Olivia Bissell
Retreat and Music Hall in Balloch
A journey to the performance hall from the residence.
This project explores a proposal for a retreat and music hall on the shores of Loch Lomond, as put forward by the charity Sistema Scotland, aiming to bring a musical education to children.
School/Level
Category
Year
The project anchors itself on the shore of Loch Lomond in the town of Balloch. A scenic landscape becomes the backdrop of a scheme which will allow Sistema Scotland to take children of all ages and backgrounds on a retreat to be absorbed in a new environment and an abundance of music.
The residential portion of the scheme rests on the shore, inspired by coastal forms, it endeavours to create a whimsical and safe environment for the development of friendships.
There is such a delicate line between public and private in this scheme, the residence building ensures an intimate scale and insular form and defines a contrast between the exposed performance hall.
The public performance space floats out in the water, almost as a celebration, a mark of the end of a journey for the children. Its transparent skin eludes to its public nature, and the long boardwalk from the residence out to the hall is inspired by a coastal pier experience and sets up a physical journey for the children through distance whilst echoing a metaphorical one.