Guildhall Walk Workshop

Guildhall Studios is a metal workshop based in Portsmouth. The red brick, symbolic of local shipbuilding ports and the rich naval heritage of the site, supports a strong facade littered with large hole-punched shapes. The deep space-conscious design aims to bring light down into the basement through an open atrium space. The existing space didn't act as effective public space, so to ensure the maximum space permitted for the project, the buildings design approaches right up to the site border, thereby allowing for larger exhibition spaces and space for the public cafe. The basement is operated by the workshop, producing art and orders for local businesses and exhibitions held above in the exhibition space. The architecture mimics the arch's of ship building and finds its place in sharing its common material with the context. The roof is intended to act as a small 'isolated' space, minimal space to look to the context leaves only the sky.