The Camberley Palace for the People responds to deficiencies in civic infrastructure in the United Kingdom and exacerbated by the Coronavirus 2019 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The design responds to the crisis by being confident, efficient, and adaptable to accommodate a great variety of community and civic functions. During crisis, the project will enable the continuation of daily activities, whilst at other times it can be a place of leisure, pleasure and civic life. Designed with a sense of urgency the project demands efficient construction and carbon neutrality, spatial and climatic responsiveness and is scaled to the size of the population that it will serve.
Situated on the edge of the town the building sits between the residential condition of Blackwater and the industrial estate of Camberley. The site provides easy access to Blackwater railway station and close proximity to the A30 and M3. This site is unique from the others presenting an edge of town condition connecting numerous towns within 5km of Camberley, significantly increasing the capture radius of the project.
The strategic aim of the design was to bring people together, from different communities, age, race, and gender without social barriers dividing them. This enables the building to act as a medium, bringing people together and celebrating life within such a harmonious and serene surrounding.
