Project description
The city is a symphony of governance systems which, whilst often going unnoticed by inhabitants, are shaping our comfortable urban existence. The current state of local authority decision-making is disrupted by incoherence, poor collaboration and a disconnection between the council and the communities they serve. This dissonance projects across the city. Within Tower Hamlets Council many initiatives have failed to include meaningful public engagement or participatory collaboration in design and procurement processes, leaving the community lacking agency.
The Hidden Dynamics of Cities project merges new forms of digital democracy with a more traditional form of built civic presence for a new Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Taking the current site of reconstruction, the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, this architectural critique privileges community-orientated and public spaces over closed administrative areas – exemplified in the grand staircase that runs through the middle of the scheme – and, council-worker spaces designed to be more flexible and sociable are orientated towards the street.The existing building is demolished as a means to disassociate from centralised notions of governance, its materials re-purposed to adapt to a more dispersed town hall plan.
Site location
Whitechapel
Charles completed his undergraduate studies in architecture at Oxford Brookes University. He gained valuable experience through a summer internship at Foster + Partners before joining Offset Architecture, where he worked on various housing projects.
Returning to Foster + Partners full-time, Charles nurtured a growing interest in civic architecture and the public realm. He is dedicated to creating environments that foster community, connection, and empowerment. He aspires to redefine civic architecture, combining technical expertise with a passion for social cohesion and cultural enrichment, resulting in transformative and inspiring spaces.