Cinema and Music Venue
Lerwick, Shetland

In July 2006 Gareth Hoskins Architects won a national competition to design a new cinema and music venue (to be called Mareel) in Lerwick, Shetland. The practice have been working closely with the Shetland Islands Council, the Shetland Arts Development Agency, and a stakeholder group consisting of over 100 local musicians and artists in order to develop this project, which will help to support the burgeoning creative industries in Shetland and will significantly contribute to the local economy.

The venue will include a multi-use auditorium; two cinema screens; recording studio; rehearsal rooms; media spaces and a café/bar. It will be situated on a prominent waterfront site, adjacent to the historic Hays Dock. The architectural response reflects the tradition of simple, robust forms, typical in such exposed locations and also echoes the industrial architecture which formally occupied the site. When completed, the new building will provide a striking contemporary addition to the Lerwick waterfront.