Competition Text
A new seaside building for Portobello Promenade provides community facilities and space for local enterprise whilst transforming this overlooked stretch of waterfront into a series of characterful public spaces.Like Portobello’s long-lost pleasure pier, it introduces an elevated public walkway to gather and enjoy the view, but instead of standing above the sea it is supported by local enterprise.
The building combines a community café, a multi-use hall, and thirty micro-units for small businesses, creatives, and community groups. Shops and cafés activate the promenade. Workshops and studios are arranged around a quieter makers’ courtyard, accessible via a pend from the promenade. On the upper level, brightly painted cabins face the sea and could serve as pocket galleries or kiosks. These varied uses serve local needs whilst generating rental income to sustain the community hall and refurbished public toilets.
At each end of the site, the café and hall open onto welcoming public squares with broad steps to the upper level that double as seating. These squares could also be used for markets or performances. More than a building, this is self-sustaining civic architecture that supports and enriches Portobello’s existing beachfront community.