Sailing Collective Marjan

Technische Universität Braunschweig

Project idea

The Sailing Collective Marjan offers an architectural scope for a closed group of about 20 members. The themes of exclusivity, space, recreation, celebration and prestige characterize this design and are addressed in the individual building blocks.

Project description

The first building block, the Infinitum (lat. infinitus = infinite), takes up this axis directly next to the existing foundations and continues it. Seemingly infinite, built on and on, this walkway projects out into the ocean. The archways on one side function as a kind of gate - the threshold - through which the visitor can enter his sailboat. The arrival from the water is thus architecturally consolidated.

At the end of the Inifinitum, the Monumentum (lat. = monument) rises on the last concrete foundation.
It functions as a lighthouse and viewing platform, and its self-confident dimensions represent the sailing collective from afar.

The Caerimonium (lat. caerimonia = celebration) serves as a connecting element between land and water. This is where most of the events take place. The foundation is cast on the rough rocks of the coast, symbolising the natural anchoring with nature and the place. The structure is elongated and runs parallel to the Infinitum.
The floor plan also follows this axis out onto the water - this is how the serving functions such as storage, kitchen and staff rooms are organized at the beginning. Followed by the bar, the sequence of rooms then ends in the assembly room, which is also architecturally highlighted by a small height offset. Curtains fluttering in the warm breeze provide additional privacy when needed. The scale of the user group can be easily read from the seating.

Next to the Caerimonium, at some distance, is the Curatium (lat. curatio = cure). The Curatium is the garden of the sailing collective and serves, along with the other rooms, for recreation close to nature. The foundation is poured directly onto the rocks that accompany the coastline. The concrete table embodies the architectural interpretation of these massive rocks.
The Curatium emerges from the pine forest, providing security and shade. It also picks up the axis of the existing development from land. Descending the first steps from the cliff, the visitor is offered a sweeping view across the area directly out to the Monumentum.

A little further out is the Exclusivum (lat. exclusio = secluded). This is a purely ceremonial place that can only be reached by boat. The symmetrical space directs the focus completely to the wide landscape and the water basin in the middle. The Exclusivum could serve the possible initiation ritual of the sailing collective. The aspirant would have to climb the Monumentum, jump from it into the water and then dive underwater into the Exclusivum. Through the opening in the roof, the incoming daylight would guide the diver to the destination. Resurfaced, after a small champagne reception, the members would make their way back to the Caerimonium to begin the festivities.

Technical information

The remains of an old military facility were to be transformed into a place of recreation. Three existing concrete foundations suggest a linear orientation out to the sea.

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