KATIE LISTER

The Storytelling Collective // Longannet

Across from the heavy industrial site of Grangemouth sits the picturesque village of Culross, and to the west of this, the site of the old Longannet Power Station. Built on reclaimed land, the power station was closed in 2016, ten years before the Grangemouth Oil Refinery. It is here that the Storytelling Collective will be realised.

Rooted in Scottish traditions of storytelling, this project explores how storytelling can aid humanity in a time of climate crisis, whether through fantastical folklore or real climate stories. The buildings are sunk into the earth, connecting them to their landscape and creating shelter to the central courtyard. Material choices are local and low carbon with a stone base grounding the buildings, and lighter timber structures above.

The scheme provides a space for the local community and visitors to the area to tell stories, gather and mobilise. Set within the landscape, the buildings aim to provide spaces for many different kinds of storytelling, whilst also providing facilities for community climate action groups, such as small growing workshops for seawilding.

Key spaces include a community hall for hosting workshops, live music and ceilidhs, a hearth space for gathering, an outdoor auditorium that connects at sea level, and a contemplative space out over the water, modelled on a traditional Scottish broch.

On the wider reclaimed industrial land, a managed realignment scheme reduces flood risk and encourages rewilding on the site.