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In Residence: Exploring The Possibilities Of Architectural Occupation

Part 2 Project 2013
Josh Wyles
 London Metropolitan University | UK
My project is an architectural residency based in the Whitgift Centre, a large retail development in the heart of Croydon, South London. Built in 1968 ‘The Whitgift’ has radically changed its appearance and program over 45 years, evolving into a successful, well used local centre; providing appropriate retail, key social spaces, business opportunities and employment for the local population.

Along with a raft of council-lead developments designed to re-invigorate a faltering economy, The Whitgift will be demolished and re-built by Westfield in a £1bn scheme starting in 2014.

The project recognises the need for development. Working within the framework of the Westfield planning application the project has developed a suite of Section 106 funded proposals that strategically use heritage to ensure the value of the existing centre is maintained during the potentially alienating transition from a local to a regional facility.

These elements embed local heritage and undergo a series of phased developments as the new centre’s regional catchment shrinks, gradually re-formatting the centre to a local economy, as the brief period of regional celebrity declines.

The designs respond to the memories and thoughts of the Whitgift’s inhabitants, inspired by the ‘Generosity of Whitgift,’ a collection installed in the residency that presents the life of the centre back to those who use it. The tectonic of development also learns from the slow adaptation of the original design, traceable through intimate study of the centre and its history.

Becoming ‘resident’ has allowed the project unique insights into how this world of retail works, how deeply the centre is woven into the history and identity of the area and the opportunities and lessons that it presents.

The centre now staffs the residency and meetings are being held with Westfield, the freeholder and council about incorporating the project into the development.


Tutor(s)
Mr Prof. Robert Mull
2013
IN RESIDENCE: Exploring The Possibilities Of Architectural Occupation
RETURNING TO A THESIS: Confronting An Old Problem With A New Form Of Practice In Croydon. A year of studying Croydon previously had lead to an area thesis based on problematic fringe conditions. The imminent demolition and re-development by Westfield of T
THE MODERNIST WITHIN: The Origins Of The Pulsing Heart Beyond The High Street. The Whitgift is a sprawling mass of arcades, squares, retail units and office blocks. Its terrazzo-clad interior holds an intensity and variety of occupation found nowhere else
ACCESS OCCUPATION AND SUBMERSION: Establishing A Home In The Whitgift Centre. In January 2013 I was given an empty unit by the Centre Management. My motive was to immerse myself in the world of the Whitgift and develop a first-hand understanding of the ci
OBSERVATION AND SURVEILLANCE: Defining a position by Watching And Being Watched. The mute period of setting up the shop offered a valuable chance for me and the Whitgift to observe one another. There was considerable curiosity and revelation on both sides
A POPULAR THEME: Recording A Collective History Read From Individual Experiences. In the shop I collected images and artefacts from the Whitgift’s past and presented them back to visitors. These devices acted as windows into peoples lives and allowed me t
EXPRESSING VALUE: Revealing Heritage Through Representation. My privileged position allowed me to develop a complex understanding and appreciation for the role the Whitgift Centre played in the community and how it operated as a shopping centre. The richn
REVEALING A TECTONIC: Process In The Hidden Worlds of The Whitgift. Much of the world that was described to me in images and anecdotes was long gone, or only faintly recognisable beneath decades of refurbishment , alteration and over-cladding. Working thr
PROPOSING A LIFE CYCLE: A Section 106 Proposal Offering Continuity Without Compromise. Unlike the existing centre, the Westfield proposal is based on profits from a regional rather than local catchment area and only has an expected profitable life span of
A PROPOSAL IN RESIDENCE: Locating Memories And Heritage Within The Westfield Scheme. The proposal consists of 4 elements that work at different scales but with a common aim. Each is related to a building, condition or event identified through the residenc
INSERTING A PROCCESS: Building Change Into The Westfield Proposal. The growth of each element is the result of a series of staged developments built into the shopping centre during the initial construction. This staged process is derived from the Whitgift
THE FORUM BENCH: Accommodating Dwelling. The Forum Bench is the simplest of the four elements. It reinstates in their original position the distinctive bulkheads of the Forum Pub. This peculiar octagonal establishment was a key part of the original develo
THE WHITGIFT ALMSHOUSE: Establishing The Elderly At The Heart Of The Community. The Whitgift is an important facility for Croydon’s elderly population ho inhabit the centre’s climate controlled arcades and numerous benches throughout the year. Many rememb
THE PILOTIS: Retaining The Monumental. The Double-height split pilotis that support Central Tower are a feature of the original design that formed the backdrop to the community events that were regularly staged in the centre’s large outdoor spaces during
INCREASING VALUE: Delivering My Proposal Into The Project Structure. As the residency grew and became increasingly popular with the public, it became clear that I was accumulating value in the eyes of the major parties interested in the development of the
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