Coastline Infinity | Isle of Portland, UK | Unit 21 | 2022

yat.tang.20@ucl.ac.uk

The thousand-million-year geology formation’s collision with human interventions holds exciting tensions for the ever-changing coastline of Portland, which contributes to the island’s unique identity. Algorithms are developed with the notion of erosions and the carving processes of the landscape that formulates a set of design methodologies.

The project dedicates to reconstructing and translating the coastline of Southern England into a hiking trail with a series of programs, contributing to the Jurassic Coast Fund Centre. Visitors are able to discover and experience the traces of the eroding site, a former coastal quarry, as well as the stone compositions and site elements in various scales and timelines. Geomorphology data ranging from Triassic to Cenozoic are employed to generate unconventional habitable spaces and material sequences, with the aim of allowing visitors to engage with the coastal topologies through the linear journey.

Three Forces of Portland

Three external forces are carving and shaping the coastline of Portland, resulting in versatile landscape typologies. Namely quarry activities from the top, ocean waves from the sides and bedrock movements from the bottom.

Jurassic Coast Fund Centre

Imprint of History

JCFC shrinks the 153km Jurassic coastline into one hiking journey. 17 generated stone materials are assigned according to the geology formation on a building scale to allow visitors to experience the dramatic changes in the historical timeline.

Promoting the World Heritage

Three generated exhibition spaces and a public theatre along the hiking trail are dedicated to advocating the significance of the Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural World Heritage Site.