Since the late 19th century, Silvertown had been an active community centred around industries and trades, with many workplaces and activities for social life. However, after shipping containers were introduced in the late 20th century, the Royal Docks were suddenly not fit for purpose leading to the closure of many factories and shops. Jobs were lost and the community started to decline.
Collage of historic maps of London Royal Docks between 1870s - 1990s highlighting key developments in each period
The Tate Institute used to be an important place for entertainment and social life in Silvertown but is now left derelict
“Fragments of Memory” aims to bring together people in today’s Silvertown that may not seem as vibrant as it used to be, while at the same time reminding them of the memories of the past Silvertown. The project proposes a partial development for the Tate Institute, a derelict piece of the city closely associated with the local history, to suggest opportunities for new uses as well as redistribute its spatial and material provision to the wider neighbourhood.
Dismantling process of the Tate Institute and possibilities for the space in the future
By dismantling the building, we are left with materials that can be reused within the neighbourhood, as reminders of the past. Those fragments are a storage of memory. They store the history and the shared memories of those who have used the building. The fragments are then reassembled in underused pocket spaces to facilitate activities that used to happen at the Tate Institute, inviting people to interact with these fragments of memory as well as with one another.
Space 1 : Pocket Library
Space 2 : Community Hub
A conceptual collage showing the traces of the fragments and how they have been reassembled and given new uses
