We think of concrete as a hard, strong, never-failing material. My project challenges our preconceptions of what concrete is and what in can create in a playful way, using fabric to create a humorous antagonist to both the National Theatre and the IBM building, which is currently being redeveloped. Through the process I have cast columns, roofs and windows which piece together a building, a pavilion standing on the “4th Theatre” of Lasdun’s monumental National Theatre.
Chapter 1 - Observations of Time
Initially, I was interested in 3 types of time passing: The time implied, the freezing of time and the time to repair. Wandering through London I came across countless examples that took my interest. Along the Thames I begun at the York Water gate, a former gate for boats on the Thames edge, the gate is built with rusticated stone, making it look older than it actually is. My interest in rustication took me further to the south side of the river, to the two Lasdun buildings opposite. The buildings both use different types of restication to disguise their concrete. There, I noticed that the former IBM building was being partially demolished and rebuilt as part of a plan by AHMM for new office spaces in the area. I was intrigued by why the building needed to be changed and thought of Leatherbarrow's writings on the changes of buildings over time, often unforeseen by their original architects.
York Watergate
The National Theatre
The IBM Building
Chapter 2 - Explorations of Time and Site
1:500 site map (above) Physical unfolding interactive map documenting onsite experience (below)
I used clay to recreate textural casts of Lasdun's Rustication in the studio. The textures cause dirt and grime to build up on the concrete surface, aging the look of the buildings significantly.
Chapter 3 - Bending time
I began to experiment with plaster and concrete, creating sculptures that froze the material in time and gave it new properties. I begun by using fabric and glass.
I also experimented with different concrete mixtures.
These experiments became the basis of my prototypes for a pavilion. They became columns, roofs and buttresses.
Chapter 4 - Freezing Time
I made more prototypes, this time using jesmonite.
I made a final sewing pattern based off of measurements I had taken from the National Theatre.
Chapter 5 - Frozen in time
Final Drawings
