Lanterns are a vital celebratory element to many Asian festivals and a symbol of luminance, luck, prosperity and longing. This project proposes a woodworking/ lantern-building workshop as a means to promote community unity through the celebration of lights.

The workshop will provide a space for the community to learn traditional and modern ways of making paper lanterns. Several workshops will also be dedicated to local artists and will include both a market and exhibition space.

Situated in Isle of Dogs, the site sits away from the hustle and bustle, overlooking the serene Millwall Outer Dock. The Isle of Dogs has the fastest population growth rate anywhere in the EU, with its current 40,000 population set to reach 100,000 within the next ten years. Much of this expansion is due to the increased number of people from Asian backgrounds, such as Chinese, Bangladeshi and Vietnamese.

The material investigation is focused on timber and timber joinery. Lanterns traditionally are upholstered without nails, like puzzle pieces interlocking one another. The building seeks to rejoice in the beauty of the complicated timber joinery pattern-making process, using it architecturally.