Llanelli Millennium Coastal Park
From CollabLandWiki
• The Llanelli Millennium Coastal Park designed by MacGregor Smith late in 1996, was a project which reclaimed redundant industrial and docklands, in order to restore a derelict landscape and ‘give back to the people’.
• The project had a short duration of three years to be completed to coincide with the millennium celebrations. Due to the short timescale the planning and construction had to all be done all high speed. The project also had numerous problems with change of authority midway, demolition of a power station and dealing with contaminated land and derelict buildings.
• The project covers a vast stretch of coastline approximately 20km of picturesque Prebrey Harbour views, also contained in this coast line is the Loughor estuary and an international important nature site to the east.
• The original idea was to divide the park up in 10 areas where different artist work would be on display, but due to the lack of commission the artists where reduced to four artists overall.
• An example of artist envolved with the project, Lynne Bebb's surface treatment of the end of Pembrery pier was inspired by the artist's study of flotsam on the shore.
• At Pwll a large earthwork by Richard Harris sculpts the site of a demolished power station.
• The park seems at times to be fragmented with the spacing of artist work, but the design is held together by a cycle track.
• MacGregor Smith worked with a company called Arup to create a centre to the park, with the idea of becoming a permanent show site.
• The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust was created around the centre of the park, this was designed to be the artist focal point of the park. The Millennium Wetland’s are introduced here exclusively for native and migratory bird species. One issue which arose out of the designing stage of this particular element; ‘was how to let the public wander around a wildlife reserve without frightening off what they had come to see?’
• People are contained in corridors behind bunds, which is a landform that implies the imagery of ripples in the sand, this then provides substantial protection or screens for the birds to be watch in their natural habitat.
• The building the Gateway Hide is accessed along a 35m long, green oak bridge. The Hide is elevated above the Wetland area and miniature ‘fjords’ to increase the feeding area for bird life. The building itself has been inspired by the heron which is prominent in this area, the Gateway Hide’s tapering form is using the imagery of the wings being splayed, the colour is ferrous oxide and bright ochre which is iconic to the heron.
• The single-clad Gateway Hide is Heron-like in form.
• The Llanelli Coastal Park provides a place for local residents and visitors alike to come and explore the wild landscapes of South Wales. It draws throngs of people to enjoy a good stroll and a place for young family’s cycle ride. One interesting feature of this place is that is not yet seen as finished, and has the potential to keep on evolving. A problem would be the on going maintenance of the overall site, which doesn’t make for a sustainable park. Yet, the park is proving successful and an enjoyable way to experience the rich coastal environment of an unique and breathtaking area.
