Konishi Gaffney won a national architectural competition for a new café and visitor centre on an exceptional beach-front site, in the Lake District National Park. The beach is overlooked by Black Combe Fell to the north and gives spectacular views across the Irish Sea towards the Isle of Man.

The building developed with two sheltered, canted courtyards, one facing Black Combe Fell and the other, the sea views which are maximised through the splayed forms. The building will provide shelter from the blowing wind regardless of direction. We took the pitched, slate roof vernacular of the Lake District and adapted this to make a modest addition to the beach context.

We collaborated with the internationally renowned and Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Boyce on an integrated artwork; external shutters that provide weather protection and a distinctive pattern motif for the building.

Boyce is best known for his innovative sculpture and public artworks that explore the intersection of art, design, and urban space. His work has been exhibited at venues around the world, including the Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. His approach, inspired by 20th Century Modernism, often sees work that incorporates language, pattern, and repetition of form.

The shutters are being crafted in Glasgow using marine-grade stainless steel with intricate details and will provide an ever-changing pattern of dappled light and shadow inside the building and out.