Continuity are interested in the cultural heritage of the city – from the city as a collection of physical historical artefacts, to the way people use the buildings, landscapes, and spaces that contribute to the distinct identity of the place. We see buildings not as solitary objects, but as integral and related pieces of the city that help people maintain and transmit cultural identity. We believe it is important to prioritise the intangible and tangible context of places to design architecture with meaning.

This year the Atelier worked in Crewe, a town situated in the northwest of England, Cheshire, approximately 35 miles south of Manchester.

BA3 worked on the existing Crewe Heritage Centre site and master plan – a complex 44,500sqm dynamic strip of land buttressed by the existing Crewe Heritage Centre and Crewe Railway Station. The site is located southeast of Crewe town centre and is adjacent to the railway lines that have up until now defined the town’s cultural heritage and social history.

In collaboration with Crewe Town Council, students were asked to reimagine Crewe’s heritage to transform the existing Heritage Centre into a dynamic and engaging heritage destination capable of welcoming 60,000 visitors per year.