An initial look at the reappropriation of redundant retail spaces on the high street as news of NHS treatment waiting times increase.
New data published by NHS England shows that there were 5.12 million people waiting for treatment at the end of April 2021. This may be due to an overall shortage in the number of facilities nationally available. With the collapse of Debenhams, the Arcadia Group and GAP during the pandemic, enormous voids have formed on the high street, within shopping centres and retail parks. Rather than creating new healthcare buildings, what if these empty spaces were remodelled to accommodate for the deficit in NHS facilities.
The pandemic has brought light to much more than this though. A general feeling of community spirit has renewed conversations around the spaces in which we occupy, particularly the necessity for those where we congregate and exchange ideas. Therefore in addition to introducing civic facilities what if we also looked to revitalise the dying high street by introducing provisions for local community engagement — a library, museum, gallery, theatre, music venue, co-working space, gymnasium, well-being centre, workshop, recycling facility or even housing?!
There is no debate that the COVID-19 pandemic has been disastrous across the globe for millions of people. A lesson it has taught us is that we have some, if not all, of the resources we need in our locality — begging the question, why would we not respond to this?
At HFM we have been working with some of our fantastic clients to look at this topic a little further. We’re looking forward to the design challenges this brings as well as the research opportunities this will present.
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