Karolina Rykucka

The lack of accessible pathways into architecture remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the profession today. Young professionals encounter significant barriers when entering the field, with junior positions increasingly difficult to secure in a competitive industry. This problem is rooted in a deeper systemic issue: the widespread absence of architectural education and engagement during formative school years makes this discipline seem distant and inaccessible, reserved for the few.

The Next Storey seeks to address this issue by creating a space dedicated to children, teenagers and young adults, where they can engage with architecture on their own terms – making design thinking and spatial literacy accessible from an early age.

Positioned next to Glasgow Central and near St Enoch Square, The Next Storey acts as an accessible platform for education, curiosity and exchange to explore the city of Glasgow through exhibitions, workshops, public debates, research and digital engagement. Its material choices are deliberate acts of memory and ambition, educating about the past and highlighting possibilities of the future. The building is clad in weathered steel reclaimed from former ships, rooted in Glasgow’s industrial heritage of shipbuilding. Internally exposed timber structure creates a warm, inviting atmosphere, highlighting the need to address the environmental impact of the construction industry while promoting modern sustainable solutions.

Grounded in the lessons of architectural history and shaped by the urban challenges ahead, The Next Storey mediates the transition between early education to professional practice, offering a safe space to explore architectural design thinking, experience the profession firsthand and find support along the way – whether before committing to the path, or while already on it.