Jessica Zhan

In ‘Use’, the main concern of the project is bridging the gap between a mixed population around the site - a range of ages, social classes, racial backgrounds, and religious beliefs. It devises a set of interconnected programmes that mitigates differences and celebrates togetherness. ‘Play’ is a crucial activity in our childhood, and through the Toy Library and playground, children of less wealthy backgrounds can gain access to enriching resources that they wouldn’t have otherwise. ‘Play’ is a practice of memory-making. In the Toy Hospital, old toys are repaired and passed down through generations, alongside stories of family and identity archived in the Storytelling Centre. ‘Play’ is also a spiritual practice, encouraging a more fundamental sense of spirituality that overlooks religious separations. From site investigations, precedent study and massing, to the experience of individual public spaces, this chapter is your invitation to play.

In ‘Structure’ and ‘Construction’, the project interprets ‘play’ as an act of empowerment and creativity. The ability to make and build something out of nothing, to manipulate as you wish, to fix and adapt without having to wait for ‘the construction industry’, is closely connected with sustainability, agency, dignity, and human rights. Separating permanent and ‘dressing’ elements provides an inclusive framework that gives freedom back to the users, not only allowing them to express their lifestyle but also saving cost and time from maintenance. The project is a doll’s house, an avatar, an urban stage set - it evolves as time goes on and needs change, but never quite finishes.

In ‘Matter’, ‘play’ is the joy of colour and the responsibility that joy is founded on. With a special focus on creatively reclaiming and upcycling components, materials are used as key markers of spaces, memory, and identity, both for the project and for the people of Leith. But more importantly, the choice and sourcing of materials reduce cost, safeguard health, and minimise embodied carbon. This is the rigorous dirty work that lifts up the ‘play’.