The Periscope cuts a striking vertical silhouette against the horizon. Its floating pyramidal shape stratifies into three accommodation zones: the ground floor café and adjacent education space, open to the riverside; the first floor exhibition, audio-visual display and events space in the suspended tapering dark body of the building high-light the urgency of climate change and water management challenges; at its apex a hooded belvedere look-out offers visitors views over the Broads.

These three public spaces, accessible by lift and stair, are vertically linked by an architectonic periscope, which reflects a real-time image of the landscape from the belvedere down into the heart of the building for marvel and discussion.

The building has a sustainably sourced laminated timber structural frame, CLT panel enclosure, clad with dark-stained weather-boarding. It generates its own power from PV panels and local biomass boiler. The River Bure can flood freely under the platform of the ground floor, which, serviced from ceiling level, can itself suffer inundation under extreme conditions.

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Our competition entry is one of three short-listed out of over 90 entries 🡢

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