PAISLEY STREET
TEXTILES QUARTER
Second Semester | Third Year
The culturally rich Maddern Square has many different languages, signage and symbology in its shops and I was able to see which backgrounds were the most prominent, from there I researched techniques and processes used in that country to form the program and then organized it so that different cultural processes could occur using the same basic textile process, for example batik dying and shibori dying can both use the same plantation, extraction, printing and dyeing areas and thus a cultural exchange of technique could occur. The activity occurs on the ground level and the rooftops as well as circulating on the intermediate level awnings. The woven bamboo structures were formed to facilitate different weaving techniques; from backstrap weaving to tapestry, basketry, knitting and sewing. They also accommodate the drying of plants before extraction and drying fabric after dyeing. Bamboo fibre can be extracted to form yarn and is used in almost all of the cultures that are present in the square to construct looms and press plants to extract dyes. It is one of the plants grown on site along with mulberry trees to produce eri-silk as well as sumac, tumeric and indigo dye plants. The resulting space is flexible; each bamboo pavilion can facilitate all weaving types so throughout the day different weaving classes and practice can shift around the site depending on foot traffic and level of privacy/publicity wanted. Inhabitants can occupy the inside of the pavilions in small groups/individuals or can use the larger spaces between the pavilions in large groups/communal. The structures connect through bamboo lenghts that create different densities from void to sheltered. Fabric may also be hung across the structure to provide more shelter. The intersection of the central pavilions creates a large space to hang fabric for public viewing and interaction. The structure of the pavilions is made of overlapping bamboo pieces that symbolize the warp and weft present in all weaving techniques; the weft is woven around the warp and together creates the structural integrity of the fabric.
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