Llanelli Goods Shed
The former Llanelli Railway Goods Shed is an imposing Grade II listed building situated alongside the main railway line just east of Llanelli Station. Built in 1875, it is one of the few surviving examples in Wales. The shed has been unused for many years and has sadly fallen into a state of disrepair. However, in 2011 the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust was formed with a view to restoring the building and bringing it back into use for the benefit of the community.
When I researched more into the history and heritage of Llanelli Goods Shed and the surrounding sites, it gave me a greater understanding of the roles the building played during its time of use. The history influenced my design and concept for the space.
Surrounding Llanelli Goods Shed is many residential housing, small businesses and schools. The town lacked a community hub that provided a large event space for arts, exhibitions, performances and start up businesses. Therefore my key aim is to create a functional and flexible community space through installations within the main volume of the goods shed.
01 concept layout
02 moodboard
The colours I chose were fresh and neutral to brighten the inner space but still blend with the existing features of the 19th century building. I wanted materials that had texture like the building, so I have used textured vinyl for workshops pods and a chained curtain for the performance space.
My overall spacial planning shows the main goods shed consisting of a large event space, cafe, and workshops. The adjacent office building consists of studios areas and communal hot desks.
03 plans
Main Event Space;
Goods used to be moved from the tracks to wagons and trucks by cranes, therefore i wanted to mimic this fluid circular movement in the design of the performance stage design. I also wanted the event space to be highly flexible and adaptable for different events, this led to the design of the stage becoming fragmented allowing it to extract from each piece and become seating for a show or platforms for art.
Cafe;
- Ground floor of cafe area
I wanted to create an area that could be accessed from either side of the counter, allowing customers working in the workshops to be able to interact within the cafe space and also provide a more cosier space for other visitors to the right of the counter under the framework.
The cafe area is designed to represent the overgrown and derelict goods shed that it once was during its time of abandonment. Therefore I have designed a two storey framework that allows plants and vines to grow in a controlled manner and provide a green natural focal point in the space and above the cafe seating area.
- First floor of cafe area
The second floor was designed to be an extension of the cafe seating and also provide a quieter working space for visitors. This area has been extended from the original office area and sits below the roof trusses. The exterior material of the quiet working area is constructed of similar colour to help it blend in with the original office.
Office Building;
The ground floor of the office building consists of individual desks for people that want a communal area to study or work, and a large communal table for meetings or collaborative projects. The second floor consists of three large studios that can be hired for businesses.
