Utilising Freudian Psychoanalysis to Produce a Fish Market-Water Sports Hybrid Centre

The genesis began with the reflection of the Freudian concepts the Heimlich and Unheimlich. The former being is the feeling of familiarity - which resides in the conscious. And, the latter the opposite - the feeling of unfamiliarity which resides in the unconscious. When one views an uncanny object, the unheimlich is pushed out of the unconscious into the conscious psyche and hence one feels a sense of terror and unfamiliarity.

I felt the theory related strongly to the town, for the town was a location of contrasts – from the image of its quaint Welsh cottages sat on a dramatic landscape, to the fantastical tales and history that is hidden and was only made explicit to myself from research after the visit. The proposal is a hybrid between a fish market and a water sports centre – the reason why was because the town was in need for a fish storage facility and the quay is used for kayaking and canoeing. Bringing these two functions together increases the likelihood of individuals from different backgrounds, i.e. backgrounds in water sports and the fishing industry, to cross paths.

Hence making Fishguard unconscious - that is: its fishing industry and history – and making it conscious. As a result, the primary logic which underpinned the plans were that of uncanny adjacencies – where the experience of the unexpected comes from the close proximity of spaces that do not share similar functions. As the uncanny deals with bringing two opposite feelings together – I decided to use differing typologies. For example, the restaurant and saunas is housed in a saw tooth warehouse.The thinking was that the roof over the fish market space had to mark itself out. The reasons why were, firstly, by the fact of its function; the place where fishermen, visitors and local people cross paths as the catch of the day is being sold –a nexus point to connect unconscious and conscious Fishguard. Secondly, the space being offset from the other spaces facing the coast, means the market embeds itself more into the slope – offering the opportunity to reference the geology of the site, and the Fishguard Cliff’s as a whole. Therefore, a sculptural roof was designed.

In addition to this, the uncanny is inserted by virtue of referencing Jacque Lacan’s Morcellation theory – Where, to summarise, fragmentation and dismemberment is likely to unleash the unheimlich. Blue Pennant stone is used for the exterior, as a reference to the research which has stated the bluestones from Stonehenge has originated from the Fishguard cliffs, an aspect of the town’s history that I felt was a lesser known aspect. Furthermore inversion of expectations were inserted in the contrast of cold and warm colours.