CONNECTING CUMBERNAULD
CUMBERNAULD, SCOTLAND
GPS:
55°56'50.1"N 3°59'22.5"W
Typology:
Urban masterplan retrofit
Year: 2023
Type: Competition
Year: 2023
Type: Competition
What is Cumbernauld, and more importantly, who is Cumbernauld?
Through conversing with the residents of the ‘satellite town’, I concluded that the people of Cumbernauld signify connectivity. Cumbernauld was built on a big idea: a revolutionary megastructure. However, it was not built with the community coming first, so with the walls brought down and barriers removed, a cohesive city can be conceived for an already cohesive community. Cumbernauld has always been more than just an excerpt of Glasgow; it’s time the machine became a reflection of not just the person but also the people, a connected town centre.
Through conversing with the residents of the ‘satellite town’, I concluded that the people of Cumbernauld signify connectivity. Cumbernauld was built on a big idea: a revolutionary megastructure. However, it was not built with the community coming first, so with the walls brought down and barriers removed, a cohesive city can be conceived for an already cohesive community. Cumbernauld has always been more than just an excerpt of Glasgow; it’s time the machine became a reflection of not just the person but also the people, a connected town centre.
All too often have brutalist buildings been demolished and replaced, just to be yearned for instead of forgotten, simply because that identity was lost. Cumbernauld’s physical identity has been built off of the megastructure, and while the execution failed, the concept hasn’t. Despite the barriers it faces, ‘The Centre’ remains a gathering place for this community and should be improved to reflect this connection, not reconceived. To connect Cumbernauld, we must anthropomorphize the machine into a vision for humanity.
We must anthropomorphize the machine into the human, providing connectivity for the community. Instead of being built for the passing automobile, Cumbernauld is now built as a destination.