Honestly, my first impression of Scarborough wasn’t particularly surprising. It felt somewhat familiar as if I had been here before. Before visiting the site, while researching, I couldn’t help but notice how much it resembled my hometown, Pohang. Although the population density is completely different, both cities share the same foundation they are coastal cities where the sea and tourism form the core of urban life. That’s why, throughout my site visit, I kept unconsciously comparing Scarborough with my hometown.

The first thing that stood out was transportation. After getting off at Scarborough Station, I was surprised that I could walk to the seafront within about fifteen minutes, passing through a network of small local infrastructures around the station. It clearly showed how the city had been planned and developed as the first seaside resort in the UK, with a strong focus on tourism and service industries.

The second difference was the shape and scale of the sea. In Pohang, which faces the East Sea, the sandy area is relatively narrow and the water deepens quickly. In contrast, the South Bay in Scarborough has a much wider and shallower sandy stretch. However, this also seemed to be a dynamic condition I noticed flood warning signs placed even at points higher than I expected.

The third difference was how close the low-rise structures are to the waterline. Amusement arcades, restaurants, and small shops are packed right along the coast. Interestingly, in my earlier site research, these were the very areas predicted to be submerged in future flood scenarios.
What fascinated me about Scarborough was that, despite its coastal charm, it didn’t feel like a small seaside town rather, it felt like a carefully planned city. Some shops were empty and the fishing activity seemed reduced, but since I mainly focused on the sea, the castle, and the hotels, I felt I still needed to explore more deeply.

One particular point of interest was the Scarborough Spa. It was much larger than I had imagined, which made it even more intriguing. Instead of simply preserving the Spa itself, I thought it might be more meaningful to explore the history and narrative of the Spa as a key element in my project. I also noticed three cliff lifts around the site, which could potentially become another narrative maker in my design development.