Hidden Garden
The site sits within the city centre, at the boundary of Mayfield and is sandwiched between two urban landscapes: the River Medlock and Mancunian Way. The project offers a mix of spiritual and aesthetic programmes, including the interacted garden, garden in nature and hidden archives. The architectural journey takes us from busy urban streets into Hidden Garden.
The geometric relationships between architectural elements form the speculative design approach of co-existing architecture with nature. An open roof provides enormous natural luminous light in the archive exhibiting space. The homogeneous grid of the roof joists sets the direction of viewing the mindful sky above. To frame landscape scenes, curving walls are designed at circular radiance joining points.
In a state of change, the outdoor performance space is a public gathering space in transit and temporarily filled with translucent textile floating in and out of the timber frameworks. The bridge under Mancunium Way and two semi-circle platforms soften the infrastructure and form a new walking route for citizens. The waterside site is reactivated at Hidden Garden among Mayfield archipelago.
