Shortlisted for hotel and short stay interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019, Radar Station by Johnson Naylor sits on the site of two pre-fabricated timber sheds erected by Decca in 1961.

The building aims to preserve the memory of the two shed forms, whilst maintaining a connection with the original building and its history. Radar is located alongside a string of other industrial buildings on the headland of the shingle beach, which separate themselves from the domestic, railway carriage vernacular common to Dungeness. The new structure is prefabricated, much like the surrounding buildings and follows the form of the original shed, though rotated through 90 degrees.

The structure responds to the local fishermen’s huts and sheds clad in corrugated metal. By contrast, the interior is gentle, natural and calm - a sanctuary. Our design approach was a play to find balance between all the contradictory yet complementary elements; the rugged landscape versus a cosy shelter and privacy versus transparency. A palette of Bone and purple further reflect the landscape of Dungeness - indigenous flowers tend to be either yellow or purple and Bone a prominent shingle colour. This allows the beach to blend through the building and sit comfortably in the vastness of the landscape. Original concrete fence posts mark the edge of the pre-existing site and the original railway sleepers pave the way to Radar Station, a subtle nod to the buildings history.

Designer: Johnson Naylor
Project: Radar Station