The Angel of the North Visitors Centre

The Angel of the North Visitors Centre Low Eighton, Gateshead Part II 5th Year Project 2016-17

By Joseph Chandler

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The Angel of the North is one of the most iconic and viewed pieces of public art in the world. Designed by the prestigious British sculptor Anthony Gormley. The brief was to design a visitors centre to be situated within the grounds of the sculpture, to provide visitors with a small exhibition space, educational workshops and amenities, as well as creating a new public space.

One of the key consideration of the design was that the building had to sit comfortably within the context of the large scale sculpture, making sure not to compete with the artwork in any way. The chosen location was nestled in the tree in front of the sculpture, so as to partially hide the building, whilst providing a framed vista to the angel.

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Creating a sense of enclosure

Creating a journey through the site

Revealing the view

Axis and orientation

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The building location meant that a journey was established for visitors, moving through the trees and building to reveal the angel. A primary axis centred on the sculpture split the ‘L’ shaped building, creating a spine which moves the visitor towards the sculpture. A clearing behind the visitors centre provides a sense of enclosure, where a small sculpture garden was to be situated.

The visitors centre was located far enough back that the whole aspect of the artwork could be appreciated.

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The sites current topography and arrangement meant that a natural clearing within the trees provided the idea location for the centre. Like the linear corten steel ribs on the angel and the verticality of the trees, an architectural language began to emerge, of verticality, differing densities of line and expressed structure.

The aspect through the trees frames the view on the angel, which is situated high up on the mound. The mound is a significant feature and was the reason for the angel location as it is the location of the old pit head mine.

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At ground floor level the occupant enters via the tree lined route, where they are brought through the long linear gallery space. A set of stairs to the north of the gallery provides the visitor with their first view of the angel.

A cafe runs parallel to the wings of the angel, where visitors can enjoy views of both the angel and sculpture garden.

On the second floor is located the community workshop space and external viewing gallery. A transparent glazed bridge connects the to elements of the building, maintaining a uninterrupted view of the angel from the sculpture garden.

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Taking cues from the angels construction of external ribs and spines, a direct reflection reminiscent of the prolific ship building construction methods which are unmistakably associated with Newcastle. The visitors centre adopted a similar approach, testing different spacing, openings and densities of vertical elements, creating a hierarchy of structural elements within the elevation of the building.

In keeping with the woodland context in which the building was situated, the primary structure and envelope of the building was to be constructed out of timber, with small highlights of corten steel in the clerestory window frames, in a visual nod to its neighbouring ancestor.

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The building program is set over two floors with a top lit double hight gallery space, external courtyard, ground floor cafe and kitchen and first floor workshop space with external viewing gallery.

The building adopts a timber structure for the primary frame of the building with timber stud external walls and a vertical timber slat external cladding which is offset from the face of the envelope, allowing a small interstitial space which creates an interesting play of shadows on the facade. At night the space is uplit to give the impression of dappled light bursting through the trees.

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South Elevation: The different sections of the ‘L’ shaped visitors centre are the same dimensions of a singular wing span of the angel. The slice between both building blocks is centred on the axis of the angel with the transparent bridge between the two allowing a framed vista through to the angel.

North Elevation: The alternating vertical timber slats of the facade help to blur and nestle the building within the tree lined site.

Full height windows situated at the end of the gallery space and cafe provide open views to the artwork.

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East Elevation AA: The buildings wraps itself around the central courtyard enclosing the space within the trees to create the sculpture garden

West Elevation: Subtle flashes of the weathered corten steel highlight the entrance to the building. The spacing of the clerestory window frames dissipate as they move along the elevation of the gallery, similar to the way the ribbing on the wings of the angel dissipate toward the tips.

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East Elevation BB: The facade of the building alternates between a charred timber board and natural timber slat and visa versa.

The first floor workshop space is shifted back to create a colonnade to the south of the cafe which provides solar shading to the space and an external viewing platform to the north of the building.

In keeping with the conceptual approach of varying densities of openings and vertical elements, the columns have been designed in such a way as to let light through, splitting the conventional solid timber column into 4 separate members housed within a bespoke baseplate. The timber beam is then sandwiched within the internal opening of the column members and bolted to the frame.

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Sectional Perspective Gallery: The linear double height gallery space draws the visitors through the space, up the stairs to the full height windows where a full view of the angel is revealed.

Sectional perspective Workshop/ Cafe: The concept of spline and ribs is continued within the interior of the space, with the floor joist remaining expressed within the soffits of the workshop and cafe spaces.

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An initial sketch of the building wrapping around the central sculpture courtyard

At night the interstitial space between the external timber slats is up-lit animating the buildings facade.

The cafe/bar and courtyard could be rented out for private high and late night art exhibition viewings.

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Community Workshop: The workshop is lined with a plywood sheets to the walls and floor giving a robust and easily replaceable finish, suited to the sorts of activities happening in the space.

Cafe/bar: The permeable timber columns becomes a elegant feature of the space with an aspect out to the sculpture courtyard to the south and angel to the north.

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Gallery Space: The double height gallery space provides ample room and light for exhibiting artworks, with smaller single height bays to the left providing a more enclosed space for exhibiting.

Art Gallery Balcony: Once the visitors pases through the gallery space and up the stairs towards the full height view of the angel and workshops, they are able to look back into the gallery from a small balcony.

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Sculpture courtyard: The slice between each leg of the building frames the view of the angel from the courtyard and provides a thoroughfare for visitors to go and examine the angel up close.

Cafe/Workshop Colonnade: The colonnade to the south of the cafe provide some solar shading from the strong summer sun, with the external timber columns giving a sense of order to the southern elevation.

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