With a population of 146,000 and 12,000,000 visitors annually, Blackpool is the UK’s most popular town. It is a heady confection of sun (sometimes), sea (wild and dramatic), sand (wide and surprisingly golden), fun (the original reason for its existence), and iconic landmarks.

The Art Department of the Blackpool Borough Council developed the opportunity to devise new design solutions for a swiveling seafront wind shelter on the newly redeveloped Blackpool Promenade.

The design of the physical structure was opened up to an international architectural competition administered by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The design of the physical structure was opened up to an international architectural competition administered by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Concept

Blackpool is about entertaining the senses. Young and old are stimulated at all levels; from the simple pleasure of a walk along the ‘prom’ to the extremes of the big dipper, motion is fundamental to the Blackpool experience. The extremes of wind and sea partner nature with this experience, the swiveling wind shelter concept is a kinetic architectural expression of these forces.

The Wind is invisible.

Let’s make the Wind visible in a sensual and entertaining manner!

The shelter is intended to stimulate and entertain the promenaders; they will identify its references and invent new ones; they will stick their heads in the face holes to take holiday snaps.

The architectural elements are based on collective iconographic memory. The subtle colors of the trams, the gaudiness of Blackpool Rock, the swirls of a humbug, the skeletal forms of the tram gantries, the sweep of the Big Dipper structures, the peek-a-boo windows of the side shows, the slumping sand castles with their flags blowing in the wind. The proposal explores versions of these memories.

The project was published extensively and received the following award : 2002 Royal Institute of British Architects Blackpool Swiveling Wind Shelters International Competition 2nd Prize