Staying with the competition theme, another competition set on the coast bearing a resemblance to seaside shelters was a 2006 RIBA competition to design a swivelling wind shelter that would contribute to a series of outdoor artworks along the South Shore Promenade in Blackpool . The project had a cost of £150,00. The winning design was a joint project with Architect Ian McChesney (who also entered the Littlehampton competition) structural engineers Atelierone, Birse Construction and M-tec undertaken alongside Blackpool Borough Council. The Architects vision was that “The swivelling wind shelters rotate according to the prevailing wind direction, shielding the occupants from the elements. The shape was born out of the need for a vane to turn the structure and a baffle to shelter occupants from the wind” (M-Tec, 2006)
M-Tec were responsible for the fabrication, delivery and installation of the two shelters, which were constructed from 2205 duplex stainless steel for its corrosion resistant values. The wind shelters are now sited on Blackpool’s Southern Promenade where they sit on special dampened bearings and gently turn away from the wind.
This competition also had two runner up designs shown below, one of which I particularly love shown on the left by Squire and Partners.
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