unit-code
In a place where a sunny landscape infused with the smell of sweet rosehip can turn into grey, foggy scenery scented with algae, stands a lonely building. Here, architecture is a mise en scene for the play of shadows and creative acts of local craftspeople discovering the potential of seaweed, reeds and other local materials. The design language was based on the film noir aesthetic and theatrical techniques tested through the material context of the marshes. It aims to accommodate the slightly surreal sensation of being in between two spaces. One space is physically present and a space from one’s memory is evoked by scent.
Spatial composition created with fragments from Rainham Marshes captured and preserved in fabric.
Materials from the marshes are embedded in algae-based bioplastic samples.
1:20 models of algae wall panels.
The journey through the building begins with the bright material gallery and continues into dark corridors and a workshop hidden in shadows.
Internal light conditions are inspired by film noir archetypical characters and achieved by a combination of traditional and site specific-materials.