Topographical Analysis
The site has a very mixed topography. The land where the site meets the Feeder Canal to the south of the site is fairly flat until it meets the boundary at the east corner where there is a steep incline up to the railway line. The railway line becomes a topographical feature that also frames the north side of the site where steep inclines of 5m are experienced along this boundaries. A bank protrudes into the site, captured by the site section 02-02, whilst an elevated storage site creates another steep boundary, capture in site section 01-01. The west side of the site involves a curiously steeper decline down to the waters edge.
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In stark contrast, the immediate context on the other side of the Feeder Canal to the south is consistently flat. On the other side of the Feeder Canal to the west there is a steep decline to the river, the gradient of the land then becomes shallower about the old Parcel Force sorting office building, until reaching a bank up to the Railway lines and built elements of Temple Meads train station.
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Section 01-01 captures how the site narrows towards the east, involved a steep incline up to the depot/storage yard. This area could be seen as a buffer between the site and the railway line. Large industrial sheds currently fill the site at this location.
Section 02-02 involves a much wider area of the site, again framed by a steep incline leading up to the railway line at the site boundary. At the other site boundary there is a much harder edge caused by the proximity of the existing building to the feeder canal.
Section 03-03 shows the neighbouring context of the former Parcel Force sorting office site on the west end of the site and gradual incline of an empty site up to the railway line at the east end.
