Two ‘pods’ first used on the reality TV series Castaway are to be refurbished thanks to a £34,720 grant.
The wooden units have been at the Cove Park artists centre on the Rosneath Peninsula for 20 years, after being designed by architect Andy McAvoy in 1999.
They were first constructed on the uninhabited island of Taransay in the Outer Hebrides when it was the setting for the BBC reality series Castaway, which had 9m viewers at its peak and led to Ben Fogle becoming a household name.
After filming was over the pods were relocated to Cove Park in 2001 and upgraded as accommodation for resident artists.
“This spirit of recycling applied to all the accommodation units being sourced for Cove Park during the first years of the residency programme, notably our cubes – shipping containers repurposed as individual accommodation units and studios,” said a spokesperson.
“Although they have been consistently maintained since 2001, they now require more extensive refurbishment.
“This award offers the perfect opportunity to improve their efficiency via a series of upgrades that will ensure these idiosyncratic and much-loved buildings are ready for the future.”
The timber-framed pods have expansive areas of glass to make the most of the wonderful views across Loch Long to the Cowal Peninsula and have been used as accommodation for hundreds of artists, while their communal spaces have proven ideal for both individual and collaborative work.
The funding has come from the Scottish Government’s Community Climate Asset Fund and will also help reduce the centre’s carbon emissions.
Photograph by courtesy of Ruth Clark.
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