Occupied Ground
Occupied Ground proposes an extension to the Working Class Movement Library in Salford, exploring architecture as a framework for protest, collective gathering, and political engagement.
The project draws inspiration from the war in Gaza and investigates how civic architecture can create spaces for discussion, visibility, and collective occupation. Rather than acting as a passive institutional building, the proposal reimagines the library as an active civic platform.
The design responds to the library’s existing subdued presence within Salford by introducing a bold contemporary extension, wrapped in Corten steel. This new architectural language gives the building a stronger public identity, allowing it to act as a visible marker and magnet for protest while contrasting with the historic character of the existing library.
At the centre of the scheme is a sunken public auditorium. This space forms the social and spatial core of the project, providing a setting for protest, debate, screenings, talks, and public gatherings.
Influenced by the Gaza conflict, Occupied Ground transforms the Working Class Movement Library into an active political environment. Here, political discourse is no longer external to the building but embedded within its architectural form, programme, and spatial experience.
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Email: Roshaan.ashfaq@yahoo.com