Can architecture help reunite a post-Brexit Britain?

Drawings for a united Britain by Eric Wong, a Masters graduate from the Bartlett School of Architecture. Here, an aerial view of Britain’s new capital, *Cohesion* – an allegorical masterplan on the Isle of Man

A typical street on the Isle of Man contrasts with the backdrop of new tectonic infrastructures

Waste around the British shores is collected and made into land units. These mattresses roll out around the Isle of Man. The colours reference artist L S Lowry’s depiction of the romanticised industrial districts in the UK

Land units fold up, housing facade panels lined with services are hoisted into position. As people arrive, life in the everyday new suburban house begins amid the early stages of the city’s construction

The elderly and the NHS become integral in *Cohesion*. Tectonic guards become the city’s heart and lungs, providing fresh air, health care and elderly support

Outside, typical Manx sheep from the island congregate and help to graze the outdoor green while the elderly enjoy fresh air and a game of croquet

The throne tectonics sitting at the highest points on the islands belong to departments of *Cohesion*

Attached at careful intervals along the island’s mountain hub, the noble gardener grazes and cares for a vertical wall of food. Each gardener welcomes guest to eat and cook together. Topiary is encouraged in the endearing and fun image of the Queen as a symbol and figurehead for inclusivity

Deep divisions within political parties, the UK and the whole continent have quickly become the zeitgeist of our time. Amid the uncertainty, there are few options being laid out on the table. But as a Brexiting Britain steps into the unknown, does architecture have a role to play in reuniting the country?

Eric Wong, a Masters graduate from London’s Bartlett School of Architecture, tackled the issue for his final year project, creating an illustrated blueprint for a truly united United Kingdom that has the Isle of Man as its capital.

‘Relocating Britain’s capital may appear totally fanciful and farfetched but such a move has been considered in the past to the regions of Lancashire and York – a more geographic centre,’ says Wong. ‘The relocation to the Isle of Man would see a radical geographical redistribution of wealth and ease pressures on London’s transport and housing market.’

Eric Wong 'Cohesion' Bartlett Summer Show — An administrative building, designed in the image of Leeds Town Hall. The chandelier hubs around it provide community centres, nurseries and public platforms where freedom of speech is welcomed. They float along the main avenues lining a 24-hour-lit high street

A seemingly prescient Wong started work on the project – titled Cohesion: A blueprint for a united kingdom – last year before outgoing prime minister David Cameron had even announced the date for the EU referendum.

The Isle of Man is technically not part of the UK (it’s a crown dependence). But as the new capital, it would shift the epicentre to a place roughly equidistant to London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, connecting the UK’s four nations. And in Wong’s vision, there are increased provisions for clean water, sustainable energy resources, and more land for housing. The new city would also become a safe haven for refugees.

Adds Wong: ‘Cohesion can provide for the disenfranchised generation within the UK and the increasingly dislocated global communities.’

He’s under no illusions, though, about the possibility of his blueprint ever coming to fruition. ‘This does not seek to find a solution to current issues, but aims to speculate on an alternative and question the “what if” scenario,’ he says.

More importantly, the project is about envisioning a better future we can work towards. ‘Cohesion projects a forward-looking attitude, duty and responsibility to reunite a broken Britain.’