Compendium

Hanbury Street: “Makers of East London”
Academic Project 3
A.Y. 2015/2016 Autumn
Architecture and Fashion provides people two of their most important necessities,
shelter and clothing. Though there is a traditional difference on the execution of
the two, the current technology has found its way to cross-pollinate the method,
idea and concept in creating such buildings or clothing. Not just with the materials
and keen attention to details but both practices exercise the importance of process
of design, context, environment, style, timeliness and proportion. But both are to
satisfy different context and time. Hence it was interesting to integrate the idea of
street into formal using two different forms of craft in one space.
This project’s brief focuses on the makers of East London, requiring a mixed-use
development project on an empty lot in Hanbury Street that would house the makers
and their workshops. The aim was to research and apply the learnings about the
making process, tools used and to explicitly define the meaning of craftmanship,
specifically (in this case) dressmaking in present time using architecture. And how
can we make the experience better both for the consumer and producer.
It is also important to distinguish the difference between a workplace and a home.
In this project, the typology of high street structures in where accommodation is
situated above a commercial space is applied. The common separation of public
and private access which is a typical characteristic of high street building entrances
was precedented to integrate the living experience present in current context.
Meanwhile, the programme of the workshop is a contemporary women’s formal
wear studio in which one can buy made to order clothing and dresses. The workshop
acts as both shop and fashion studio while providing an office, photography
studio, storage and social space for the owners and employees.
The spatial blur between living and working spaces