The City Reading Montages form part of the initial analysis carried out in preparation for the Castlefield Riverside Masterplan. Making observations during a series of visits to the area, the purpose of the city readings was to build a picture of the existing context, of its character, aesthetic and movement, to influence the style of a future masterplan paying respect to the past and present.
Analysing the area immediately surrounding the chosen site, the city readings bring together a collection of drawings, photos, and other visual elements into a series of artworks, a form of scrapbook style presentation to capture the essence of the site context.
The site, identified for its location potential, lies on the banks of the River Irwell, straddling the two districts of Ordsall and Castlefield, at the meeting of Manchester and Salford. Both steeped in history, the two districts have undergone huge transformation over previous decades, mostly destructive, following the decline of manufacturing in the latter half of the twentieth century.
The majority of the transformation has been destructive, erasing the visual symbols of what originally brought the districts into existence: the mills, the housing, and the railways, to pave the way for a new Manchester. The state of the riverside area at the time of presentation is a sad affair. Neighbourhoods of traditional red brick terraces that used to house the workers of the key industries of Manchester and the Salford Docks have been cleared following their decay, leaving vast expanses of open car park which serve the growing commuter population to Manchester City Centre. The state represents a wasteful underutilisation of key riverfront land, the thoughtless short-term urban design to suit the car, and a complete absence of community following the destruction of the neighbourhoods that what used to be.
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