PROJECT
Landmark East
CLIENT
International Competition
DATE
2003
TALES
Conceived as a contemporary fairytale, this landmark proposal seeks to offer East England more than a visual icon, it aspires to become a place of inner transformation. Rising from the water like a sculpted dream, the structure is both monumental and elusive, a shard of imagination rendered in pure form. Visitors do not merely observe it; they inhabit it. Through its shifting perspectives, veiled light, and mirrored reflections, it awakens a sense of wonder often forgotten in daily life.
Rather than display technology, it dissolves it, allowing the environment, water, sky, and silence to perform the true magic. This is not only a symbol or trademark for the region, but a poetic refuge: a space to reflect, to feel pride, and to rediscover the enchantment hidden in the world.
In our mundane everyday life there is always a need for a little ‘magic.
Thus the provision of a ‘magic’ space has become the objective of this proposal. Landmark East should not just act as a visual sign, or even educate or recreate. It should be a source of inspiration and motivation for the people of East England. It should have a profound impact on its visitors and affect the way they deal with their lives. It should be grandiose and impressive, yet humane and evasive. Its state of the art technology should simply disappear in the natural environment, demonstrating the ‘magic’ of modern science.
The most evident objective of the proposal is to provide with a visual sign of East England, a ‘trademark’. It should also inform about East England and educate. However this is not enough. It should be a space that people can ‘inhabit’, feel that it belongs to them and be proud of it.
What better way to bring out the ‘magic’ than a fairytale.