The appeal of small structures is undeniable. Often architects use smaller commissions as testing grounds for new ideas. The public is able to digest these "follies" easier than larger buildings, the latter of which may be controversial for their break with tradition on such an imposing scale. But small structures, like bus shelters, newspaper kiosks and pavilions, can be striking in their novelty yet unassuming in their scale. The Ferry Shelter in Tiree, Scotland by Sutherland Hussey Architects uses its scale to perfect effect as a striking object in the landscape.

The long, narrow shelter is composed of three elements: white walls, a bridge, and a glass box, the latter facing towards the water and the nearby pier. Both the white walls and the bridge act as path, leading one toward the glass box which projects from a traditional, dry stone wall. The architects intended the shelter to "reflect the qualities of the island", as the white walls cut through a grass mound, the bridge traverses a stone circle and the glass box relates to the water beyond. In essence, through its interaction with the earth, it becomes a miniaturized landscape in three parts.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) was so impressed with the small structure that it awarded it the Best Building in Scotland Award for 2003.

小型建筑的吸引力是無可否認(rèn)的。通常建筑師會(huì)將較小的項(xiàng)目作為新點(diǎn)子的試驗(yàn)田。對比起較大型的建筑，公眾能夠更容易地消化這些“華而不實(shí)”的建筑，因?yàn)榍罢呖赡軙?huì)因?yàn)槠湓趬延^的規(guī)模上與傳統(tǒng)的矛盾造成爭議。但是小型建筑，如巴士站和報(bào)攤，可以憑借其新穎性來引人注意，而在規(guī)模上又不會(huì)過于張揚(yáng)。Sutherland Hussey Architects建筑公司建造的蘇格蘭提利島碼頭眺望臺(tái)就利用了其規(guī)模達(dá)到完美的效果，成為周邊景觀中惹人注目的亮點(diǎn)。

狹長的眺望臺(tái)由三個(gè)元素組成：白墻、橋梁和玻璃亭。其中玻璃亭朝向大海和附近的碼頭。白墻和橋梁起到通道的作用，引導(dǎo)人們通往那個(gè)由傳統(tǒng)平淡的石墻延伸出去的玻璃亭。白墻橫貫草丘、橋梁穿越石堆以及玻璃亭聯(lián)系到外邊的水域，這些都能看出建筑師試圖令眺望臺(tái)反映出提利島的特色。大體上來說，通過與大地的互動(dòng)，眺望臺(tái)成了一個(gè)由三部分組成的微型景觀。

這個(gè)小型建筑給蘇格蘭皇家協(xié)會(huì)留下了深刻印象，因而協(xié)會(huì)給它頒授了2003年度的“蘇格蘭最佳建筑”大獎(jiǎng)。