Alastair Hamilton, Citizen

I wish… our town could be protected from rising sea levels for future generations.

Ewan Anderson, 7N Architects

What if… Lerwick’s response to rising sea levels became an opportunity to defiantly transform where the town’s edge meets the sea?

Lerwick is a place which has evolved and relied upon the sea for livelihoods for many centuries. What if Lerwick could positively respond to the challenge of climate change and rising sea levels? The idea developed during walks along the harbour front, opening up thoughts on how the town’s relationship with the sea could be enhanced in the future by designing the necessary protective infrastructure in a way which encourages people to engage with and continue to inhabit the water’s edge.

—

Graeme Howell, Citizen

I wish… Shetland’s climate allowed us to meet in the open.

Emma + Richard Gibson, Richard Gibson Architects

What if… we created an all-weather winter garden in the heart of Lerwick?

The proposal is for a glazed winter garden to provide the people of Lerwick with a warm and dry place that can be used throughout the year, and which would be accessible to all, regardless of their mobility. This would provide Lerwick with a much needed inside / outside space that the public could take ownership of for both casual socialising and for organised events; and a place where people could meet whatever the weather.

—

Alisha Taylor, Citizen

I wish… growing up on an island didn’t make me feel so isolated.

David Muir, Rankinfraser

What if… the young people of Lerwick had a place to call their own?

Life in Shetland can feel remote and disconnected, especially for the island’s young people who due to unpredictable weather conditions will often choose to stay indoors. The proposal is for one of the disused Knab school buildings to be repurposed to provide the young people of Shetland with a place of their own, reconnecting them with a place they miss. The proposal is strategically located in close proximity to the landscape of the headland, allowing them to enjoy the area, yet quickly retreat indoors when the weather changes.

—

Anthony Nicol, Citizen

I wish… I could decorate my own bedroom.

Daniel Clark, Gaada

What if… we created secure, long term homes in collaboration with care-experienced young people?

Having grown up in care, Anthony has moved home nine time in nine years, often in poor quality properties where he is prevented from doing simple, but important things, like putting up wallpaper or making his bedroom ‘his own’.

By drawing upon a wealth of existing experience in Shetland’s care community, we could create stable and dynamic spaces with and for young people in care, that would offer a sense of belonging. Together we could build fun, future-facing homes for young people to grow and thrive.

—

Jim Anderson, Citizen

I wish… that visitors from cruise ships could add something to life in Lerwick, not just take away from it.

Thomas Hamilton, Hoskins Architects

What if… Lerwick’s old fish market became a space where cruise ship passengers could meet the locals and learn about the place and the people?

The proposal imagines a new clear coastal walk from the museum to the historic centre of the town, through some of the sights of Lerwick; the Mareel arts centre, Malakoff yard, colourful waterfront buildings and the historic fort and town. A new shared multifunction shed acts a reception point for passengers, who currently are shuttled away from the town in buses, with markets stalls and performance in summer and a community facility for everyone in the winter.

—

To watch the What if…?/Lerwick film, click here.