Urban Stage

Futurism, community enhancement, art exhibition at the Eisteddfod and the extension of the public realm.

I am looking at these themes, because for a city to maintain its status as an important place of culture, then I would argue that its people should have an interesting, quixotic and futuristic place in which to gather.

I achieved my proposal by first designing an urban stage in the scope of the Eisteddfod festival, asking myself the question "how can Welsh culture be displayed in a quixotic, futuristic or future-aware way?" - and answering this question through the means of design. This extended to urban design also, and culminated in a project that not only acted as an urban stage for the Eisteddfod festival, but also as a new and interesting place for people to gather and feel a sense of community, which is often lost in contemporary society.

As people and a society, we have become rather introspective - propped up with the aid of technology, private, and mostly looking after our own business rather than taking an interest in the business of others. Architects have a strong awareness of their role as social engineers, so I believe that there is no reason for design not to attempt to reverse this introspection, and enhance an inward-looking sense of community.