To apply my definition of joy to architecture, I turned to Tower Hamlets, where I highlighted a public service that joy would best serve.
The Watney Plaza Reminiscence Home is an innovative urban care home in Shadwell. The scheme gives dementia sufferers a positive dose of the past, through an approach called reminiscence therapy, the best treatment for the disease.
For people with dementia, personal identity slips away as cognitive abilities decline. But even as individuals lose touch with current events, they hold onto cherished memories. Photographs, treasured objects, and songs all stimulate fond thoughts of the past. This scheme goes a step further, by transporting its inhabitants to a place that mirrors the past. This ‘artificial world’ is woven into Watney Market through retail spaces that serve both Shadwell’s residents and the homes.
The modern world can be a confusing, frightening place for dementia sufferers, this scheme provides a safe, stimulating space for the residents to use and interact with others, allowing them to live a more fulfilling final chapter to their life.
