January 19 2021

Eyemouth Harbour Trust has commissioned an ambitious regeneration package for the disused Old Fishmarket, latterly a Maritime Museum, after securing public funding.

With a remit to maintain, preserve and improve the current harbourfront Galmstrup Architects propose to demolish the 1960s building, replacing it with a series of three small pavilions of up to 90sq/m, incorporating winter gardens for al-fresco dining, events and community use, with office rental pods above modelled on traditional boathouses.

Eliminating blank frontages, ground floor units will be fully glazed with large bifold or patio doors opening towards the quayside with the spaces between each pavilion left as public open space.

Employing timber construction, combining both traditional hardwood joinery and prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber the new pavilions will be setback to allow a wider promenade to be formed and include a feature roof which alludes to the harbour sailboats and building gables.

Detailing their approach Galmstrup wrote: "The pavilions reinterpret the traditional gable language with slim modular units set in two directions. The vaulted roof feature brings an innovative profile to Eyemouth as a gesture to the harbour and reference for visitors, resembling the world of boats and their enormous soft arched sails.

"The ground floors are open, permeable spaces and the upper enclosed space reinterpreting the traditional market and warehouse typologies.

"A timber structure is proposed instead of the conservation areas traditional usage of red sandstone. This way the pavilion structures remain a lightweight and softer appearance suitable for the freestanding location along a promenade while mimicking the traditional architectural language of Scottish fishing huts."

In the process, it is hoped to establish a regional destination which can augment the old town and festival calendar. 

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Jan 2021 at 09:20 AM

Wintergardens -- more please and make it snappy.
We need to better control our public realm -- rain is a huge drag on our public spaces.
Desperately need more enclosed public space -- failing that a roof would do.

#2 Posted by wonky on 19 Jan 2021 at 12:23 PM

It was sad to see the demise of the maritime museum- but its failure was more or less a reflection of the small amount of visitors to Eyemouth- and so this would be a welcome addition to the harbourside. Eyemouth has a lot of great assets and has fantastic potential so hopefully this will be a catalyst to a brighter future. Eyemouth and parts of the Borders record less than 600mm on annual rainfall- compared to the likes of Cannes (750mm) or Sardinia and parts of coastal Italy with 900mm plus annual rainfall- so Eyemouth is relatively dry in the Summer and so al-fresco dining should not be such an alien concept for this part of the world

#3 Posted by MV on 19 Jan 2021 at 14:22 PM

I like this. It's quite playful, nice scale and suits the location. Go for it!

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Jan 2021 at 14:24 PM

Timing dear boy -- timing ...
Big rain in Eyemouth is 70/80mm in August.

Consequently they don't need a winter-garden they need a summer-shelter.

Pretty dormant coast -- not much happening between Dunbar and Berwick.

More publicity and facillities would help so hopefully this goes ahead.

#5 Posted by David on 19 Jan 2021 at 15:15 PM

Ambitious and surprising but fantastic to see. Hope it happens asap, town and especially the harbour area have such potential.

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