The Round Foundry

The Round Foundry represents a rigorous exercise in industrial archaeology and adaptive reuse. Situated at the historic terminus of the foundry district, the existing structure is a distinctive circular shell—a relic of the area’s metalworking past. Rather than erase this heritage, the proposal retains the full perimeter and reinterprets the interior as a permeable, multi-functional hub for contemporary making, exhibition, and public life.

Site Context and Heritage

The foundry district is characterized by weathered brick, weathered steel, and the heavy footprints of early manufacture. The Round Foundry sits as a punctuation mark in that vernacular: a curved facade that speaks to the radial casting processes once housed within. The site has long stood vacant, a hollow monument to a finished economic era. The intervention seeks to activate this vacancy by treating the shell as a permanent civic infrastructure rather than a disposable container.

Architectural Approach

The design is dictated by the geometry of the circle. The existing shell is stabilized and sealed, with the original apertures enlarged to admit a high-performance glazing system that sits in contrast to the oxidized steel of the structure. Internally, the plan is radial, with a central open atrium that serves as a vertical circulation node and a natural light well.

Materiality reinforces the site’s genealogy:

Weathered Steel: Used for the internal racking and mezzanine supports to echo the foundry's metallurgy.
Polished Concrete: Floors that retain the industrial grit while being sealed for public use.
Glazed Curtains: The facade is a transparent skin that reveals the internal activity, turning the building into a public spectacle.

Planning Rationale

From a planning perspective, the proposal aligns with the district's masterplan for pedestrian permeability. The eastern elevation is entirely glazed and at ground level, removing the opaque barrier of the original industrial facade. The building is set back from the street line to create a widened public realm, allowing for a small plaza that mediates between the sidewalk and the maker spaces.

Key planning drivers include:

Adaptive Reuse: Preserving the embodied carbon and character of the existing shell.
Mixed-Use Synergy: Combining production (maker spaces) with consumption (gallery and café) to ensure all-day vitality.
Public Access: A commitment to public views and permeability at the street edge.

Programmatic Zones

The program is organized into three concentric rings of activity:

The Maker Ring: The outer zones house a suite of shared workshops — metalwork, woodworking, and digital fabrication — equipped with industrial power and ventilation.
The Gallery Core: The central atrium and the mezzanine level are dedicated to exhibition and public programming. This is the primary civic interface.
The Cafe and Retail: A small cafe and retail kiosk occupy the southeast quadrant, benefiting from the strongest pedestrian flow and the most transparent views to the street.

Sustainability and Embodied Carbon

The most significant sustainability metric is the preservation of the existing shell. By retaining the primary structure, the project avoids the massive embodied carbon associated with demolishing a heavy steel and brick monument and erecting a new one. The new interventions are lightweight and reversible — a mezzanine and a facade treatment that can be adjusted or removed without compromising the primary historic fabric.