Floating museum idea wins Matt Drury an award

Jul 2 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THESE innovative designs for a series of floating museums to host the historic Lindisfarne Gospels have landed a prestigious award.

Northumbria University architecture graduate Matt Drury came up with the idea for a string of museums in the sea off Holy Island, where the Gospels could be kept in environmentally-controlled conditions.

Visitors could heighten their experience of Holy Island by taking a boat to view the Gospels in their offshore location.

Matt, who lives in Heaton in Newcastle, also envisaged another eight units, some celebrating and telling the story of the life of St Cuthbert, and others being used as a place of retreat and contemplation.

St Cuthbert, who was Bishop of Lindisfarne, spent time as a hermit, possibly on St Cuthbert’s Island off Lindisfarne and on one of the Farne Islands. Now Matt’s concept has won the Northern Design Competition award for Architectural Design after being shortlisted from thousands of entries from universities and colleges across the North of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The 22-year-old entered the competition with his final-year degree project on Lindisfarne.

Six of the units would be built on rocks which, like Holy Island, would be accessible for part of the day and then be cut off by the tide.

Three of the units – those housing the Gospels and providing the retreats – would be accessible only by boat.

The units would be built from concrete but would incorporate aggregate from the island so that as they weathered they would take on the appearance of rocks.

Each unit would have its own role, such as:

:: A reception.
:: A memorial to St Cuthbert.
:: A place for the history of St Cuthbert and the Lindisfarne Gospels
:: Somewhere to show how the Lindisfarne Gospels were created.
:: A venue for film displaying the content of the Gospels.
:: A boathouse providing access to the two retreats and Gospels house.

Matt, who is currently working as an architectural assistant with architects Space Group in Benton, Newcastle, was also influenced by the tidal nature of life on Lindisfarne.

“I visited St Cuthbert’s Island and I have also sat at 3am on the rocks at the east of Lindisfarne,” he said.

“Time on Holy Island is defined by the cyclical nature of the tide.

“The museum units explore the zone between low tide and high tide, and the sea beyond.

“Accessible at low tide, they provide something of a pilgrimage.”

Kelly Mackinnon, senior lecturer in architecture in the School of the Built Environment at Northumbria University, said: “We’re over the moon that Matt’s work has been recognised by such an award.

“Matt’s imaginative design and considerable architectural talents have enabled him to succeed, despite fierce competition, in what is a great start to his career.

“This competition attracts entrants from all northern universities and it’s a great way to put Northumbria University’s architecture department on the map.”