This project reimagines the remains of the Schulze Baking Plant into a visualization of re-colonization. Playing on the notion of the “artist colony” and all the implications of the phrase, this design draws from the legacy of the Black artists and thinkers of the South Side and reclaims space to foster renewed occurrences of study and shared forms of knowledge by concentrating intellectual, political, and creative pursuits. Rather than looking at the building’s history and considering its preservation as such, I approached the design from a perspective of territorial reclamation, fortification, and excess. An architecture of thickness adds permanence and weight to the structure while artist studios, residences, music rooms, and spaces for performances and gatherings full out the building’s activities.
