This proposal seeks to reconnect Rawson Place with its cultural roots of being a community hub for the residents of Bradford, initially looking at Bradford’s gradual reduction of pedestrianised spaces to give way for motorists. The scheme bestows an auditorium, library, archive, study space, co-working space, art studios, gallery, and gift shop, for the clients Assembly, FUSE, and Bradford Civic Society.
The aim of this proposal is to combine the principles of adaptive re-use and conservation of heritage, to create a space that not only celebrates the convergence of historical eras but allows for future adaptation of the space to suit the changing needs of Bradford. In relation to adaptive re-use, I have retained as much of the existing walls as possible, and have recycled the bricks from demolished walls around the building.
The rich cultural history embedded in the fabric of Bradford presented vast opportunities to exhibit the historical layers of Rawson Market in the material fabric of my proposal. Winding ramps throughout the structure take the visitor on a journey through the historical eras represented in the changing materiality, the building itself becomes a tool for education on the past. In retaining the integrity of the external facades of my site, a narrative is established on using the pre-existing as a blueprint for future change. On the threshold where new is grafted onto old, the atrium becomes an artifact in its own right; the internal corner an exhibition of the interdependence of past and future.
