Unit D

The Production of Crisis

Tutors - Melissa Kinnear, Peter Newton, Alex Towler

Students - Lujain Al-Kilani, Jeanette Aves, Stefan Braband, Kieran Catton, Rhys Herbst, Abbie Jerrard, Samuel Shread, Jacob Skeates, Akshay Subhash, Arjun Taneja, Rhainnon Woodford

Visitors names - Zeina Al-Derry, Jhono Bennett, Sarah Ernst, Rob Goacher, Aimee Higgs, Zuzanna Krzyzanowska, Eric Lai Yiew, Freeda Madius, Jonathan Shmulevitch, Caroline Stimpson, Marcel Vellinger

The unit was based in Skopje, North Macedonia this year. The capital was badly destroyed by an earthquake in 1963. Subsequently a masterplan by Kenzo Tange impacted on the city centre, where a host of modern brutalist buildings were constructed. Post Communism and the breakup of Yugoslavia, the city has been struggling to re identify itself, aligning with a Neo-Classical history which has manifested in a Disneyesque type facadism. The project briefs encouraged students to analyse and evaluate the socio-political context and how it impacts the form and design of our cities. The project briefs developed to respond to this through the conceptualisation of organisations and social structures and were realised through architecture to enable deeper structural changes within societies. The first project was situated on Skanderbeg Square in the northern part of the city. The sites for the second project included a civic site close to the main pedestrianised shopping street, a site surrounded by Brutalist apartment buildings and adjacent to a local market. The third site was the original train station of Skopje, one of the few buildings that mostly stayed standing during the earthquake and is currently the Museum of Skopje.

Skopje Recycled Art Park

Abbie Jerrard

An educational urban park in the heart of Skopje, the Recycled Art Park enables the public to understand more about waste, recycling, repurposing and sustainability in a fun and creative way. The park boasts various forms of art activism in a non-aggressive attempt to: challenge the existing environmental policies; spark public interest in waste and recycling related issues; and encourage community involvement in cleaning up the city.

Section - Skopje Recycled Art Park - Abbie Jerrard

Cycle Pavilion

Akshay Subhash

The Cultural Network

Arjun Taneja

Beer Brewery Farm

Jacob Skeates

The Beer Brewery Farm is a social enterprise that aims to help solve the large unemployment rate among young adults in Skopje. The programme intentions are for the young people to gain 6 months experience through an internship scheme, where they can specialise in one specific area of the beer manufacturing process.In addition, the brewery hosts an annual harvesting event in which the community comes together to pick the locally grown barley, in return gaining a more resilient community and annual discounted beer.

Section - Beer Brewery Farm - Jacob Skeates

The Memory Books Festival

Jeanette Aves

The complex political history of North Macedonia has led to conflicting ideas regarding the country’s identity and how this is expressed. This project combats these tensions by providing the facilities to make and share children’s books on Skopjan residents’ individual histories, counteracting prejudices children learn as they grow up.

The Sun Bazaar Theatre

Kieran Catton

The building is a new centre for theatre and performing arts in the city of Skopje. The developed brief is based on the Skopjean government's plans for a new cultural centre, alongside the awareness of an unfinished ballet centre. The theatre is designed inside a ramp as access, in order for the movement from outside to inside to create the suspension of disbelief.

Theatre - The Sun Bazaar Theatre - Kieran Catton

Sketch Boat

Lujain Al-Kilani

As Racial divides within North Macedonia are ever growing, a question of identity is explored. This project seeks to bring communities together, aiming to reduce racial tensions, using art and creativity to allow the celebration of different identities.

Zelen Centre for Activism

Rhiannon Woodford

This project aims to tackle the lack of growth of the Macedonian economy at a range of scales. The Centre for Activism provides the residents with an inspirational space in which to elevate skills in order to increase their own employability, whilst also encouraging them to get involved in political activism to impact grass root issues in their community. To impact the bigger picture, the centre provides space for NGO’s and charities working towards policy level changes within Macedonia’s problematic and corrupt government. Whilst acting as a covered public square and meeting place adjacent to the Zelen market, the building provides space for co-working, screen-printing workshops, exhibitions and small scale lectures.

Internal perspective - Zelen Centre for Activism - Rhiannon Woodford

For People by People

Rhys Herbst

Research undertaken whilst in Skopje revealed people and communities at large felt that the government failed to meet their needs and requirements, with politicians disregarding public opinion. My project addressed the issues of government corruption in Skopje. A citizens assembly became the catalyst to my design and in theory would lead to a brief chosen by the local community. The final building is in essence a Community Hall which gives a voice as well as a platform for the communities in Skopje.

Interior workspace - For People by People - Rhys Herbst

Lost Futures | New Futures

Samuel Shread

Skopje has had many possible futures but they have all been lost, with numerous masterplans being drawn up over the years, with none ever being fully completed. There is a feeling of disconnection with the city. My project aims to allow the residents to draw up a new masterplan as well as oversee how their city changes shape. It takes the form of a public planning office, a community led architecture practice as well as exhibition spaces and art studios. They all come together to run workshops and work with the citizens to fulfill their ‘right to the city’ by designing it for themselves.

Building in context - Lost Futures | New Futures - Samuel Shread

Music to Democracy

Stefan Braband

Music is embedded in the culture of Skopje and most public establishments have live bands playing most evenings in the week. Bringing together a group of musicians who play in a typical orchestra ensemble and practicing together towards a final concert enables social capital between those people. The music is extended to the square for both practicing where the public can listen in and to final concerts where the structure opens up and performs as a stage.