‘Artificial Surface’ seeks to disrupt the orthogonal, grid-based logic that is omnipresent at the development site. The project aspires to be a truly 21st century public space, one that is unconstrained by the limitations of the rigid spatial and social orders of the past. The scheme negotiates with the somewhat ambiguous context to promote an entirely separate urban landscape, one that is global, democratic and playful in its character.

The architecture grapples with scale by implementing itself as a quasi-landscape structure that sits directly on top of the existing slab. The amorphous layer or ‘surface’ is both floor and roof simultaneously, one can pass over or underneath. This undulating landscape creates new shelter as well as points of elevation.

The surface is like a patchwork quilt, where different materials and colours indicate a mixed programme. The above-surface layer is home to a cycling route, sports facilities, seating and gardening allotments. It is intended that the below-surface layer will be occupied by a combination of commercial arcades and residential units.