A Walking Cidery

My project of a productive landscape needed to address the way in which one could utilise the given sites while incorporating the nature surround. While deliberating my main theme I decided I wanted to select something that had strong links back to Abergavenny and Wales itself. This lead to the focus of cider and the production process really appealing to me as it is present throughout welsh culture and could allow the people of Abergavenny and it’s visitors to view the process of something local.

To allow its visitors to view the process from a safe distance I incorporated large windows onto each floor where on can also enjoy the products available. Split into four floors, each section of the process is distinctively split up to allowing the viewing process to be understandable for the viewers while maintaining a clear separation of the industrial and recreational aspects of the building.

These viewing points are all accessed by the main outdoor staircase that leads from top to bottom allowing one to travel with ease and leads to the paths that snake through the orchard, keeping the visitors emerged within the life of the cider during their entire duration. The large windows create viewing points into and out of the structure, linking the existing scenic landscape with the building and the activities throughout. Even through there is not a strict designated route for one to take while travelling throughout the building the ideal journey would begin on the top floor where one is met with the main entrance (and only publicly accessible floor) which holds the bar where one can enjoy a taste of the several ciders while viewing the landscapes surrounding the peak point. Then deciding down the stairs and observing each floor as it shows the machinery and production in chronological order, finishing at the bottom where one can see the orchards themselves. Each floor also has a balcony seating area which are perfect viewing points into the building and across the surrounding town.