African Design Magazine ADM #38 March 2018 | Page 36

BOATHOUSE 4
BOATHOUSE 4
LINKS
THE OLD
AND
THE NEW
The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust’s vision to
revitalise Boathouse 4 in Portsmouth, England, resulted in the
restoration of the existing building fabric, thereby providing
visitors with free access to a permanent boat exhibition and
café, as well, as providing boatbuilding facilities.
A
rchitects Walters & Cohen
established the brief with
reference to Heritage Lottery
Fund (HLF) guidelines and in consultation
with four stakeholder groups: PNBPT, a
new international boatbuilding college,
Highbury Further Education College, and
a group of volunteers. The brief defined
how these groups would use the building,
opportunities for sharing facilities, the visitor
experience and exhibition space, the café,
and conservation and revitalisation.
Overcoming multiple challenges
A complex project, Boathouse 4 presented
a number of challenges to the design team.
These included:
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