Zen Arts Centre

The town has been experiencing a lack of vitality in recent years due to the urban sprawl and the shortage of amenities in the town centre. Residents are reluctant to enter the centre as frequently as there are little to do there. For this reason, an arts centre would be a chance to revive the town centre by establishing a space to combine the community and making the centre the heart of the town again.

The arts centre is targeted at locals who are finding it difficult to find a space to work or socialise with friends and family: the workshops teaching children art skills, the exhibitions giving teenagers a place to hang out, the studios providing space for artists to work. It would encourage more people to gather and stay around the town centre, hence making it more lively and populated. It would also extend the high street beyond the war memorial square. The concept of the arts centre is allowing individuals to have some personal space and reflect upon themselves in this fast paced world.

The courtyard, as well as some small, intimate spaces around the building allows this to happen. Different degrees of transparency, through the use of polycarbonate and louvers, is also a design choice because of the concept as it limits views in the building, creating various private and non-private spaces.