Competition for Urban Splash
Chance de Silva with Ourhaus and Robin Heighway-Bury
Walsall was founded on trade and in earlier centuries this was founded on markets, represented by the Annual Fair - a meeting of business, eating and drinking and entertainment.
The importance of markets is recognised to this day by the tradition of the mayor “walking the fair”.
On the Lex Walsall site we proposed to revitalise this tradition by the same lively mix: business, pleasure, victuals with the added ingredient of people living there.
A loose assembly of different forms, with strong shapes representing their different functions, influenced by travelling fairs, are assembled around public open space.
Pragmatically, this assembly of forms and types allows for phasing, for the tailoring to different interests, and for the involvement of several clients and/or designers.