The Heart of The Town
The site of the old Crewe works carries a strong historical heritage directly linked to the creation of the town. The aim of this project was to strengthen Crewe’s community bonds through architecture and landscaping. Social spaces are brought together through a landscaping plan which stitches the site to its surroundings and encourages people to experience nature in an urban context.
The archive, positioned where the old building used to sit, invites locals and visitors to look back at the town’s story. The building shape, inspired by Crewe symbolic wheel, is meant to become an atypical landmark that attracts people from the train running alongside the site. Social prescribing activities symbolically linked to the use of the site’s rich soil are proposed on the masterplan. The small clay workshops give the locals a new space to discover healing activities and display their talents in the attached gallery. The existing structure of the heritage centre is converted as a greenhouse in which a community garden is installed. These infrastructures play a part in making the site a community hub again and reintroducing nature to the site.
