Legacy
The project had the community at the heart of it with the design of a Black Cultural Archive and Community Centre. The concept was the creation of a space to make black history more readily accessible using a multi-purposed building which contained an archive, a workshop and in-residence studio.
16 York Place was designed and executed in 1798 by Alexander Laing . Lord Adam Gillies Senator of the College of Justice, lived at 16 York Place until 1842. British Honduras House was opened in May 1943, at 16 York Place. The house was the ninth YMCA in Edinburgh and was to function as a hostel. It was founded to honour the British Honduras Forestry Unit. This unit came from modern day Belize to the UK in the 1940s. The site was chosen to act as hommage to these black men who were a pivotal part of Scottish history.
Archiving is a practise which cements the history and stories of people, groups and organisations. Archiving is necessary to ensure the longevity of marginalised voices. Legacy seeks to turn western forms of archiving and decimating information on its head. The aim of the series of interior spaces are to preserve encourage and amplify the voices of black people in Scotland. My research showed me that black people have always been in Scotland and have paid a larger role within Scotland but their voices and their work had largely been erased. Legacy will preserve the stories of black people through, telling stories in the storytelling room, recording people in the recording suite. Displaying the work and passions or black people across Scotland through its cabinet wall design.