Community skills in Preston & the beauty of broken things
The proposed project is located in Preston and focuses on revitalising the historic Lancastria House. Situated next to a planned cinema complex, market, and car park, this partially demolished Art Deco building was preserved following public outcry. The project seeks to uncover the building's importance to the local community and explore ways to enhance and preserve it. The vision for Lancastria House is to transform it into an educational, interactive, adaptable, and cultural center for Preston's residents.
Through demographic research and site visits, the concept of repair emerged, addressing the disconnection between existing organisations and different age groups. Inspired by the city's skilled workforce, the idea of repair became evident from the initial site visit, where the views reveal the 'palimpsest' of Lancastria House — a metaphor for adaptive reuse and the traces of the past. Drawing on the theme of kintsugi, the project envisions a 'Fun Palace' where repair workshops and skill-sharing foster community engagement. The building would be self-sufficient, featuring kintsugi repair workshops, a café using home-grown produce, and spaces for stone carving, object repair, and curated exhibitions. The design includes a community garden/greenhouse and a roof terrace, enhancing the underutilised roof space. Below this, a community café and cooking workshop would source ingredients from the greenhouse. The program integrates local organisations, creating a large-scale hub for skill-sharing and community activities, similar to the Boiler House project and Preston Repair Café. This 'Fun Palace' aims to connect to the neighbouring market, offering opportunities for personal agency and small businesses, while promoting sustainable and inclusive development in Preston.
Analysis of Preston revealed a significant social and spatial fracture. Existing community and cultural centers are often inaccessible to many groups, separated by major roads that act as physical barriers. Socially, this fracture creates disparities, with theatres and universities typically accessible only to those with higher incomes.
In Japanese culture, Kintsugi—the art of repairing broken objects—emphasises the beauty found in mended fractures, an aesthetic known as Wabi Sabi. This philosophy, celebrating age and process, can inspire architectural approaches in Preston. By integrating these concepts, the aim is to heal both physical and social fractures, leveraging the city’s skilled workforce to create spaces that are inclusive, accessible, and beautiful.
The building's material palette and design elements are thoughtfully chosen to reflect both sustainability and a connection to history. Interior walls will feature natural white render, providing a clean backdrop for art exhibitions and textured surfaces that interact beautifully with natural light. The atrium will utilise Porotherm blocks embedded in mortar, with filled gaps reflecting the Kintsugi technique, symbolising the community building's ethos and offering fire resistance and a 150-year lifespan. The facade will showcase Kintsugi tiles, handmade from recycled materials, including demolished ground floor facade remnants and factory ceramic off-cuts, forming a unique mosaic that integrates the past with the present. The terrazzo stairs will repurpose demolished material from the existing building, referencing the original central staircase's use of terrazzo and symbolising circulation. Reclaimed timber dividers, inspired by repair cafes and circular design, will enhance acoustic performance and serve as art display backdrops in the basement, promoting sustainability. The flooring will combine existing timber panels with concrete fills, inspired by Apparata’s Old Manor Park Library design, and echoing the Kintsugi philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, emphasising age, process, and beauty.
Tyles made using Kintsugi technique to test it.
