The Bournemouth Project carries on a dialogue with that of Monte Carlo: the culture of rich and well-heeled seaside with entertainments as a main function. A surrounding of cliffs or mountain with tees, gardens and rockeries and cream-painted hotels and villas. Bournemouth served as a blistering out of several expressionist games that we had purged from the Monte Carlo Scheme.
It extends an already existing pattern of shopping arcades that network the centre of Bournemouth. Through the scheme these develop into piers and decks and into the seafront scene. The seaside is traditionally the place where our notions of a flexible and 'responsive' environment are carried out: as the seasons and the weather change so do the functions and the architecture. the 'Steps' are formed by the piling-up of the shops and sheds and capsules that emanate front he arcades. The stepping is covered by undergrowth and extends the lawns and rockeries that are already there. The whole thing was designed very quickly with several hands at work, and proved to be exhilarating, if some what undisciplined. It throws up a characteristic of Archigram: the need for exuberance and freewheel designing as well as the demonstration of a thesis.
Archigram
A Guide to Archigram 1961-1974, ed. Archigram, (London: Academy Editions, 1994)
BOURNEMOUTH 'CENTRE' report, October 1970
PROPOSERS
Aquatels Ltd./Land Improvements Ltd.
AGENTS
Richard Ellis and Son
DESIGN CONSORTIUM
Ronald H. Sims ARIBA AA Hons Dipl.
Archigram Architects
Stahl Associates, Division of Stahl Bennett Inc, Boston, Mass.
E.W.H. Gifford and Partners
Kenneth/Riley Group Associates
REFERENCE
The proposals have been made in response to the brochure 'Bournemouth Centre Development' issued by the County Borough of Bournemouth, March 1970 further informed by the publication 'Bournemouth Town Centre Policy Statement and Map' approved by the Council, 31st December, 1968.
The scheme illustrated particularly related to proposals listed in that Policy Statement as follows:
Item 8 Car parks
Item 9 Pedestrian Precincts
Item 11 Shopping
Item 12 Offices
Item 14 Entertainment
Item 15 Holiday trade
Item 16 Open space
SCOPE
The proposers have enthusiastically accepted 'The Aim of the Redevelopment' that the site should be considered, as a whole, including the gardens and seafront areas. Their proposals illustrate a response to the Council's wish that the scheme should establish the Bournemouth which will carry prosperity into the next century.
At this stage it is intended to deal as comprehensively and imaginatively as that idea demands.
European and American experience shows that, int he expanding field of leisure, recreation and convention management, optimum scale and diversity of exploitation cannot yet be envisaged.
The scheme presented is an attempt to anticipate the full potential of the site while retaining concepts of conservation already expressed by the Council, namely, that open space acreage now laid out be maintained in total.
METHOD
Europe, U.S.A. and Canada are all well advanced in the provision of recreation and conference centres.
European operations are generally state assisted.
the American outlook is strongly geared to profit and has been described as '
primarily a private money making proposition with incidental gestures towards amenity and cultural values'.
The 'Bournemouth Centre Development' document, by contrast, proposes alternative means - by Partnership. clearly all risks and responsibility should not rest upon ratepayers but their amenity and heritage should be preserved and enhanced.
The resources of private enterprise can be used in order that creative planning might lead to promotion and profitable management.
the proposals show a balance between revenue earning development and greater public amenity. Phasing is to be based upon that subtle balance measured by viability analyses conducted jointly by the Local Authority and the developers.
Both Aquatels Ltd and Land Improvements Ltd. are currently engaged in major schemes, thus controlled, in co-operation with Local Authorities. (Aquatels: Leisure/Recreation Centre, Basildon and elsewhere. Land Improvements Ltd: Central Area, Regional Shopping Centre, Gloucester and elsewhere.) Assurance is given that the more financially lucrative facilities will be used to assist amenities of less certain investment return.
BACKGROUND
The principles of the three groups of architects forming the design team are natives of the town and possess close appreciation of its pattern, growth and potential.
In addition, each has acquired specialisation in design for leisure/recreation activity. (Archigram Architects: Graham Foundation Award (USA) for research into Entertainment Facilities 1969/70. Winners of International Competition for Public Entertainment Centre for the Government of Monte Carlo 1970).
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
ENTERTAINMENT
A multi-use structure is proposed in which there are suggested zones for the presentation of exhibitions, entertainments, outdoor summer entertainments and conferences. the total internal part of the structure will seat a total of 6000 persons at normal space standards for conferences. As can be seen from the plans there is a succession of 'theatrical nodes'. These are specifically structured areas which contain both mobile and static machinery. In this way it is expected that the variety of presentations can be maintained so that, for example:
1. Two separate audiences of 200 persons + can concurrently operate.
2. That a conference of 6000 persons can concurrently operate with Summer Shows on the land pier.
3. That the same equipment and organisation can cater for rapidly demountable entertainments down to an audience size of 200 (bleacher seating systems for approximately 120 people each would be utilised).
4. The exhibition area is a gallery forming a direct part of the main structure and for the very largest conferences this would be used as the upper gallery for seating. A constant inter-action between the entertainment areas and facilities and the other accommodation is envisaged and the dimensions and nature of the structure itself has been designed so that the precise delineation of enclosures, both permanent and temporary, can be made more specific after development of the project.
This Conference Centre, as designed, conforms to the outline brief drawn up by the Council, described on pages 3 and 4 of the brochure 'Bournemouth Centre Development'.
CAR PARKING
As undercraft [sic] to the Conference Centre there is a large service area and parking space for 302 cars.
A further 753 cars are to be accommodated in the undercraft of the related development north of Bath Road.
Located at the upper parking level and located at the Bath Road entry is a petrol filling station and spare parts centre for use by both car park users and the general public.
ENCLOSED MALL SHOPPING CENTRE
Supporting first phase proposals is the Shopping Centre set north of Bath Road and occupying the site of the Pavilion. clearly the terms of financial partnership to be arranged for the Conference Centre depends upon profitable commercial development of this section of the scheme.
The Shopping Centre has been designed as a suppressed mass, gaining its volume by taking advantage of the considerable groundfall between Westover Road and Pier Approach. Attention is drawn to its low roofs which have been designed to serve as a semi formal garden area closely related to the landform of the Pleasure Gardens. By this means the effective area of public space has been increased.
Bournemouth Submission supporting material
