A Sonnet for The Pennines Part 1 Project 2022 Thomas Paul Massey Manchester School of Architecture Manchester | UK The craft of writing a sonnet distils the expression of awe for something/someone, transcending the imagery of nature to capture emotions.Inspired by the situation of Accrington in the Pennines, the project follows the thematic narrative of refining natural forms into the town centre in an embodiment of architecture.The poem ‘Small Towns are passing’ by Wesley McNair acted as inspiration for poetically conveying the project, echoing the symbol of Northern Town’s prosperity dying with so many turning to ‘The distance’ instead of the situation for prosperity. With further research into the narrative of an old tale of a ‘Cairn’ constructed in the Pennines by a group of cotton factory workers cemented the idea of turning to nature as mentioned in the poem by replicating the topography between the ornate Town Hall and Market Hall of Accrington, themselves decorated in imagery of nature.The project thus becoming a sculptural manifestation, realised with the additional landscaping creating a public green space. This juxtaposed by the monolithic typology of the ‘Printing Press’, Complimenting the surroundings through materiality and form, expelling modernity and regeneration to the town using a retrofitted 1960s extension, an encapsulation of nostalgia and prosperity for the town of Accrington. Thomas Paul Massey