CREATING A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE 

Studio BAD won a competition to design a new sculpture that celebrates community, sport and the charity Allgera’s Ambition, to be placed outside the Winchester recreation centre. The theme of the winning design was a ‘Tactile Seating Structure’ crafted from hardwood timber fins.

Materials have been carefully selected to deliver a beautiful sculpture which will be long lasting with minimal maintenance needed. The reclaimed wooden fins will be crafted out of different hardwood, offering a beautiful variation on colour tone and texture, with each positioned at a slightly different angle to create an organic ripple, reflective of the ribbons within the charity logo. The curved shape of the structure creates a welcoming enclosure for people to gather, encouraging people to sit or lounge within, or climb and crawl over the undulating surface.

The structure will be integrated with landscaping and outdoor apparatus, create a natural gathering point and also a form of seating, encouraging everyone an opportunity to participate in physical activity and activating an underused public area outside of the leisure centre.

The charity, Allegra’s Ambition, aims to encourage and empower young and disadvantaged people to fulfil their potential through participation in sport. SPUD is an arts and education charity located in the New Forest, they aim to create opportunities for people to engage with art, architecture, design and the environment.