LIZZY CLARKE

The Maker’s Mill // Blackness, Dundee

This project worked with Creative Dundee as a live client- an organisation which supports and amplifies the city’s creative community- designing a permanent space for them to be based alongside other cultural organisations in the Blackness area, an ex-industrial quarter to the west of Dundee known for its rich manufacturing heritage and growing creative presence. The scheme combines the retrofit of a listed old stone flax mill and former foundry office with new build elements, creating a layered space which honours dundee’s industrial past while supporting its future as a creative community hub.

The programme includes both spaces for artists and the public, including: a cafe, assembly hall, workshops, studios, co-working spaces, live-work units, a nursery and retail space to sell and display work. The design is shaped by core principles developed through conversations with Creative Dundee, centred on their aspirations and community needs. A key aim was not only to provide a diverse range of studios and workspaces, but also to embody the concept of a “third space”—a welcoming environment beyond home and work where artists and the public can connect and engage.

The vision is shown in the “lantern” concept of the front café building, designed as a glowing beacon for those approaching from the city centre. The café provides an accessible, low-barrier space for passersby—inviting curiosity without requiring commitment, a quality Creative Dundee identified as essential. Past the cafe there is an assembly hall to host events and a public workshop space for community activities and discussions. There are also more controlled studio spaces for artists, with a covered street providing views in for the public. Transitional and in-between spaces are integral to the scheme, encouraging informal interactions and chance encounters. Opportunities to pause, observe, and converse are embedded into the architecture, also with visual connections into active spaces reinforcing a sense of openness and shared creativity.