Neptune inn look out

Neptune Inn was chosen on the basis of its proximity to the main road and the high visibility for this landmark project to passing traffic. It is hoped that this will induce people to stop and explore the revitalised Gainsborough waterfront. The initial design brief was to develop ideas for an accessible viewing platform, a new public open space and landmark feature with a strong sculptural element. The site is to form one of a series of nodes of activity for the Riverside with interest and opportunity for meeting and viewing the river and surrounding landscape. The creative process commenced with seeking inspiration from the riverside location and the new flood defences. This led to an in-depth study of ideas evoked by the word flood. These ideas encompassed not only the immediate implications of the river within Gainsborough but delved further into the more abstract concepts of an overwhelming force; interpreted both physically and emotionally. The flood is consistently used to illustrate the power of nature and has significant currency in mythology imparting a range of meanings. It may also be interesting to note that there are significant links between Gainsborough and King Canute. The design solution represents, by its location and scale, an optimistic statement to the residents and visitors of Gainsborough. The proposed design for the Lookout is based on a waveform resonant of the idea of a wave of water being returned to the river. This can be seen to symbolise the repelling of adverse forces. In addition the lookout function can be seen to represent continued vigilance from a protected standpoint