayton Hall, Sebald assembles pieces of the mansion into the readers’ minds like a puzzle. He retells the house as an aristocratic Anglo-Italian house, with mazes, grottos, palm houses, an aviary, and glass domes.

Set in one of the most water-stressed areas of England, East Sussex, my proposal seeks to use the element of the grotto as a vessel that captures water from flood zones and transports it to areas experiencing drought. Grottos in my project are used to mean stretched spatial thresholds which unite indoors and outdoors. A grotto protects the inhabitor from the elements by slowing their effects but allowing them entry to the protected space. Three connected elements create this network. Firstly, the outtake building is located within the flood zone of the powdermill reservoir, secondly, the subterranean cistern located on the hills north of Brede Valley and an aqueduct stretching from Sedlescombe to Westfield Village. The domed step-well captures overflowing water from the reservoir and guides it to the cistern where it is filtered and stored until Summer. Then, it leads to an aqueduct over hills and valleys to Westfield. Each infrastructural element is designed for secondary public/civic use during parts of the year. During Spring when water levels are lower at the reservoir, the out-take building is home to the Hastings Fly Fishers Club and in the summer, used as a summer school about water processes. The civic space above the cistern can be used all year round as a public park and a means to learn about the ecosystem and different habitats. These three provisions which carry water create a narrative much like the book fragmented, yet effective.