In Semester 2 of the academic year 2023/24, BA2 selected Toxteth, Liverpool, as a place in which to explore the complexity of design questions in an urban context. They focused on understanding the street as an urban mechanism for creating a public space. The students and tutors considered the central axis of the area: a 1.5 km spine constituted by the transition street comprising Windsor St and Admiral St, which connect St James Mount Gardens (attached to Liverpool Cathedral) in the north with Princes Park in the south. The street offers an exciting mix of urban fabrics, mostly configured by housing (detached houses, terraces and low-rise blocks) combined across the street, creating an urban composite lacking cohesiveness and identity.
BA2 coordinator Dr Paco Mejias Villatoro, who curated the exhibition, commented: ‘Reflecting on the history of Toxteth, we believe that the development of this area could play a key role in the future of this part of Liverpool, due to the proximity of the Baltic Triangle development and the historical importance of Chinatown, both in the north-west, and the suburban development around Princes Park and Sefton Park in the south-east.’
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The cohort of over 200 second-year students, led by 20 tutors, worked on 13 potential sites under an umbrella brief titled ‘Radical Dwelling in Toxteth’. Four different approaches to this brief were developed by different groups: ‘Food for Thought’ (addressing housing for senior citizens), ‘Towards an Architecture for Emplacement’ (focusing on hosting internally and globally displaced people), ‘Toxteth Cohousing’ and ‘Radical Housing for Young Professionals’.
In June and September 2024, a group of students continued to develop the urban spaces and contributed to the exhibition model. This exhibition presented an exploratory and hypothetical vision for the Toxteth neighbourhood. Through creative design and critical thinking, Toxteth’s urban spine is reimagined as a shared street that gives back its public space to the neighbours.
The exhibition’s opening was greatly enjoyed by all the students, tutors and guests invited. Dr Junjie Xi, who coordinated the exhibition, further commented: ‘We will keep the tradition of exhibiting the students’ work publicly every year. Last year, we showed our work in Birkenhead; next year, we will work in Chinatown, Liverpool. Our collaborations with local communities allow us to promote our students’ hard work, which makes us very proud.’
Exhibition curated by Dr Paco Mejias Villatoro (LSA) and coordinated by Dr Junjie Xi (LSA).
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