Images:- www.angusbremner.com
Sitting adjacent to the historic heart of
the village, with views over loch, harbour
and working timber pier, the Egg Shed
at Ardrishaig ties together the diverse
strands of the area’s maritime heritage,
industrial legacy and picturesque location,
allowing tourism and industry to once again
sit hand-in-hand.
Formerly an oil storage depot, this prominent
area of land on the edge of Loch Gilp had
since lain as a derelict eyesore. The defunct
oil tanks and other industrial apparatus were
removed, just leaving the older structure
dating from Ardrishaig’s days as a thriving
marine transport and fishing community.
Existing openings in the walls were widened
to bring views of the loch into the interior
and provide a welcoming entrance to the
community space. The simple pitched-
roof form of the existing building has been
extended across the new structure, and new
walls and roofs are clad in red steel. Within
the footprint of the original building, the new
form emerges from within the old masonry
shell; a visual expression of the continuing
development of the site.
The site itself is made ground reclaimed
from the sea loch and this, along with
the previous industrial use, meant that
development was not straightforward.
Large portions of the overall funding for the
project were allocated to undertaking the
extensive measures required to deal with the
legacy of contamination, and to raise ground
level across the site as protection against
coastal flooding. Flood resistant materials
have been used up to a height of 1m above
internal floor level as a further measure to
ensure the longevity of the building. This
datum is expressed internally as a deep
concrete plinth with timber construction
above.
www.oliverchapmanarchitects.com/
www.refurbandrestore.co.uk - 63