East Quay / Invisible Studio

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 2 of 40East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 3 of 40East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 4 of 40East Quay / Invisible Studio - Interior Photography, FacadeEast Quay / Invisible Studio - More Images+ 35

  • Executive Architect: Ellis Williams
  • Pod Fit Out: Pearce + Faegen
  • Client: Onion Collective
  • City: Watchet
  • Country: United Kingdom
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East Quay / Invisible Studio - Exterior Photography, Waterfront
© Piers Taylor

Text description provided by the architects. A new home for the creative community has been completed in Watchet, Somerset. East Quay was designed by Invisible Studio and Ellis Williams for the Onion Collective CIC – a local female-led, not-for-profit social enterprise. It provides a new cultural anchor for the town and the surrounding area, featuring two contemporary art galleries, 11 artist studios, a paper mill, a geology workshop, a print studio, a restaurant, an education space, and five accommodation pods arranged across the top of the building.

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 31 of 40
Site Plan

The center draws inspiration from both the built environment and the natural landscape. A solid plinth reflects the harbor wall and nearby cliffs, containing the reception, gallery space, restaurant, and artists’ studios. External stairs lead up to the upper level which connects directly to coastal paths, allowing East Quay to become a porous object that can be climbed, traversed, and explored. The ground-floor restaurant opens out onto a new public space where local people and visitors alike can sit and enjoy views back into town, as well as the boats in the marina and the sea beyond.

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 7 of 40
© Jim Stephenson

A series of characterful and idiosyncratic structures sit above the base, referencing the eclectic and often unusual buildings within Watchet. These are clad in simple robust materials as a nod to the industrial nature of the harbor and the activity it contains.

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Jim Stephenson
East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 9 of 40
© Jim Stephenson
East Quay / Invisible Studio - Interior Photography, Facade
© Jim Stephenson

The larger elements contain workshops for makers and artists, as well as the Creator Space – a unique learning environment developed by Year 8 students from local schools working alongside architects PEARCE+Faegan and environmental psychologist Helen King.

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 4 of 40
© Jim Stephenson

Five pods have been created, two of which stand on stilts above the building, that can be booked by adventurous travelers, providing an unusual form of tourism for the area.

East Quay / Invisible Studio - Image 30 of 40
© Jim Stephenson

The interiors, also designed by architect-makers PEARCE+Faegan, each reflect Watchet in some way; including an Object Exchange pod, Stories, and Imagination pod, a Luxury Industrial pod, a Playful pod, and a Participatory Art Pod. East Quay will also run year-round events, offering music, theatre performances, art workshops, courses, and film nights to keep you entertained during your time in Watchet.

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Project location

Address:Watchet, United Kingdom

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "East Quay / Invisible Studio" 07 Mar 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/978059/east-quay-invisible-studio> ISSN 0719-8884

© Piers Taylor

沃切特东海岸创意社区 / Invisible Studio

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