AWARDS
2001 Concrete Society Award
Alsop's concept of transforming a piece
of infrastructure into a integrated work of art is nowhere more
vividly realised than in the barrage which spans Cardiff Bay,
designed to turn a tidal estuary into a freshwater lake with a
controlled water level and to encourage the regeneration of
Cardiff's depressed docklands.
The Alsop team worked on the project from 1989 with civil
engineers Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, commissioned by the
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. In functional terms, only a
very strong wall of concrete, with sluice gates to control water
levels, was required. However, it was apparent that the Barrage was
not just a barrier, but also a connection, spanning the Bay from
the docklands to the suburb of Penarth. Although the Barrage would
not carry road traffic, it would form a convenient route for
walkers and cyclists and could be developed as a leisure and
tourist amenity. The idea of a series of 'events' along its length
was developed - these varied from planted areas, observation
terraces and picnic spots to sculptural interventions and even a
specially created island.
Alsop was also responsible for the Barrage Control Building, a
dramatically elevated and cantilevered structure with a control
room (overlooking the sluice gates) set above plant. Clad in
aluminium on a steel frame, with aluminium sandwich panels used to
clad the services box below, the building is designed for high
durability, yet has a sculptural expressiveness which reflects the
wider vision behind the Barrage.