Merchant Theatre Part 1 Project 2021 Jakob Young University of Strathclyde | UK Enveloping disused railway arches, ‘Merchant Theatre’ aims to re-invent the centripetal/fugal forces of culture within Glasgow. The vision looks beyond the stage and towards aspects of theatre production, set manufacturing, rehearsals and re-activating the railway to create a culture network for travelling shows. Enclosed by Merchant Lane, Bridgegate and Ship Bank Lane, the site is located within Glasgow’s hidden city of back lanes. With a current political agenda to design safer streets, the architecture activates, integrates, and transforms Glasgow’s negatively ‘Perceived Space’ into a safer, user friendly ‘lived space’.Merchant theatre attempts to marry the existing railway arches with a new mechanical grid insertion; the exterior form is the product of architectural contrast. Inspired by the works of ‘Archigram’ and ‘Cedric Price’, one might approach the design and be reminded of Glasgow’s historic shipping docks. The unified architecture holds similarities to ‘factory assembly lines’ from rehearsal, green rooms, set/prop/costume workshops to the theatre stage and railway loading above (Storage & Crane).If the performance industry is to bounce back in a post-covid world, design, technology, and innovation are the answer. That and some more great original productions made in Glasgow. Culture and aesthetics invariably go hand in hand. Tutor(s) Nicholas Roberts