Greyhope Bay Centre

“Dolphins at the Battery”, Greyhope Bay Centre is a charitable organisation with an ambition to develop a world-class visitor Centre that connects people with Aberdeen’s dynamic marine environment. The first phase of the project, ‘Dolphins at the Battery’, has successfully created a hub for visitors to experience Aberdeen’s coastline and the region’s charismatic bottlenose dolphins which are permanently based in the harbour area.

The centre is based in Torry, an Aberdeen community build around an old fishing village, with a deep heritage to the surrounding natural beauty and wildlife. Through each stage of the development, the design has been led by the response and engagement of the local community. The project has been funded by local individuals, businesses and volunteers who have raised over £200,000 thanks to their deep affection to the heritage of the area. Since opening in January 2022, over 30,000 visited the cafe and viewing centre. Design- Given the setting of Torry Battery, the design aim is to immerse the visitor in the landscape and the view. The design successfully responds to local context and needs and creatively re-use existing assets and support a strong sense of place. It is a design for both the city and its residents, that includes an innovatively designed autonomous facility, utilising repurposed shipping containers which delivers an affordable and fully recyclable unit with minimum impact on site.

Two containers were modified structurally to accommodate the wind load and glass walls. The roof and walls insulated externally and cladded with metal cladding. The design includes a triple glazing wall towards to the sea, taking advantage of the harbour views. The flexible indoor space allows for a simple coffee point to serve both visitors that come indoors and those enjoying the outside space. The outside space accommodates generous timber decking areas that provide an accessible walkway to explore the historic remains of the battery, a viewing platform, and a space for outdoor seating performances.

The building is a self-sufficient autonomous structure that does not require any services to be brought to site, further minimising any impact to the area and the monument. Electricity is provided by solar P.V. panels installed on the roof, and the water is collected from roof and collected in an underground water tank which is then treated for consumption. The containers sit on small concrete pad foundations, and partly overhang from the existing stone wall (uncovered during site investigations and trial pits). The sub and superstructure and all materials are designed to be removable from the site as required by Historic Scotland (HS).