A STIRLING WEEKEND

A month into two thousand and eleven and gears of studio are turning again. The Christmas hangover is long gone, hand ins dealt with (for now) and it is time to get stuck in. Feeling rev’d up I thought an inspirational trip was in order. This began on a typically overcast and perhaps, unusually cold day in Leicester.

The university campus is marked in the skyline of the city by Stirling’s distinctive red tiled engineering building. As it was the weekend the building was closed, so I was left to gawp in from the outside of this unpopulated relic. The lack of people combined with the desolate surroundings, gave an objective impression similar to that of viewing one of Stirling’s axonometric drawings in a textbook. This building defiantly shows it’s age and I’m sure the users will hate it, but from where I was standing the experience was quite thrilling.  I was particularly impressed by the articulation of the entrance and mezzanine levels in giving a human scale to the tower and huge programme. 

Perhaps the one place you're not meant to stand?

No one knows how to party like those engineers. Paper plates and half drunk larger is just soo Postmodern. 

only for thin humans

 The next stop was the Clore gallery at Millbank. I first visited this building when I was even earlier into my architectural career. It was good to see with fresh and slightly better trained eyes. At least I didn’t get stuck in the revolving door this time. The pictures here were quite hastily taken on my camera phone as I perused the fantastic entrance sequence up to the galleries. The entrance itself was quiet, the reception attendant almost seemed surprised at the arrival of a visitor. The Turner galleries, by contrast were as busy as ever and probably more densely packed than the halls of the Tate proper. This does make me wonder how many people actually use and experience entry through the pyramidal ingress. This was a colorful and warming contrast to the previous day’s visit and just as pleasing.

 Old meets new. Waste meets bin.

Turner's Sketchbook

SEQUENTIAL SKETCHES

Here are some excerpts from the latest tales of the Moleskine. Some sketches to find out the nature of the spaces I'm trying to create. 

WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL

This year’s studio has been focused around Westminster Cathedral and the public space surrounding it. Currently a piazza exists in front of the main entrance to the cathedral. This piazza, created in the late 70’s allows for a direct relationship between the Cathedral and the busy arterial route of Victoria Street. This was a bold intervention revealing the impressive front façade, but new developments and the scale of Victoria Street appear to dominate the space, competing in scale with the cathedral. This proposal aims to close off this link, reinstating oblique lines sight on approach to the cathedral. The public space is shifted to the side of the cathedral revealing the long façade, aiming to form a relationship with the residential mansion houses that surround the site. In a stroke of genius the square has been named Westminster Square.  PLEASE COMMENT!

Existing Piazza

Front facade, currently facing Victoria Street.

Side Facade details.

site plan for new square.