MEANWHILE USES

Meanwhile Interior Uses

A relatively small amount of structural research has been carried out on Silo D compared with the neighbouring Millennium Mills. After many years standing empty, Millennium Mills has been deemed unsafe for public use in its current state and it would therefore be safe to assume that Silo D will be in a similar condition.

Owing to the substantial amount of funding needed to redevelop the building along with current public safety concerns, only external meanwhile uses have been considered for the silo.

The internal state of disrepair at Millennium Mills.

Meanwhile Exterior Uses

The meanwhile uses that have been chosen all relate to the silo's final use as a cultural venue.

Laser light shows will be projected onto the south elevation every night to add an interactive element and draw people into the development. This is a relatively inexpensive meanwhile use with displays being able to be changed weekly or even nightly, depending on the occasion. Short films about the site's past and what is in store for the future will inform residents whist there could be a competition for local people to submit entries too.

A temporary lido structure will also be constructed which will open the blue network up to the public straight away, providing a vital facility for health and well-being. The popularity of the lido will help inform its final design with feedback being received from local people about what design/facilities they would like to see.

Night time projections are a safe and interactive way to engage the community whilst Silo D is being renovated.

Meanwhile Uses for Public Participation

Meanwhile uses will also be used as a further form of public participation to engage and empower the community. Boards will be placed on the Silo (to protect the heritage asset) that will display questions and thought provoking ideas and members of the public will be invited to engage with the wall and leave their thoughts and feelings. This is a simple and accessible method of participation that should prove popular as the site's history has shown that residents of Newham will actively engage in matters concerning the development of their community.

Interactive art as a further form of public participation.

Meanwhile Exterior Uses

Before work starts on the wider site, a circular activity walk will be created and at the end of this will be a temporary pop-up restaurant. This will help to establish a catering workforce (complete with apprentices) and client base that can be transferred as soon as the silo's cafe opens, giving it the highest possible chance of success.

It will also allow jobs and apprenticeships to be created as soon as possible, delivering on the developments objective of creating oppportunity.

A temporary pop-up restaurant will allow a workforce and client base to form, allow the cafe to start successfully operating as soon as Silo D is complete.