Erica Brunno

From the 19th century forward the once vibrant area of the High Street became a long corridor flanked by mostly warehouses and tenements. Most of the space was occupied by textile production and storage facilities, only second to the food industry.
Since the 1960s the High Street has also been the subject of a big debate, the East flank. The motorway plans for this part of the city were abandoned thanks to the inhabitants’ efforts but the mere idea of the loss that will be suffered deeply changed how the High Street is inhabited.
Over the last seven decades the area has been taken over by university buildings and student accommodations with some shops, bars as well as many empty and decadent structures. Several have been demolished and many others are in danger of disappearing soon. The importance of preserving the local heritage is absent.
The High Street is the place where the city centre and the east side meet, and therefore a strategic location to reconnect the Merchant City to the East end and bring the communities together.
As part of a bigger development the disused buildings along the Street will be repurposed as selling points for artifacts and materials made reusing textiles.
The new buildings surrounding the old British Linen Bank will host the production of thermal insulation and cotton bricks reusing textiles collected by the community or arriving by rail from industries around Scotland. One of the buildings will be a learning centre to train the community how to reuse various fabrics. There will also be a covered market and a building that provides space for community gatherings.
The fundamental aim is to reintroduce an industry once dominant with renewed activities and operations, and with that bring people back to the High Street and give it the prestige it deserves.