High Street Exhibition
With the recent Mary Portas review of the UK High Street the future of our town centres are a hot topic. A+DS' current exhibition High Street probes the past, present and the future of the Scottish High Street.
Do we really value our High Streets or are they simply past their sell-by date? With vacancies up and shopper numbers down, is it time to rethink? In Scotland the High Street began as a marketplace, a hub of social activity - busy, raucous and messy. This exhibition shows its evolution, our changing shops and shopping habits, and the impact this has had today. Specially commissioned films gather people's stories of the High Street and document a recent journey through 15 Scottish High Streets. It suggests remedies to ensure our future High Streets are sustainable and thriving places.
To see more images of the High Street exhibition please click here
The High Street exhibition recently featured in the Scotsman – check out the article here.
See what our friends from Start Up Street in Stirling thought about their visit to the exhibition here.
The High Street exhibition runs until April 17, 2012.
It is open Monday-Saturday 10:30-17:00.
The exhibition is created by Architecture and Design Scotland, with kind support by the Scottish Government and Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.
High Street People
High Streets need people. They are sociable places with shopkeepers, small talk and neighbourhood gossip, full of activity and interaction. They require shoppers, shop owners, entrepreneurs and original ideas. At the exhibition you can see films of lots of different people talking about High Streets, from long-standing family businesses and community co-operatives to planners,politicians and town centre managers.
To view the High Street People film please click here
High Street History
The exhibition explores the history of the Scottish High Street from the 12th century with the reign of David I and the establishment of the early royal burghs, through to the High Street of today.Some of the landmarks of today’s towns developed during this time including the weigh house, the tollbooth, the mercat (market) and the Tron (the public weighing machine).
High Street Places
What do Scottish High Streets look like today? Documenting a journey through 15 High Streets in Scotland, the film on show at the High Street exhibition presents a visual mix of locations and populations, from wealthy commuter towns to former industrial towns. Every shop on each street was noted, and the results highlight the make-up of the street and types of businesses on the High Streets today.
High Street Shops – Architecture
From the medieval simple lean-to timber booths through to the construction of elegant Edwardian shops and substantial department stores and the Art Deco Movement of the inter-war period the exhibition looks at the architectural styles of Scotland's shops.
(Images by Alan Dimmick and Colin Hattersley)
The High Street exhibition was designed by Stone Opera with graphic design by Suisse and fabrication by Touchwood.
A discussion on the future of the scottish High Street took place on Tuesday 21st February please click here for details.
