A belvedere is conventionally embedded in the upper storey of a building to provide a ‘fair view’ on to a landscape. The belvederes that students have been asked to design for the Hadspen Estate are more akin to viewing platforms or observation towers. It is intended that they would have a presence as objects in landscape.
The conditions for the design of the belvedere were as follows:
• Its form and position on a chosen site would enable a ‘fair view’ on to the Hadspen Estate or sites beyond its boundary.
• It would accommodate another function that either enables temporary dwelling or addresses the energy or water provision for a local condition.
• The materials and components from which the belvedere might be built would be a primary consideration in the design process. Thought was also given to the source of the materials employed.
• Consideration would be given to whether the form of the belvedere or method of construction employed would enable the dismantling and reconstruction of the structure on another site.
The students proposals were investigated through iterative model studies at 1:50. The final models can be observed below.
