Reflections on architecture

At a recent site visit to Sumburgh Head Lighthouse we took some photos of the interiors of the WWII radar buildings on site.  We have always found these inspiring buildings, even if the textures created were an unintentional by-product of defensive requirements.

These small huts are thought to have housed transmitting and receiving equipment and were originally constructed in timber, with roofs formed in corrugated iron sheeting.  To protect them from German machine guns the buildings were later enclosed in a no fines concrete outer shell, shuttered and poured in situ.  Over several decades the harsh marine environment has eroded much of the original timber and iron structures, leaving only their inverted impression on the interior faces of the concrete shell, akin to a Rachel Whiteread sculpture.

The concrete and textures found in these and similar buildings have been a significant influence on the form and construction techniques used in the new Education Room, currently on site.

For more information on the Sumburgh Head regeneration project visit their website.