Site

This project took place at disused quarry, Kenidjack Quarry, near St. Just, Cornwall, England. The location was chosen by Callum Mitchell as it had a clear shot of Cape Cornwall in the distance. The site is part of the National Trust's larger properties in the area including Cape Cornwall and the Botallack and Levant mines. The area forms part of the St. Just area of the West Devon and Cornwall Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, and is further protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  The rugged location on a cliff over the Atlantic far from the nearest car park and the high level of protection for the site created difficult challenges in both the design and construction of the structure. 

Design and Construction

The structure was designed collaboratively, starting with each first year creating and presenting a draft design. We were then formed into groups to combine our designs, before a final design was selected and finished from that point out collaboratively. The final design is of a modernist shed. It contains amain screening room underneath the half timber trusses, while a small storage room sits at the rear of an exposed platform. A screen sits at the front of the structure, behind a barn door that does not open due to safety concerns. The primary entrances and exits are two doors that sit on either side right behind the screen. The roof and doors are clad in onduline, a bitumen sheeting material. The walls are made with wooden cladding panels reclaimed from a local barn, while the rest of the structure is made of standard c24timber. The title of the project, “Gorthwedh” or contrast, is reflected in the contrast between the weathered cladding panels, the new structural timber, and the black pitch of the onduline. Audiences take in the view of Cape Cornwall at the moment they leave the structure. The roof trusses and cladding panels reflect the local buildings, and adds meaning though the incorporation of the surroundings into the building. Seating within the cinema consisted of wooden benches carved with text by artist Dion Star. 

The final structure was formed of a timber frame along a 1500mm by 1500mm grid, with half trusses the roof.  Due to the difficult conditions on site the structural elements were prepared and pre assembled at the Falmouth University workshops before being brought to site. My personal responsibilities during construction included assisting with the assembly of the structural frame, evaluation, repairs, and modifications to the timber cladding, assisting with the construction of the roof, and photography.