Shrewsbury is a vibrant and popular tourist destination locating just 9 miles East to the Welsh boarder. It is best known for its ancient streets, historic architecture and range of cultural events happening in the town. However, traffic at Welsh Bridge junction is uninviting for pedestrian movement, causing a disconnection between the most popular Arts building - Theatre Severn and the town centre. The thesis explores how through a cultural masterplan in the West End area can help reconnecting the arts from the edge of the town and reintroduces them in the historic core of Shrewsbury.
Views are proposed to be used as the main means of travel in the scheme, using landmarks of Shrewsbury such as St Chad's Church Tower and Market Hall Tower as point of orientation and direction. Various viewpoints have been set throughout the masterplan scheme and within the proposed Film Institute building, ensuring visitors will always be able to locate themseleves within the cultural district.
The Shrewsbury Film Institute sits in the heart of the proposed cultural district, carefully responds to its surrounding context and acts as a catalyst to the wider masterplan scheme. It accommodates 4 cinema screens, 2 exhibition galleries, a mini film school and a podium that overlooks a new public square which helps showcase the Grade II* Listed Rowley's House. It also proves to be the perfect linkage building to encourage movement from Theatre Severn to Rowley's House and beyond to the town centre.
