Common Ground
‘Common Ground’ proposes a reimagined heritage and carnival arts centre for Crewe, with a central focus on perpetuating ‘Communal Value’. The centre provides a civic hub dedicated to housing ‘The Crewe Carnival’, a currently discontinued tradition within the town, which on its disbandment left a hole in the community. The project aims to reinstate the carnival through giving it a designated home, with the centre housing a workshop space for float/ costume building, a carnival archive exhibition, and a community planning space allowing for collaboration in the carnival planning stages. The building’s curved form is defined by the route the carnival procession follows, carving out a dynamic courtyard space designed for interactive performance. The centre’s chosen cladding, corten rainscreen, is reflective of the site’s industrial context, as well as its ability to age with the community.
