Whose cathedrals are we building? Learning from Dalmarnock’s past, present and future.

“All Palaces Are Temporary Palaces”
(Robert Montgomery)
Dalmarnock, like much of Glasgow, has seen many dramatic and transformational changes to its urban form and social fabric, from rapid industrialisation, subsequent depopulation, and radical visions of a new future.
Hosted in French Street Studios by New Future in collaboration with Architects Declare, this event will invite pairs of speakers to exchange stories and share conversation about Dalmarnock across past, present and future generations.
Engaging with the practice of cathedral thinking to consider redevelopment in terms of impact that extends multiple generations beyond one’s own lifetime, the discussions will explore how these historic generational shifts have influenced Dalmarnock’s architectural and cultural heritage, and how learning from the past can guide sustainable future urban planning and design.
Can multi-generational thinking help to ensure a just transition and can regenerative development ensure future generations become custodians and beneficiaries of a sustainable and resilient built environment?
“Avoiding climate breakdown will require Cathedral Thinking. We must lay the foundations while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling”
(Greta Thunberg)
This event is twinned with Architects Declare’s ‘Beyond Mythologies’ talk being held as part of the London Festival of Architecture. Place-based stories and learnings from the discussions will be compiled and shared following both events.
About the Organisers:
UK Architects Declare is a movement that quickly attracted hundreds of architectural practices seeking urgent change. More than 1,330 practices of all sizes have signed our declaration across the UK. Globally, our declaration has inspired thousands of others. Built Environment Declares – with Engineers, Landscape Architects, Contractors, Interior Designers and others alongside Architects in the UK, and more than 40 declare groups in 28 countries – now has over 8,000 signatories.
Architects Declare is many things: a declaration, a programme, a network, a charity, a critical friend, and a partner for change. Declaration: 12 principles to tackle our Planetary Emergency through action.
Programme: guidance, examples and dialogue to help all build on their declarations.
Network: an expanding base of shared ideas, inspiration and action.
Charity: working for the public benefit.
Critical friend: opening dialogue on our declaration; calling industry, institutions, media and governments to rise to its challenges.
Partner: building dialogue and joint projects to drive positive change.