To enter the grounds of the Victoria Embankment is to be greeted by an atmosphere of serenity and calm. Almost like a different world. People come here to rollerblade along its paths, picnic within its green space or relax at the water’s edge, I wanted to design my housing proposal with them in mind.
The reactor is the heart of the site and the designs nucleus. It empowers residents and visitors alike, allowing any resident (or person willing) to set up a stall and sell their labour and allow any visitor, by land or boat, to partake in the marketplace and give back to the people. The minimalistic nature of Brutalist architecture lends itself to concepts of homogeneity and collective but is often associated with destitute and undesirable council estates. I saw an opportunity to separate concrete from its stigma. Inspired by the works of Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier, I first created a cold, ruinous concrete landscape of towers and spires, then I filled in its gaps with a warm and comfortable timber. Resulting in each element contradicting but simultaneously empowering its partner