The Upcycle Hub: Revitalizing Burnley’s Textile Heritage through Sustainable Fashion for the Muslim Asian Community
The Upcycle Hub aims to stitch the community through the celebration of pre-loved textiles and upscaled clothing for ethnic minority groups in Burnley. Considering the ongoing cost of living crisis, decent employment is difficult to come across, especially for refugees, resettlers, and immigrants who have a language barrier. Integrating the town's rich history in the cotton industry along with ethnic disparities and riots towards the Muslim and Asian populations, my proposal intends to bridge the gap and promote community harmony. The hub further intends to mend the cultural divide and offer job prospects and skills while combatting fast fashion using a cradle-to-cradle approach.
The scheme surrounds a combination of public and private spaces that fosters bonds between various groups and cultures. Having shared facilities such as a communal laundry space, café, and shop allows for interactions between communities of opposing residential zones. Semi-private rooms, like the repair space and workshops, offer more intimate relationships with people of diverse backgrounds, creating a collaborative and inclusive environment. Given the lack of affordable modest and culturally appropriate attire for the Muslim and Asian community in Burnley, the hub will serve as an outlet to celebrate their importance and values, utilizing donations from clothing banks and showcasing the produced upcycled clothing in The Burnley Market. This approach not only addresses social neglect but also promotes sustainable fashion and a circular economy within the fabric of the building and among its users.
Reinforcing The Upcycle Hub into the urban fabric, The Burnley Beacon is reminiscent of the town's historic cotton mills and symbolizes the future of the sustainable fashion industry. The observation tower offers scenic views from within the borough, acting as a beacon to captivate visitors and celebrate Burnley's heritage and prospects.
