New Fort Park: Design Journal

DESIGN JOURNAL Anna Egerton-King 170182979

NEWARK-ON-TRENT

Newark-on-Trent is an old medieval town situated east of Nottinghamshire. It can be charcterised by it’s traditional markets, a castle, Georgian architecture and River Trent.

What interested me the most about Newark was it’s rich history which is evident throughout the town’s architecture and surrounding landscape.

Newark castle’s grand facade stood out and I wanted to learn how it came to exist as it is today.

I did some research into the town itself and Newark castle’s history.

In my opinion, the existing Riverside Park feels very disconnected from the town and does little to emphasise or compliment Newark.

HISTORIC RESEARCH

Research Findings

Image of Newark Castle, River Trent and Town

Newark stone castle was built

by Bishop Alexander of Lincoln in 1123. This key historic building has survived many attacks and held numerous occupants.

SWOT ANALYSIS RIVER & FLOODING:

EXISTING SITE & SURROUNDING CONTEXT:

ROADS & RAILWAY:

Railway King George VI Bridge

River Trent

Riverside Park

1 in 1000 Year Flood

Roads

1 in 100 Year Flood

Railway

Newark Castle & Gardens River Trent

VEGETATION & GREENSPACE:

CIRCULATION & THRESHOLDS:

River Trent Vegetation & Greenspace Built Structure & Roads Railway Thresholds Site Boundary

Greenspace

Thresholds

Circulation

Vegetation

Movement

Bridges

Exi • • •

TOPOGRAPHY & VIEWS:

Analysis of Existing Park

BUILT STRUCTURE: BUILT STRUCTURE:

STRENGTHS: • • • • •

Provides large flexible open lawned space There is a play area Some strong existing views of castle River sidewalk (perhaps apart from the willows along the river edge and beyond).

STRENGTHS:

STRENGTHS: STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSESS: Castle • Provides large flexible open lawnedNewark space • Provides large • There is a play areaflexible open lawned space River Trent • is seating a existing play area • Some strong views of castle • There Limited opportunities • strong existing views of castle • River sidewalk • Some Limited ecological function Topographic Height: • sidewalk • (perhaps apart fromwith the willows along the river edge • River Limited contact the water • apart from the greenspace willows along the river edge beyond).

• (perhaps Limited seasonal variation • and Riverside Park is the largest 300 in ft Newark • and Poorbeyond). threshold points 600 ft • Little user engagement with the1,200 space provided ft • No changes in landform WEAKNESSESS: Existing Vegetation:

• • • • •

Provides large flexible open lawned space There is a play area Some strong existing views of castle River sidewalk (perhaps apart from the willows along the river edge and beyond).

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Limited seating opportunities The planting lacks conviction Limited ecological function and is often decorative.

Vegetation is sparse disjointed.

Limited contact with and the water Planting does notvariation define space, communicate threshLimited seasonal old, movement Poordirect threshold points or create interesting and diverse habitats.

Little user engagement with the space provided There is littlein spatial quality to the planting design No changes landform Shrubs mark the edge of the road and trees are loosely clustered Existing Vegetation: Existing Circulation: • The planting lacks conviction and is often decorative.

• Vegetation is sparse and disjointed.

• The existing landscape circulation is poor.

• Planting does not define space, communicate thresh• old, The footpaths is direct movement or create interesting and di• They footpaths join up the dots – link to bridge, to car verse habitats. and tow path.

• park, Thereto is memorial little spatial quality to the planting design • Shrubs mark the edge of the road and trees are loosely clustered

TOPOGRAPHY & VIEWS: TOPOGRAPHY & VIEWS:

WEAKNESSESS: WEAKNESSESS: OPPORTUNITIES: • Limited seating opportunities • Limited seatingfunction opportunities • •Enhance the interface between water and landform Limited ecological • Limited ecological function create acontact more complex edge.

•to Limited with the water • Limited contact with the water Limited seasonal variation • •Provide a range of different scales of spaces such as small ini• Limited seasonal variation •mate Poor threshold seating spaces points and larger open space to accomodate • Poor points •different Little userthreshold engagement with the space provided uses.

• changes Little userinengagement with the space provided • No landform • Enhance ecological function • No changes in landform • Clearly define thresholds Vegetation: • Existing Change topography to create more varied spaces Existing Vegetation: • Improve circulation • The planting lacks conviction and is often decorative.

• The planting lacks conviction and is often decorative.

• Vegetation is sparse and disjointed.

• Vegetation is sparse disjointed.

• Planting does not defineand space, communicate thresh• Planting does not define space, communicate old, direct movement or create interesting and di- threshold, direct movement or create interesting and diverse habitats. verse habitats.

• There is little spatial quality to the planting design • There is little to the design • Shrubs mark the spatial edge ofquality the road andplanting trees are • Shrubs mark the edge of the road and trees are loosely clustered loosely clustered Existing Circulation: Existing Circulation: • The existing landscape circulation is poor.

• The existing • The footpaths is landscape circulation is poor.

• The footpaths is up the dots – link to bridge, to car • They footpaths join • They footpathsand jointow up the dots – link to bridge, to car park, to memorial path. park, to memorial and tow path.

Existing Circulation:

OPPORTUNITIES: Newark Castle River Trent

•

Enhance the interface between water and landform Topographic Height: to create a more complex edge.

Topographic Height: 300 ft 600 ft300 ft

ographic Height:

1,200600 ft ft 1,200 ft

300 ft 600 ft 1,200 ft

Newark Castle River Trent

ographic Height: 300 ft

Newark Castle Newark Castle River Trent River Trent

• The existing landscape circulation is poor.

OPPORTUNITIES: • The footpaths is OPPORTUNITIES: • They footpaths join up the dots – link to bridge, to car park, to tow path.

• Enhance thememorial interfaceand between water and landform • create Enhance the interface water and landform to a more complex between edge. to create a more complex edge.

THREATS: •

River flooding increasing due to effects of climate change Constant influx of people of people from festivals such as the Manifesta

OPPORTUNITIES: •

Enhance the interface between water and landform to create a more complex edge.

THREATS: •

River flooding

Vegetation:

THREATS: The image shows existing veteran willow trees on site watwerTHREATS: logged from river flooding after storn Dennis. In my design, I plan • retaining River flooding on these trees to keep the charcter of the site and to • River flooding reduce costs.

•

BIENNIAL MANIFESTA 2024 European Biennial Manifesta 2024 The Manifesta promotes cultural awareness, understanding and interaction in order to encourage people to see the world in a different way.

My design was inspired by the history and transient peoples of the castle and town, the park offers multiple spatial experiences and differing journeys, welcoming and varied encounters, protection from its surroundings and a diverse, adaptable and dynamic landscape. The space is fluid, surprising, and changes over time with the four temporary exhibition buildings each in its own typology.

* Drawing is not my own

INITIAL SITE RESPONSE

‘Infrastruktur’, Nicole Wermers, 2015

‘CLAIMING SPACE’ Newark Castle:

Flooded Riverside Park:

An installation art piece entitled ‘Infrastruktur’ by Nicole Wermers inspired me at the beginning of the project. The piece is a gesture of ownership. Fur coats sewn into chairs is a direct response to claiming personal space. I explored the boundaries between public and private space within a landscape.

Other acts of ‘claiming space’ at human scale in a landscape include laying down a picnic blanket in a park or sitting on a public bench.

CASTLE DEFENSE

RIVER FLOODING Rise and Fall Revisiting the site after Storm Dennis, Riverside park had completely transformed as a large percentage of the park was underwater. The water had risen approx. 2-3 metres.

This event will only become more frequent due to the effects of climate change. The extent of the flooding in Newark made me aware that management was needed and that my design for Fort Park would need careful consideration of topographic change.

I also wanted to make the impacts of climate change and river flooding visible to locals and visitors.

DESIGN: PROJECT AIMS • A diverse, adaptable and dynamic landscape, inspired by history of the castle and the town and looking to the future, that is resilient to and embraces intercultural environmental and social change.

• A landscape where locals and visitors alike are confronted with sustainability, where they can observe and learn about the impacts of climate change, establishing pro-environmental behaviours.

• A landscape that offers multiple and differing spatial experiences and journeys, protection from its surroundings, promoting varied encounters, and accommodates flooding, resulting in both human and ecological benefits.

• A space that is fluid, surprising, changes over time, challenges visitors to look again at landscape and which re-imagines the expectations of the normal or usual.

• The creation of space designed to host the ‘European Biennial Manifesta 2024’ but is equalling compelling when it is not.

PRECEDENT STUDY 1: REIM CEMETERY Reim Cemetery Extension (1999-2000), Munich, Germany Landscape Architects: Axel Lohrer and Ursula Hochrein Architects: Andreas Meck and Stefan Koppel Threshold Gates - Enclosure: Raised, vegetated topography either side of path

Materials: Stone: Gneiss (metamorphic rock): brown weathering to rusty brown Concrete Corten Steel: rusty brown colour Wood: Oak (weathering to silvergrey)

Focal Point - can be seen from lots of different points across the park

Narrow highly vegetated path - linear movement, enclosure

PRECEDENT STUDY 2: RIVER AIRE PROJECT

These two main case studies gave me inspiration in a variety of different ways regardign Newark.

The River Aire project allows nature to take its own course. Small landscape interventions are created which allow people to view these changes. This will in turn influence people’s learning and awareness of the ‘power of nature’.

Reim Cemetery is divided into a sequence of space which people transition from one to the next. Topography creates private spaces.

CONCEPTUAL MASTERPLAN:

One of the most important aspects of my design is the relationship between land vs water. This dynamic edge is constantly changing the landscape.

As the ‘invading’ river flood encroaches on the park, it could be seen as a battle between two natural elements.

Water being the ‘enemy’ and the landform being the defense that holds the water back. Areas of sacrificial land allow for a balance.

The existing riverside park has a solid concrete wall either side of the canal. This doesn’t allow for interaction with waterscapes. I feel as if this area is a major opportunity in my design.

CONCEPTUAL MASTERPLAN: Woodland transitions from dry to wet as resilient and adaptable species withstand potentially waterlogged conditions on site.

EARLY MASTERPLAN VERSION

A large open space hosts festivals such as the Manifesta. It is an area for park activity such as football etc.

The wetland area plays a crucial role in reducing flooding as it stores water. It will also provide habitats for birds etc.

4 Temporary buildings are located in varying typologies offering constrastin spatial experiences.

Woodland screens the visual and noise pollution from the railway. Some areas are less densely vegetated so as not to obstruct views completely.

Dense woodland area surrounding 2 permanant buildings (workshop & offices). A gap allows for extensive open views towards the storytelling building and the river and corn exchange beyond.

The ‘drawbridge’ connect the 3 permanent buildings and aligns with the corn exchange across the river.

A stepped landscape allows for views of the castle and defense against river flooding.

The ‘bands’ show a change in topography of 1 to 3 metres.

DEVELOPMENT MODEL: Topography Reshaped Testing and experimenting with a model to show topographic changes in the landscape was really helpful to visualise spatial structure.

Working with plasticine, which is easily manipulated into different shapes, allowed me to explore this idea of the stepped landscape, varying heights.

MASTERPLAN DEVELOPMENT: The masterplan design changed numerous times based on feedback in tutorials, development of new ideas and research that influenced my way of thinking. Below are a few key designs that show the evolution.

Masterplan Draft 2

Masterplan Draft 3

Masterplan Draft 1

Masterplan Draft 4

MASTERPLAN DRAFT 4: MASTERPLAN:

There are too many transecting paths that cut up the landscape.

VEGETATION:

GROUND COVER:

Woodland Wet Woodland Specimen Trees Water Tolerant Tree Species

Woodland Field Layer Perennial Meadows Amenity Grass Grassland Wetland

CIRCULATION:

AREAS OF INTEREST:

Primary Paths (4M) Secondary Paths (2M) Boardwalk Viewing Platforms Woodland Trail

4 Permanent Buildings 4 Temporary Buildings Tourist Information Centre 2 Viewing Platforms Central Social Space Main Threshold Bridge

Contrast The geometric static hard landscape constrast the organic curvilinear lines of the soft landscape.

FLOODING:

Boardwalk Path & Platform Choice of materials - Selected because it represents for origional wooden fort and it’s drawbridge. However, boardwalk isn’t a very resilient material and will fall into disrepair over time. It is also slippery if the wood is not treated. The area of boardwalk in this design covers too large a surface area.

The storytelling hub is also predominantly made of timber and I wanted a change in materials to compliment one another.

CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES:

These conceptual sketches show my design ideas for the detailed design area for the primary gateway into New Fort Park.

My inspiration came from the human experience and physical elements of the Newark castle gateway. This has been replicated in my design.

DETAILED DESIGN:

DETAILED DESIGN: MAIN THRESHOLD

DETAILED DESIGN:

Thresholds are a focal place in any landscape. The main gateway into New Fort Park provides a transition from one experience to another. The inspiration stemmed from replicating Newark Castle’s main point of entry/exit where visitors from an unprotected, exposed space from every direction gathered before entering, funnelled into the linear drawbridge, past the castle walls and out into the courtyard.

FINAL REFLECTION: Existing River Course

Annual River Flooding

1 in 1000 Year Flood

Anna Egerton-King 170182979 Newark, believed to have been founded by the Romans, lies at the intersection of two significant Roman roads, the Great North Road and Fosse Way. Newark’s name dates from this era, meaning literally ‘new fortification’. Fuelled by transport and trade and the confluence of intercultural exchange, the town grew first around a wooden and then stone fort, a large market was established, the community grew as travellers stayed and for centuries the town prospered.

New Fort Park challenges, educates and empowers communities, providing compelling space for cultures that overlap and interact whilst hosting the European Biennial Manifesta 2024. The park reflects elements of Newark castle history, creating a strong identity and embracing diversity, overcoming perceived barriers. Bands of defence, areas of sacrificial land and intervention have been designed to showcase the relationship between static permanence and resilient dynamism. It brings the impact of climate change to front of mind and encourages proenvironmental behaviours. Its focus is on what brings us together; what draws people in and how that can be protected, how space is temporal and why it will endure.

Street trees along the Great North Road create a shaded streetscape as well as catch surface water runoff.

Main threshold into park. Access from town centre, Newark Castle, train station and wider pedestrian footpaths.

Fastigiate Species

The mound provides an advantage point with extensive views.

A1

Boardwalk platform provides an observation point.

Park designed to accommodate flooding which will become more frequent with climate change.

Sacrificial land divided by 1m bands create depth and change of space.

A large open greenspace to keep existing function of the park and allow festivals such as the Manifesta to take place.

Temporary Bridge, implemented during the Biennial Manifesta, connecting Newark’s cultures and encourage river passengers to disembark.

Regimented, formal area of vegetation obstruct and create views.

A2

Woodland trail provides an alternative route through the park for visitors to explore whilst screening the railway. The woodland creates a green corridor and glades which benefit biodiversity.

Storytelling Building – visitors learn about the impacts of climate change and the environment.

Workshop Building – to be used for visitors to develop or learn new skills. The building also has a café area and to host Manifesta activities.

Wetland Area – observe and learn about the natural environment and how it changes.

Local Offices – the interface between building and landscape creates a relief from working environment.

Drawbridge – connecting the three permanent buildings and extending geometry to the Corn Exchange across the river.

All buildings sit on a raised elevation to replicate the motte and bailey defence formation that Newark Castle once deployed.

Interaction with water – areas of boardwalk extend into the river to enhance visitor experience. Sound and sight of rushing water draw people towards the river edge.

Temporary Building and outdoor space –to be used as an extension of the Workshop Building to host activities in an outdoor environment.

Resilient and adaptable vegetation species used to withstand future climate impacts.

The design process for the project at Newark-on-Trent has evolved significantly from start to finish.

One of the most exciting areas for design was the interface between water and landform. I have desiged a resilient and adaptable park that accomodates river flooding which will increase due to the effects of climate change whilst educating visitors.

I had to take careful consideration of topography and circulation as land use changes due to the rise and fall of water levels. This dynamic edge, its impact on the landsape and how to manage it made for a more interesting contrast from one side of the park from the other.