(Re)Jewel

Title: (Re)Jewel. An Urban Commons for Birmingham’s Jewellery Industry

Author: Holly Madeley

Year: 2020

Abstract: The project takes the form of a community-owned jewellery workshop, in which jewellery can be made out of household recyclables such as plastic and glass bottles. The building is to be located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, and has emerged as a response to the heavily consumerist nature of the area, and the exclusivity and secrecy surrounding the manufacturing side of the jewellery industry. The Jewellery Commons seeks to transform the Jewellery Quarter according to the feminist principle of ‘including the excluded’; creating a space where all are welcome to engage with the area’s rich history of jewellery making, and celebrating the craftsmanship of the industry, rather than simply focussing on the finished product. A key tool for developing the design of the Jewellery Commons was the creation of a ‘feminist design guide’ through which design choices were analysed and evaluated, as an alternative to the strict requirements set out in an existing design guide for buildings in the Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area. Meanwhile, specific care was taken in the design of the building’s façade to make it welcoming and unthreatening for passers-by, to ensure that the Jewellery Commons remains a truly inclusive space for all.

© Holly Madeley 2020