Keep me on the Canal

XUAN WANG

KEEP ME ON THE CANAL

The project is to comfort the pedestrian on the towpath and attract more people to enjoy the nature of the canal.

Origins

When the author walking along the canal on Feburary, I really was attracted by the woods, ducks, and swans. I enjoyed the peace away from the busy vehicles. But I was too cold to stay for a long time I even didn’t to take out my hands to take photos. Cyclists ring bells frequently behind me and I have to keep caution all the time. I want to find some places to warm myself and have a rest……. But I can not find……Sunset came early at 3pm and the way went dark……

Do you want a cafe hub to have a rest when you walk along the canal?

Do you want somewhere to sit down and enjoy the nature peacefully?

Do you want a place where you can know what kinds of animals and plants living on the Union Canal with your child?

Do you want somewhere to know the history of the park?

That’s what I am doing.

Problem framing and site analysis

The west hailes is the area with low income and a high proportation of childern. Hailes quarry park has the rich natural resources including large area of woodland, wetland and birds, which can be the potential for regeneration of both western part of the canal and surronding neighborhoods.

Combing the demand for infrastructure like cafes, shops, toilets and benches, and the natural resources, it will be a high integrated project both serving the public canal and local community.

The

What you can do here

It is an integrated recreational centre which includes a cafe, an activity hall and a landscape. It aim to firstly serve the people coming from the towpath, giving them a place to rest and have some food, especially useful in winter, and secondly serve the people from local community. The Wester Hailes may be the main community using it. It is not a community centre which only collabrate local people, but a public recreational centre for a wider context, for all groups of people.

Cafe 

Cafe is supposed to be the leverage point because it can comfort all groups of people, walkers, runners, cyclists and students going camping. In summer, the canal and Hailes Quarry park is really busy with walking people, children playing and community engagement people. The cafe will serve them well and certainaly with careful design not influencing the park’s natural characteristic. It will also provide people passing from towpath a good rest time! In winter, it opens till late night at 9pm, lighting the surrounding area, giving a sense of safety.

Activity hall

The activity hall is a multifunctional workshop with professional commentors introducing native species in the park and on the canal and the unique quarry history of this park. It provides ecological sessions where you can learn ecological knowledge and then have a field exploring. It is super fasinating for youth!

Aslo the activity hall provides hiring service for events. You can hire space for summer camps, wild adventure, community engagement, even party!

Landscape

The landscape included in the project is defined as place-making. It combines the characteristic of English naturalistic and cottage style of garden. Sitting on the benches, having a cup of coffee, enjoying the nature, your children playing water, you can spend a whole day here! There also will be places for BBQ, food and tools provied by the cafe.

Advice Please

I am really happy to hear some advice from you! Anything worths a lot!

Do you think the cafe and workshop are really on demand? If not, what function do you want to add to the centre?

What’ s the real problem and need in the park and along the canal?