The craft of writing a sonnet distils the expression of awe for something/someone, transcending the imagery of nature to capture emotions and sentimentality. Inspired by the situation of Accrington in the Pennines, the project follows the thematic narrative of refining natural forms into the town centre in an embodiment of architecture. The poem ‘Small Towns are passing’ by Wesley McNair acted as inspiration for poetically conveying the project, echoing the symbol of Northern Town’s prosperity dying with so many turning to ‘The distance’ instead of the situation for prosperity, semantically conveyed through personification. With collective further research, the narrative of an old tale to the area of the ‘Cairn’ constructed in the Pennines by a group of cotton factory workers cemented the idea of turning to the ‘distance’ as mentioned in the poem by taking the form of the Pennines and constraining the topography between the ornate Town Hall and Market Hall of Accrington, themselves decorated with imagery of nature. The project thus becomes a sculptural manifestation, realised with the addition of nature with landscaping and planting creating a public green space. The ethos of the Atelier is echoed in this canon by designing for Continuity, using the lens of encapsulating surrounding heritage, distilling a story that is introspective and sensitive whilst ushering a sense of modernity and prosperity to the town. This is juxtaposed with the monolithic typology of the ‘Printing Press, Complimenting the surroundings through materiality and form, expelling modernity and regeneration to the town using a retrofitted 1960s extension. Housing an art gallery to showcase local works of art and an artisan’s workshop for a range of specialist crafts, surrounding a restored printing press used to print a publication crafted in the space, an encapsulation of nostalgia and prosperity for the town of Accrington.
