Concept

We were struck by the idea of designing a shelter in the grounds of Ancona, understanding that Ancona for many is a shelter - a place of safety.

This set us thinking about the nature of a shelter as a protective space. The image that sprung to mind was that of a mother bird sheltering her young under her wing. Her wing shelters them from the elements, but its shape curling around them also expresses a protective gesture. 

So we came up with the idea of a shelter in the form of a single sculptural shape inspired by a bird’s wing. This is a shape that would create an informal type of shelter that young people would and their own way to use, as opposed to a traditional shelter with a prescribed seating 

Process

The bird was fabricated in our own studio over a five week period in the summer. It was formed out of bendy plywood, fibreglass and white polyester resin. This material is lightweight, waterproof, cost effective and lends itself to freeform shapes without any sharp edges, and worked perfect for this brief.