Fisherman huts / A palette of black(Taken October 2011)The new Jerwood Gallery by HAT Architects currently in construction in Hastings nestles itself between the historic Stade fishermen huts which adorn many of the town's postcards. The project has received a mixed response from its local populous, seen by many as an invigorating torch of progress, yet to others an impeding blemish on the historical coastline.
The Gallery plays with the striking black silhouette of the huts, clad in hand glazed tiles (a nod to the hand built huts) resembling the wet pebbles of the beach whilst a series of roof lights emulate the existing roof scape. Incomplete its not possible to tell fully how these buildings and spaces will interact once complete. Currently its scale seems to impose clinging fairly close to it's surroundings, although this feeling may well be alleviated when the gallery becomes penetrable to its visitors and begins to interact with it's seaside setting.
Information/images from HAT architects can be found at: www.hatprojects.com/jerwoodgallery
RIBA Journal review at: http://www.ribajournal.com/index.php/feature/article/adding_that_extra_polish
