Lara Acikgoz

[Re]Ordering of Summerhall: Surfaces and Volumes

Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

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Project description

Situated in-between three courtyards, this project proposes a series of spaces that act as transition spaces, re-connecting Summerhall’s courtyards to the public realm. The buildings offer a servery, main dining hall and a cafe with both regular and informal seating.

The re-ordering approach is through retaining some of the existing load-bearing walls, and adding new lightweight structure to create a double-skin plan, allowing space for circulation and informal seating. The roof is elevated on the main hall, to create a sculptured volume, while the remaining roofs are folding up towards the adjacent courtyards, to not only bring light in but also to allow for the surfaces to negotiate with different courtyards.

Through surface treatements and roof geometries the building interacts differently with each courtyard, enhancing the human experience within the Summerhall Courtyards.

The Site: Summerhall Complex

"more than just an arts venue"

The Summerhall complex is situated on south-east of the Meadows. The historical fabric of the site has been in constant change over the decades, with buildings retained from early 1700s, as well as more recent additions were made with evolving functions on site, from distillery, brewery, and veterinary school. From 2011 onwards, the complex was repurposed as an arts and events venue, hosting a variety of functions.

Today, Summerhall with its dense fabric and layered history, is a creative hub for the public, students, creative practitioners, comedians film makers, photographers and teachers.

Surfaces: Masterplan Proposal

"Connecting Summerhall Within & Beyond"

Our masterplan proposal is to improve the connectivity between Summerhall’s courtyards, and enhance its presence within the cityscape. Thus, both existing courtyards must behave independently through their own entrances, but have coherent architectural language. New entrances and connections between the external spaces will be introduced, as well as improving the existing passageways.

"Anti-rooms"

The overall masterplan proposal involves removing the existing entrance at the main building, and creating two new entrances that lead to both the courtyards. These new circulation routes will enable both the courtyards to connect to the rest of the city, as well as enabling them to act as independent external spaces, rather than being independent on one another.

Each individual intervention is purposefully placed in order to ‘enclose’, ‘fill’ and give an ‘edge’ to a courtyard, reimagining the surfaces of the courtyards, creating a more cohesive and enjoyable experience for the public.

The interventions (‘anti-rooms’) are external spaces of transition, where intentional circulation, movement and order are curated.

Precedent Study

A Dining Hall at the Heart of Summerhall

The proposal encompasses two buildings with butterfly roofs, housing the servery and the cafe, while the corner at which they intersect has a triple-height hall with a rooflight, for dining.

The circulation throughout the proposal follows an axis, that sits in between the retained walls and proposed skin.

The existing load-bearing walls, in some instances are the support for the lightweight timber structure, and at times sits separately or beside it, shaping the internal organisation of spaces.