Client: New Art Center
Location: Roche Court, Salisbury
Engineers: Joshua Southall
Completion: MAY 2010

Materials: scaffolding boards, horse rubber

Brief: provide a space that is independent from the house that can be used to host events and provide an informal base for the on site education programme. It must have a strong relationship with the rest of the park and be capable of seating up to 70 people.

The octagonally arrayed frame structures provides the supports for raked seating forming an amphitheatre. Arranging the seating in the round creates versatile space that can accommodate a variety of activity. When used for talks it provides an informality and unity between the speakers and audience, the raised platform can become an ad hock stage for performance and children use the structure as a climbing frame. The timber bowl acts as a amplifier collecting sound and projecting it, creating ideal acoustics for performance.

From the central platform the benches rise above eye level, obscuring the view, and together with the tree canopy creating an sense of enclosure. Climbing up the benches you are provided with spectacular views over the park and valley.