A proposal, by Mick Scott, which envisages the management, transformation and erosion of the Cupar Way Peacewall in West Belfast is to be exhibited at 13th Venice Architecture Biennale. The project will be hosted by Architecture for Humanity in the Palazzo Bembo after winning first place in the ‘political response’ category in the biannual Open Architecture Challenge placing in the top five out of 508 teams from over 70 countries.
The project has been designed as a time based/transitional piece of architecture focusing on the Cupar Way Interface dividing a significant section of Belfast’s Catholic and Protestant communities. The proposal is envisaged as a series of incremental events/interventions which will lead to the gradual erosion of the wall over a 40 year period, following the sequence of event, architecture, transition, change, destruction. It will be a wholly community led initiative with an emphasis on activities for young people (10-21) who are particularly vulnerable to violence, crime and the influence of paramilitary / criminal gangs on the interface.
Mick Scott is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and is currently completing a PhD at Oxford Brookes University on the evolution of Palestinian urbanism under the Israeli Occupation. He is a co-founder of Sustainable Architecture Studio, a social architectural enterprise focusing on holistic – process led design.