We are a forward-thinking design studio dedicated to making places that connect and resonate with people.
We are a forward-thinking design studio dedicated to making places that connect and resonate with people.
MERZ BARN PROJECT
Client: Littoral Arts Trust
Scope: Strategic Vision, Architecture
Location: Lake District National Park, UK
Size: 1000m2
We were appointed as part of a multi-disciplinary consortium to develop a vision for the future of the Merz Barn project, a site of extraordinary artistic and cultural heritage.
Our brief was to optimise and consolidate the creative, cultural, public, environmental and educational potentials of the vast Cylinders Estate - former home to pioneering Modernist artist Kurt Schwitters.
New rural contemporary arts space & community hub
Our proposals focused on the new build elements- a series of “Merz Sheds”- a collection of multi-purpose arts and events spaces, some permanant, some temporary. The on-going project development has been presented at Tate Britain in a symposium for national and international stakeholders
A PLACE OF GATHERING
Due to the highly sensitive nature of the site, steeped in architectural and artistic heritage as well natural beauty, the design of the “Merz Shed” has been carefully considered to provide a new intervention in a contemporary, imaginative yet humble way. By reinstating a structure where an agricultural shed once stood, it creates a distinct point of arrival and orientation within the expansive site, and provides a welcoming and collaborative environment for people to gather.
