Signage & Wayfinding

The next two decades for the Temple Enterprise Quarter show a lot of development for the future of Bristol, providing approximately 371 homes, a 1600 place secondary school and around 1300 jobs across an “Office, research and learning space”, a restored erecting shed office and the aforementioned secondary school, the Oasis Academy.

The proposal aims to place the library within this future development, endeavoring to create a flagship library that defines the site and create a staple 21st century urban fabric within the Silverthorne lane academic development. The presence of a library becomes necessary for the space in context - with a majority of the libraries in Bristol being owned by the university, the proposal becomes prerequisite to the site as no libraries are within a convenient distance of the new development.

Catalysing on the theme of wayfinding and signage, a new space must be created to become emblematic of this new age Temple Quarter, this will inform the final proposal and generate a space(s) that does not drown within the noise of the urbanscape - preserving the Bristol’s past heritage becomes second, but not of lesser value, to redefining the city image. Though the Temple quarter development focuses on the general betterment of the city image, a focus on its academic presence is important as it develops the future of the city through its youth. As the centre of such a hub, the Flagship Library stands at the epitome of the academic scene. Furthermore, the new development space welcomes a developed public realm and the introduction of green spaces, the public library endorses such developments under utilisation of a double height plinth housing the main library space, a rooftop courtyard and a modest canalside cafe.

The rise of public libraries becomes prominent in the modern era, they are no longer just places to borrow literature, to read, or to study - a community hub that celebrates academic progress and becoming signage to the space while representing a city on its way to become something more. Working under the belief, “signs only exist because a place exists;” I wanted a place to exist because these signs exist.