Student proposal for Galway City

Don’t know if you were aware of this competition.

http://two.archiseek.com/archives/3946

On my rough estimation, about half the architects in Ireland entered this competition, so should be some interesting stuff. There is to be an exhibition of the entries during Open House Galway, the 16th to 18th this month.

Hi spoil sport, yes I saw that competition but didnt know when the exhibit of the entries would be on so thanks for that! It would be great to see how people responded to the context and to Galway city, will have to head down to that.

Part of the problem with this idea is that the building is not complex enough so it needs something else. A cookery school would be an option but im not sure. Hoping that visiting Galway this weekend will shed some light on it!

Aine, if I am to be blunt (and I think at this stage of a thesis it is best to be ruthless, and not to dwell on one option for too long) I find the “architecture and nourishment” and the food marked a little contrived, and I don’t see where a public theatre comes into that, though if like in your second suggestion, for the cookery school, the theatre becomes apart of the school facilities, then maybe. The translation from “noruishment” to food market is perhaps litteral, I’m not suggesting to throw it out by any means, but I think it need another level. The first precedent that comes to mind is Miralles markets in Barcelona, I’m sure you are familiar with the roof of the markets themselves, but the markets were part of a wider brief including apartments. For me, it would be difficult to discuss (at least my interpertation of it) “nourishment” without considering dwelling, the home, the everyday nourishment, if we call it that. I like the idea, that they would be linked then as in the Miralles scheme. The markets are a quiet literal interpertaion of “nourishment”, which for a thesis, can infact be a good thing, the brief is, after all, only a means of developing and demonstrating an idea.

Hi Aine, i have to agree with spoil sport and just concentrate on the food side of things, i don’t think the stage is suited to that side of galway, normally performers are on shop street or quay street. What i found with going to market on saturday morning, is the layout is terrible,you have no time to stand at a stall, there is no seating area, and the traffic is a nightmare down there. I think you should keep the market open and not have it enclosed in a building and just have a small pavillion more so than a big structure because the area is very small. The biggest problem i think your going to have with a building is trying to integrate it to the church, the traditional shops and st pats school. I hope this is some help, great idea for a thesis.

I appreciate the bluntness Spoil Sport, and you taking the time to give your thoughts. I agree that Architecture that nourishes has a very literal connection to a Market, I intended to explore this literal connection as well as the positive impact buildings can have on the city and the user. I am familiar with this project but didn’t know it was part of a larger scheme involving apartments. MVRDV are building a market in Rotterdam where the market will be covered by an arch of apartments, its due for completion in 2014. I am currently reading “The Eyes of the Skin” by Juhani Pallasmaa which is really helping me to understand our interactions with buildings and our environment. The thesis title is much broader than I had originally realised and I think it would be interesting to explore it in reference to the individual and the community. As I really stared to research Galway and start considering the Market idea I found that the brief is not complex enough for a thesis project. The cookery school would be an interesting project but my hearts not really in it. Seeing as I have this opportunity to have full control over my brief and thesis I would like to choose something I can really be passionate about. I have been exploring different options and have one in particular in mind. I was in Galway last weekend and have a more established idea after that. I will let you know what it is when the client says its okay for me to persue the idea and if you feel so inclined you can be blunt about that too!

Thank you mcadesigns for your comment. There is potential for a project like that down in Galway, and I think it could be really interesting, providing much needed space and a firmer identity within the city. I am required to do a project of between 4,000 and 6,000sqm so I think reconsidering is the best way to proceed for now.