Fishmarket Arts Centre and Café, Northampton

Commissioned by Northampton Arts Collective (NAC) as part of their refurbishments to this newly established Regional Arts Venue in the heart of Northampton’s town centre.

The concept for this contemporary courtyard combined the brief, the context and aesthetics of the old Fishmarket building, the ‘sense of place’, functionality and a desire by Artemis to create an inspiring and contemporary ‘modular’ design within the constraints of the project budget.

In devising a concept for the transformation of this area of the Fishmarket, Artemis employed scaffolding both for its function of creating a framework and relatively quick method of levelling and concealing a tired, sloping concrete surface, but also for its aesthetic as a utilitarian commodity. Celebrating its functionality in exposing fittings and fixtures, this design also aims to re-use materials where possible, providing an affordable and sustainable method of creating an atmospheric, exciting space. The modular nature of this construction also means that the space can evolve with the needs and successes of the Fishmarket as an Arts Venue.