Ermine United Reformed Church
Sudbrooke Drive, Lincoln, LN2 2EF
Open Workshops: 19 – 22 February, 11:00am – 2:00pm
Public House Parade: Saturday 22 February, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Drop-in and join international design collective ON/OFF in building a piece of social architecture from 19 – 22 February. In initiating a mobile “Public House,” a series of communally-built and roaming shelters will come together in an ad hoc parade through the Ermine Estate on the afternoon of 22 February. The shelters are centred around a warm hearth or chiminea that invites people out of their homes and onto the streets.
ON/OFF have been working with citizens of the Ermine Estate on a collaborative and creative architectural project. During the first phase of the project in November, ON/OFF visited the Ermine to meet with members of the local community and run a mapping workshop, to better understand the social and geographical context. The goal of the project is to engage conversations around a recent decline in public sites, including the uncertain future of The Lincoln Imp Pub, reduced Ermine Library opening hours as well as the upcoming demolition of the Ermine Methodist Church, and to incite a playful and collaborative community action.
Public House has been developed in response to the history and contemporary social and spatial reality of the Ermine Estate – considering new ways of coming together and being together. You can read more about ON/OFF and the collective’s ongoing commission with Mansions of the Future here.
Additional free family activities will be taking place at the Ermine United Reformed Church on 21 & 22 February. Click to read more about Friday’s Place Making & Imagination Workshop and Saturday’s Beat the Architect Competition.
Public House is a project and piece of social architecture developed for and with residents of Lincoln, created by ON/OFF design collective members Nick Green, Alison Hugill, Michael Maginness and Dan Dorocic, with the support of Lulu Lentini, Andrew Jackson (Lincoln historian & Geographer), Selina Tarnowska (Art & Architecture Intern at MotF), Ermine Community Action Group, Ermine United Reformed Church, St John the Baptist Church, Ermine Community Action Group, the citizens of the Ermine Estate and the University of Lincoln.
Presented by Mansions of the Future as part of their Urban Form: Social Architecture & The Commons season. This programme of activity marks the start of the Mansions of the Future’s legacy year (2019 – 2020), which intends to engage artists, architects, academics and local citizens in conversation and debate around the past, present and future of Lincoln’s social and civic life, within the context of the local built environment.