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Aquaponics in the City

Part 1 Project 2015
Alexander Bradley
 University of Nottingham Nottingham | UK
Recently rejected office and retail based proposals for the currently disused General Market Building in Smithfield Market, London, have divided opinions and generated great controversy in the press. It is my intention to utilise the engaging and highly efficient farming method of Aquaponics to revitalise this recently neglected, but potentially majestic Victorian structure.
Aquaponics combines the farming of aquatic animals with the cultivation of plants in water enriched by nutrients from the fish’s waste. The scheme involves the farming, selling and eating of Aquaponic produce whilst aiming to educate the public about its vast potential to grow organic food within a city, free of transport miles.
The General Market, which previously provided fruit and vegetables to the capital, sits on the central axis of the low lying Smithfield Market and utilises a similar material palette and vertical rhythm. Treatment of the structure required a sensitive response to the area’s deep, historical context, combined with an understanding of the building’s layers of previous restoration and current disrepair. New visual connections from the street enticingly reveal the General Market’s new function and additional structures, luring in passers-by. A sunken courtyard embraces my desire to connect the public with nature within the city.


Tutor(s)
2015
The new main entrance to the market was created by punching through the perimeter building, also providing access to the new education block and creating strong visual connections to the aquaponics systems.
Smithfield is an area of London that is intrinsically linked to food production, the selling of food and public spaces/events.
The disused General Market building is situated on the central axis of Smithfield’s low lying market buildings.
The design combines refurbishment strategies where possible with new insertions, forming a hybrid of new and old structures.
As the building’s footprint is so large, the design focuses on a route through the building which is captured by the sectional perspective.
Polycarbonate greenhouse conversions of the Horace Jones roof structure surround a sunken courtyard at the heart of the scheme.
Food boutiques lure passers-by off of the street using a variety of techniques. Restaurants overlook the growing produce. An auditorium which hosts aquaponic themed lectures occupies the existing basement.
The Horace Jones roof structure has been stripped back to its framework, allowing light to flood into the greenhouses and flexible market space.
Indicative of the seasons, a cherry blossom tree forms a motif for the building. The sunken courtyard offers a rare place of contemplation within the busy city.
A boutique hotel offers a unique experience for those enrolled on a week-long aquaponics course. The hotel integrates with the existing façade by using glass bricks of the same dimensions as the Victorian masonry.
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