Gatelodge
Cafe, Ards Hospital

The Gate Lodge at the Ards Hospital, was constructed alongside the main hospital building towards the end of the nineteenth century.  Following several uses, including most recently as an office, the building had become derelict and in quite a poor condition.

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust decided to create a new use for the building, a cafe, and in doing so change the structure into a meeting point for the area and the hospital.

The strength of the building was in its unique character and style.  When forming an extension for the building, the focus was to differentiate between both the old and new yet manage to ensure that at first view the Gate Lodge remained the dominant structure. The geometry of the extension was based on the dimensions and lines of the Gate Lodge. The materials chosen are contemporary yet reflect the existing colours within the building. A glass link separates both structures giving the impression of a physical break.