Emily Robertson

The Magpie Collective is a hostel based in the city centre of Dundee that brings another hostel option to the expanding city. It is designed to bring together an eclectic mix of design and decoration styles to complement the diverse collection of people passing through. The hostel aims to create a place of community, connection and hospitality for those who are travelling and staying in Dundee for a short period of time. By taking inspiration from birds and thinking about the similarities between them and humans when travelling, the visitors to the city can commune together in a communal nest before retiring to their own ‘nesting box’.

Located just off the city centre, The Magpie Collective is within walking distance to all local amenities and public transport options. The site previously operated as a restaurant on the ground floor, with the remaining floors being office spaces, the building has been entirely vacant since 2019. The central Netscape within the building creates a suspended rest area and a playful way of traversing between the floors of the building like a bird traversing a tree or its social nest. This playful nature is displayed throughout the building, creating a wealth of memory-making and social media-worthy areas.

This proposal embraces a bright and playful nature, mimicking birds in their nesting phase. Bringing people from diverse backgrounds, just like the Social Weavers nest, creates a mass of community between a variety of species.