Hatfield car park

The multistorey car parks in the centre of Slough provide a generous 10sqm of parking space for every resident but most of these existing car parks aren’t used to their full capacity. Could the currently unoccupied space be used temporarily? The available space offers the opportunity to introduce individuality, creativity and greenery into the mono-functional town centre of Slough currently dominated by cars and chain shops.

The top three floors of the Council owned multi-story car park “Hatfield” located 60m off the High Street are currently unused and the space could be adjusted with little means to house exhibitions, film screenings, performances, markets, or could contain temporary artist studios and business starter units.

During a workshop in January 06 the idea of reusing car parking spaces was tested with a group from the Slough Young People Centre and architecture students from the University of East London. One deck was temporarily transformed into a workshop, exhibition and performance space.

At the Hatfield Jam in September 2006 Slough Young People Centre used the available space in the car park to present their summer show with live DJs, MCs, street dancing, break dancing and drama.

  • dates:
    2006
  • commissioned by:
    Slough Borough Council, Art at the Centre
  • collaboration:

    Slough Young People Centre, University of East London, Architecture (Unit F)