This thesis responds to the ambivalent conditions of The White Cliffs of Dover, England’s ‘façade’, between land and water, Britain and Europe. A small tower provides a place to stay along the cliff walk, with a sheltered walled garden – a room open to the sky. Exploring the evolution of the courtyard at the Guildhall in the City of London from a private yard to a public square led into the main proposal: a People’s Palace for St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe. The complex forms an edge to future expansion of the village. Its enclosed court relates to the neighbouring farmland, providing a marketplace and orchard. The more open court is the focus for a museum, gallery and Great Hall, situated between forest and garden, settlement and landscape.
