Whitehaven Harbour Design • RIBA Competition 2010 • Client: Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria & Magnus Homes • Team: Benjamin Walton, Nathaniel Kolbe, Lida Charsouli • Location: Whitehaven, Cumbria

The waterfront site requires the new building to be of the highest architectural design as it forms one gateway to the town of Whitehaven. At the same time, the design of the building must not be monolithic, cutting the town from the sea.

The proposed design uses a series of cuts and views through the ground level in order to reconnect Strand Street to the seaside promenade. Up above, the building is divided into 5 smaller blocks which rise from the connective ground floor. This allows the building to break down in scale affording views through the building while it sits comfortably into its Georgian setting, forming a cohesive and active urban edge.