Project Description
The notion of gathering and dwelling, particularly within the public realm, has been investigated through the design of a public piazza and market for the coastal town of Poole. The brief was to deliver a hybrid urban building, with public and private activities, including business and living accommodation, as well as offices for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The aim was to produce a proposal that would respond to its context and that would give back two lost civic spaces to the people of Poole - the square and the market - a place that would respect the origins of food and promote local products. The design was inspired by a study of the ancient Greek agora and of the English market cross, with a design process led by the idea of integrating both aesthetic and functional choices. This is a place where conviviality could newly flourish; a structure in harmony with its surroundings and the local policies, in terms of geometric forms, linearity, elevation and sustainability, while ensuring access to people of all ages and abilities.
