Housed in a distinctive glazed boat shape, the new plant encompasses all of the newspaper’s operations – from office and reception areas, to the paper and print works itself. A quintessential landmark, the building form responds directly to the necessary arrangements for newspaper production – a very linear process – as well as the steeply sloping bluff site that overlooks Plymouth Sound.

The three-storey building is organized for efficiency not only in its plan, which is pierced at the north by a full height sky-lit atrium and pedestrian entry bridge, but also in section.

The northern half of the building – the boat’s ‘prow’ – contains publishing, marketing and administrative operations as well as communal leisure facilities. Organised by the logistics of the machinery, the southern half of the building accommodates paper deliveries, printing and dispatch in ascending levels.

A boardroom crowns the project and takes the position of a ship’s bridge, cantilevered from a 22 m tower. Giving views to Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, it is a pertinent marker for the regionally dedicated newspaper.