Stitching and Mending the Past, Present and Future

Through stitching and renewing what once was will remain and what this project will be, responds to the past, present and future plans for the site. Looking at Bristol Temple Quarter’s overall planning proposals the project embodies a symbiosis of past and present. The arrival of “extant planning proposals”, is this project’s future backdrop. Through the lens of curiosity, when looking at the site, the project will enhance the local vernacular for years to come.

This project explores the relationship of Temple Quarter’s Wholesale Fruit Market alongside the redevelopment proposals. By studying how a market can be a theatrical and lively experience, the project provides a stage on which the play may take place. The actors are (but are not limited to) the chefs, market vendors and waiters. The set, the market canopy, the restaurant, and finally the public audience. Furthermore, exploring the idea that a market is a sustainable venture alongside the proposed restaurant to showcase the produce sold just a few meters away.

The project explores how the local context and history of the Temple Quarter can influence the shape and vernacular of the building and canopy-like structure. Bristol Temple Meads and St Philips’ Marsh railway covers, made from Victorian iron wrought structures, influence the canopy’s exposed metallic joints of a sustainable glulam structure. Playful and lighthearted elements within the scheme will embody key themes.

This project and intermediary projects have broadened my understanding and the level of inspection I now carry forwards within my design approach. From intricate laser-cut models to detailed 1:10 scale models, each influencing the next design step. Model making, sketching and photography have been at the core of this project's exploration with the help of detailed AutoCAD drawings.