Celebrating World Architecture Day
2024/25 Year 4 students during a Leith Theatre site visit, October 2024.
Empowering the Next Generation at Leith Theatre!
At Leith Theatre, we are extremely passionate about the walls around us, not only for their historical value but for their potential to shape our, and the community’s, future. This World Architecture Day, we’re reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve taken alongside a future generation of talented architects through our collaboration with University of Strathclyde. How fitting then that the theme for this year's World Architecture Day, “Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design,” aligns perfectly with our ongoing joint efforts to support creative pipelining opportunities and foster creativity through architecture.
World Architecture Day, established in 1985, is an opportunity for the global architectural community to come together and address key challenges facing our cities and built environments. This year’s theme highlights the importance of engaging young architects to contribute fresh ideas toward sustainable urban development (just like our own). This focus is not only timely but also essential for the future of architecture. At Leith Theatre, we’ve been embracing these values through our work with Year 4 Architecture students from University of Strathclyde, who have been inspired by our space and its incredible potential.
Exhibiting 2023/24 students work at Leith Theatre Doors Open Day event, September 2024.
Our collaboration with Strathclyde began last year when the architecture department approached us with an exciting proposition: to become one of the real-world case studies to inspire their student’s projects, alongside some other incredible charities and trusts. The initiative was a great success. One of last year’s participants, Struan Morrison, was even nominated for the Architect Journal’s Undergraduate Award, truly a testament to the creativity and hard work fostered through this partnership. Now, as we embark on the second year of this collaboration, we’re excited to see what new ideas will come from the next talented group.
It was with great joy that we were able to exhibit these amazing works at Leith Theatre as part of our Doors Open Day 2024. Foam boards and models from the students using Leith Theatre for their project were displayed for the public, allowing a glimpse into the creative process and innovative ideas developed over the past year.
Just last week, we welcomed the latest round of Year 4 students to explore the Theatre as part of their 24/25 projects. They’ll be applying their learnings to date, thinking about how spaces like Leith Theatre can not only be preserved but reimagined to meet the needs of the community in a context that is both sustainable and fit for purpose. How fitting that this year’s World Architecture Day themes will likely be reflected in the final designs, possibly looking at how the theatre could be in future, maybe in its energy efficiency, or a more inviting hub for community engagement. It was also the perfect opportunity for these new Year 4 students to see the incredible work that had been produced last year (no pressure!!). A chance to look back and to look forward!
While this is an academic exercise, the creativity and new ideas the students bring are inspiring to see. Their blue-sky thinking and innovative design solutions provide valuable insights that may influence how we think about Leith Theatre’s future restoration and redevelopment. Last year’s projects showed how well the students can imagine spaces evolving to meet modern needs, all while respecting the building's rich historical context. Even designs that relocated a Leith Theatre inspired building to new locations had our imaginations captured.
2024/25 Year 4 students during a visit to Leith Theatre, October 2024.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our collaboration has been the reciprocal learning process. While the students gain practical experience by engaging with a “real client” and with this heritage building, we also benefit from fresh perspectives. Last year, their designs pushed us to think differently about our space -how it could be opened up, reinterpreted, re-invented and enhanced to better serve our community (don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere). This year, we’re expecting more thought-provoking proposals from the great minds of architecture’s future.
As part of this year’s project, we’re keen to see how these new students restore, retrofit or reimagine Leith Theatre in its historical context. With Edinburgh’s ongoing growth and challenges around sustainability, their projects will undoubtedly touch on a lot of current issues.
At Leith Theatre, we believe that the future of architecture isn’t just about preserving the past, but about shaping spaces that serve communities now and for generations to come. We’re honoured to be part of this process, empowering the next generation to take the lead in designing our spaces.
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue this journey with the students from the University of Strathclyde. Their engagement with Leith Theatre reminds us that architecture has the power to bring people together, spark creativity and to imagine new possibilities.
Happy World Architecture Day 2024 from all of us at Leith Theatre. We’re so excited to see where this year’s journey and our own future journey takes us!