Creating a Craft Culture

The Royal Academy of Fine Art's School of Textiles

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Abstract

Through the process of globalisation, politically and physically, we have found many cities promoting individualism through a neo-liberal modern architecture at the cost of a loss of a local identity. With its traditional heritage and rich material culture, Antwerp is taken as a testing ground for the inclusion of a contemporary structure which aims to mediate with the dense metropolitan centre. Using the courtyard typology, the project shows the potential for creating an autonomous architecture which is in-bedded within an urban block. Namely, to allow for a more intimate creative community to grow and work together, which is part of the city and also a miniature city of its own. In order to situate the building in its context, as well as being congruent with its programme, Tectonics is explored to imbue the proposal with culture. This is done by making allegorical connections with textiles and the city through its structure and materiality.