Urban Building
DESIGN RESPONSE
The proposed City Engagement Hub – CEH attempts to assert themselves not as conventional ‘large box’ structure, but as identifiable local typology public building. The proposal reflects the variety of area’s buildings (tenements, commercial, industrial, worship) and the social mix of age, religion, ethnicity and race. The proposed Public Building ‘returns’ this building diversity of and attempts to articulate certain civic patterns in scale and proportion.
Following one of Clients’ key objective on empowering communities by helping them to build their confidence and skills and addressing inequality, the City Engagement Hub aspires to ‘brace’ this objective by the local community to build their confidence and skills though activities that support learning and address inequality.
The CEH will act as a social infrastructure that strengthens the social connections and networks, and improve the lives of people in Pollokshields area. At the same time CHE through its physical layout and organisational structure will be a place to develop skills for civic engagement and community building. Users/visitors will be ‘encouraged’ and informally taught how to engage in public culture and interact with people who are not like them.
Form
The proposed building on the corner of Albert Drive and Darnley Street uses shape and transparency to anchor its presence upon the site while employing civic and industrial gestures such as a big fascia of glass on the east and south sides. The west and north sides of the building’s envelope is more a collection of added elements, (less seamless) which reflects the diversity of the surrounding build area.
Materiality
The main materials used are metal frame, brick, wood and glass identifiable as continuing regional built heritage, while also subtly referring to the nearby railway station (Pollokshields Eas)t and the Tramway, a contemporary arts venue. Equally, the cones at roof reinforce typological references to the surrounding buildings.
City Engagement Hub aspires to promote community, allegiance, civility and at the same time encourage diversity and engagement. This has been done through two main areas:
Café and sitting areas, ground floor;
A community kitchen, first floor;
Co-working area, second floor;
Public Stairs that connect floors and areas, encourage interaction and engagement.
