A heritage centre for Anglesey

Kate, a Senior Landscape Architect at Land Studio, reflects on her work with a new heritage centre for Anglesey:

“Sitting on the north coast of the beautiful island of Anglesey is Cemaes Bay, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“It is the proposed site for a new heritage centre within and adjoining an existing chapel and school overlooking the bay and the Irish Sea beyond. The new centre will encompass an exhibition centre, restaurant and holiday cottage across three floors, with several roof terraces that take in the expansive views out to sea.

“The steep terrain and coastal climate make the design process challenging. Careful consideration was needed for both plant selection and material choices, due to wind and salt exposure. However, this proximity to the sea was also very inspiring, as was the unique geology of the region that is even visible on the shoreline below the site.

Anglesey is designated a UNESCO Global GeoPark, due to its outstanding geology, and the rocks in the Cemaes area belong to the ‘Mona Complex’, containing the oldest fossils known in Wales, up to 860 million years old.

“This incredible natural history informed my design approach at each stage, from references to the layering of rock in the overall concept, to the colours of the natural stone paving at the two entrances.

“It is a fantastic project to work on.”