CIDERTHEQUE

Can dance offer a form of escape from the everyday and provide a means for congregation and community? The area surrounding the site is fragmented with very separate and distinct areas; resulting in a lack of social mixing and community spirit. The Cidertheque civic complex offers locals a place to connect, socialise and develop a sense of community. The site is located along either side of the High Street in Northfleet, Kent. Within the site, there is an existing Grade II listed building - The Factory Club (now derelict) - which was designed as a gentlemens club for the cement factory workers of Northfleet. As a response to this, my building is for the women of the community; considering women and putting them at the forefront at all stages of design, after bearing secondary recognition and importance in the past. The complex features a dancehall, theatre, eco-tech cidery and a new public square.