DESIGN PROPOSAL
Through providing services and framing space for new patterns of use, solidarity, and growth, The Stitch works to fasten meaningful historical and cultural engagement with new modes of economic and creative development to uplift the community it serves. Sitting adjacent to this historic edifice and the key intersection of James P. Brawley Drive and Cameron M. Alexander Boulevard, The Stitch provides an opportunity to develop a model of neighborhood investment and growth that prioritizes contextually grounded placemaking. The project aims to create both a sociocultural space to host community events and a site to empower local business vendors to get their start.
SPATIAL LOGIC FROM QUILTS
Quilt making, a storied form of textile art, serves as inspiration for our ceiling condition. Known not only as a down-to-earth and accessible form of expression but recognized for its ability to pass stories and histories between generations, quilting served as a metaphor for design in as rich a community as English Avenue. Using a grid of intersecting lines reminiscent of quiltwork, the site is divided and defined through a ceiling and ground condition reminiscent of a quilt-like material patchwork. This flexible system places the visitor within the ‘quilt’ across the site, accommodating a variety of programmatic and shading needs while retaining the characteristic significance and welcoming feel of patchwork.