Incubating Creativity: Amplifying an Emerging Art Culture

Abstract

At the heart of Moncton, New Brunswick lies an iconic building. The former Moncton High School is a place full of shared memories, history, and architectural character; however, it has laid dormant since it’s abandonment in 2012. The building has been riddled with controversy to this day, with several developers and investors attempts to revive the building into various condo developments, office spaces, and storage facilities being denied by the city. This thesis explores ways of using architecture and urban design to engage the city of Moncton and highlights its emerging art culture as a catalyst for public activity. Through the adaptive reuse of the former Moncton High School, the project aims to create a new social hub at the city’s core, providing a place for established and emerging artists to practice and perform, capable of generating new activity and filling a gap between adjacent sprawled areas of the city.