CAMP
Architecture: MArch
Isaac Moody
Year 02
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Project
This project reimagines theatre as a catalyst for civic gathering, shared experience, and meaningful connection. It aims to link Manchester’s established city centre with its expanding urban fringe, quietly integrating into the city’s fabric rather than asserting itself as a landmark. The architecture embeds itself within the community, encouraging participation rather than imposing presence.
Lower Campfield Market Hall provides a site rich in civic memory and sits ideally between old and new Manchester. Its external form remains largely unchanged, with any adaptations guided by the building’s architectural language and historic value. This preserves the area’s visual identity while reimagining the space for contemporary use.
Project
The main intervention sits within the building. A two storey basement holds support spaces, freeing the ground floor as an open public forum, accessible from all sides and welcoming to all. At its centre, a radial amphitheatre forms around a central stage, blurring the line between audience and performer.
Above, lightweight timber and fabric pods, inspired by biplane structures, house technical functions and glow softly. Below, the vaulted brick basement becomes a nightclub, hosting music, dance, and spontaneous encounters. This is not a theatre as landmark, but a vessel for stories, gatherings, and shared experience.
