quay bar

The building reflects the multi-layered nature of the site, by allowing ingress at all levels around its periphery. The plan of the project grew by abstracting the dynamics of the busy Chester Road dual carriageway, the parallels of which reverberate into the site, expressed as layers of construction, visible architectonically as well as on the drawn plans. These strong lines disintegrate, dissolving finally in the lines of the external works, into the canal water.

The use of strong, robust materials reflect the industrial heritage of the site which, apart from being the location of a Roman fort, was, for a long time, a sturdy depository for coal and slag.