The Cathedral viewed from Cathedral Gardens
I am still considering the city of Manchester as a potential source of inspiration, but rather than just the current buildings, I am also looking at the architectural history and the broader historical context of the city over time. I am trying to imagine what it would be like to stand with the cathedral behind me, and see back through the layers of history whilst the urban landscape and people of earlier times spin around me, like looking into a kaleidoscope. Watching constant change and renewal and regeneration, until the final turn brings me to the present day and the green space shown in the image above.
I have chosen to start my investigation in the oldest part of the city, the centre of medieval Manchester, originally based around Long Millgate, Fennel Street and Hanging Ditch. Today the centre of this area has been flattened and turned into a garden, with the remaining buildings like the Cathedral and Chethams Library arranged around the perimeter. The area has seen layer after layer of change and regeneration. I plan to explore the history of this place, as a backdrop to the lives and experiences of those who have lived and worked and passed through its streets. I plan to use records from the archives at Central Library and Chethams, and have been in contact with the librarians there, who have been very helpful.
All I have to do now try to explain what I am trying to do, and then try to translate it into 3D!
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