Agency Arcade: Unboxed. This project is based on ideas of self-discovery and giving agency back to a community at grass root level via the means of “play”. The architecture is simple, taking a simple box shaped form, informed by the established “youth centre” typology in the North West, and suggesting play through what it contains and how it’s used.
The blank exterior acts like wrapping paper, a veiled polycarbonate membrane—what makes it playful is the engagement, colour, and interaction inside. It’s architecture as a stage for activity, not the performer itself. The simplicity of a box is not a limitation—it’s a blank canvas. Just like an empty cardboard box becomes a spaceship, a house, or a hideout in the hands of a child, a minimalist rectangular building offers an open-ended spatial framework where activities define the meaning of space. The building plays hide and seek in its context, layers of activity, lighting, texture, colour, acoustics, and furniture reflect how the quiet outer building opens up to vibrant energy. The box contains interior ‘micro-environments’: stages, lofts, reading nooks, sunken seating areas—all nested within a single space, enhancing the ideas of discovery. Within one unified volume, areas can emerge, and open sightlines make activities visible, creating “passive invitations” to join. A young person sees others playing, drawing, or dancing, and this visual connection can spark spontaneous participation. A box shape provides clarity and flexibility, while its interior programming and spatial richness invite play.
The playful experience doesn’t rely on the building looking playful—it relies on it feeling open, transformable, and youth-led. It’s not the form alone—it’s what happens inside those matters. The box is just the enabler of play, not the play itself. In this way, inclusivity and diversity thrive, giving agency back to a community to stands to be heard in the heart of Liverpool.
Gallery
Internal Views of the Youth Centre, click to enlarge
