JOY
BIRKENHEAD, MERSEYSIDE
Molly ventures into interior design for a new place‑making hub in Birkenhead.
The Open Door Charity will transform the Treasury Annexe building in Birkenhead to a new hub called Joy that will use art and culture to support people with mental health issues.
Molly is closely involved after previously transforming Open Door’s Bloom Building with murals, wall art and installations. She now serves as Joy’s interior and visual design consultant, helping define the look and feel to match the project’s ambitions.
Joy will place mental health and clinical support services into a completely different environment; Joy won’t look, feel or act like a traditional health centre. Instead, it will be a dynamic, creative community space that is inclusive, playful and lively.
The charity-run project is one of several projects funded by the Town Deal Investment Fund in the Liverpool City Region.
Interior Design
Molly is working alongside Open Door Charity and Architectural Emporium to shape a lively, welcoming interior for Joy. With a background in theatre design and public art, she draws on a decade of experience in place-making to bring a strong design focus and playful aesthetic to the project.
Molly takes a hands-on, collaborative approach, working closely with clients through in-person workshops and experimentation, an approach inspired by her theatre design collaborations. Together with her team, she has been creating visuals that integrate her creative practice into formats that are clear and accessible for both clients and collaborators in the architectural and interior design sectors.
The proposed uses and layouts have been developed through workshops with the different organisations that will inhabit the building, ensuring the final scheme is welcoming and considers a wide range of needs.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community lies in the centre of the design for Joy…
In September 2023, Molly hosted free drop-in workshops in the basement of the future Joy building. Focused on interior design and public art, the sessions sparked ideas and gathered conversation for the upcoming transformation of Joy.
A CELEBRATION OF COLOUR
In August 2024, young people from OOMOO were invited to splatter paint throughout the Joy building, unleashing creative chaos before renovations began. The day turned the empty space into a giant canvas.
Participants covered walls and floors, blending creativity with freedom and setting the stage for the transformation ahead.
*Interior Design by Molly Hawkins; 3D Architectural Visualisations by Theo Passingham; Elevation Drawings by Architectural Emporium.