Populating Places
Grange Park Public Art Programme District Centre

The Background

This commission is part of a wider programme of Public Art at Grange Park, a new residential, retail and community development adjacent to the M1 Motorway. The project has developed a number of artistic opportunities with the aim of building a unique identity and atmosphere, encouraging the evolving community to engage with, and take care and ownership of, their new environment. Developed by South Northamptonshire Council, the aim being to use the arts as a tool for community development. It is the intention that the project will perform a vital role in the creation of new and diverse communities, as well as informing and contributing to dynamic and high quality public open spaces

The Brief

To collaborate closely as Lead Artist with the design team for the District Centre part of the development, to consider ideas that are integrated within the hard and soft landscape aspects of the scheme and generally look for openings for artistic opportunities to help engage people with their new place.

To contribute to the realisation of the District Centre by communicating the vision and the process by which the project has been developed to people and organisations who will be impacted upon or benefit from the centre. Where possible, generate creative and dynamic ways through temporary activities to involve people in the project.
The intention being that any ideas implemented could relate to further phased developments in areas adjacent to the District Centre still to be designed in detail by Munro and Whitten, or even to the rest of Grange Park in general; helping to fulfil a shared desire to help build an identity for grange Park and create an environment that draws people into the District Centre through the Greenway routes.

The Design Process

The first step was an initial period of discussions amongst the different stakeholders in the project to find out who was developing what and to what timescales. Eventually an opportunity was identified to work within the part of the District Centre being developed by Henry Davidson Developments, working closely with Munro and Whitten Landscape Designers and the rest of the design team to slot into the construction process.

Although the majority of the design planning had been developed for this area already, it was felt that it was important to create some kind of focal point feature for Grange Park within this space, and that enough scope may still exist to influence final decision making in a wider sense, looking for further lateral opportunities within the tight construction and launch phase.

All design approaches have considered the interests of the planners, the Parish Council and development workers on behalf of the community, the Contractor and Developer. Together we have tried to get to grips with the differing perceptions as to the nature of our collaboration. I have had to understand expectations, meet them, and at times challenge them, building confidence in my approach, whilst learning about the different priorities and working practices of the interested parties.

Throughout this process I have been developing possible starting points for a sculptural idea to connect with Grange Park. Unlike other communities that have shared histories to explore and celebrate, here, I sensed a desire to celebrate the newness and shared optimism that is created when a new community evolves.

I looked at the physicality of the site; how people might use it by day and by night; the materials and natural conditions, wind and shadowplay; the contrast of its rural, yet urban, location and characteristics. I thought about how to celebrate the nature of a new settlement, separate, individual, elements combined. Different textures and personalities. I looked at the marks that different species make to identify themselves, footprints fingerprints, individual identities classified in groups. I liked the idea of referring not only to the new human community populating the place, but also to the other inhabitants, the plant and animal colonies that live alongside.

Developing these ideas with the design team has helped to make the final forms a reality. By creating a versatile composition of forms we have been able to overcome construction delays and complications on site that have impacted on the creation of the work.

The Design

The sculpture consists of two clusters of ‘reed’ forms inhabiting the two focal areas of the District Centre development. The simple forms populate the paved spaces, creeping across from the soft areas. Their illuminated seed heads create a magic, both day and night. The tops sway in the wind, accentuating their organic quality, helping to identify the District Centre and Grange Park as a bridge between the rural and the urban.

Both clusters have been designed to relate to each other and the surrounding hard and soft landscaping. Small spots of light in the floorscape appear like seeds scattered, suggesting more could ‘grow’ through the pavement at any time.

To create the effect required I collaborated with Dr Paul Brooke Barnes of Lucina Lighting and Design to experiment with achieving a soft, naturalistic, glowing form for the illuminated elements of the design. We wanted to eliminate glare and light pollution, but also to avoid brashness and obvious colour.

The objective has been to create light forms that will continue to delight over a long period of time. Selection of the right light source has been critical in achieving these objectives. The functional requirements of longevity and low maintenance suggested LEDs, but these are more commonly associated with rather dazzling, high brightness applications in garish colours. A number of other light sources were considered, such as fluorescent, fibre optics and xenon, but we kept coming back to the compactness, long life and low power consumption of LEDs.

The new generation of white LEDs give much improved colour rendering, and although there is commonly a blue tint, that can vary from batch to batch, this characteristic could actually be used to advantage in creating a subtle moonlit appearance. It was still necessary to find a way to soften or "civilize" the light output from the LEDs and move away from self-consciously "high-tech" applications. By experimenting with enclosing the LEDs in silicone resin with different compositions and surface finishes it was possible to create the balance we were looking for. Too diffuse and the globes became lifeless and sterile. Too clear and the harshness and surface brightness of the LEDs was all too apparent. The final result has something of the appearance of a seed head frozen in ice; there is sufficient scattering to soften the light, but the spots of light from the individual LEDs are still visible.

Other Outcomes

Thinking more broadly about the design possibilities, the concepts developed through the art project have influenced design proposals for other functional aspects of the scheme. In particular the architect has designed a signage framework inspired by the ‘reed forms’ for recommended use by the shop tenants and the Developer. Being part of the design team has meant I have also been able to identify an opportunity to include a bespoke railing by artist Iris Bertz designed specifically for use at Grange Park. The inclusion of the railings in the District Centre has secured their use elsewhere, creating a design continuity that reinforces the District Centre at the heart of the development.

A phase two project to install more ‘reeds’ and bigger clusters of smaller ‘grasses’, in the Green spaces adjacent to the District Centre would be beneficial to put the concept fully in context. The inclusion of further clusters along the pedestrian route into the District Centre could almost act as a form of way finding giving a visual continuity across a route being developed by different parties. This supports the desire of South Northamptonshire Council and the Parish Council to create a cohesive environment that draws people into the District Centre through the Greenway routes.

The shops and services will soon be moving in to the Centre. To build awareness and anticipation of them opening, I have developed the ‘Populating Places Shopping Bag Project’ working with different groups from the evolving community to design new logo symbols or icons representing each tenant.

A chance to meet and chat with residents about the sculptural project and the progress of the development in general, I used the workshop situations to generate collaged designs considering both literal and more lateral interpretations of each facility. Helping to build a unique identity for Grange Park, a final selection is being printed onto a shopping bag sponsored by the tenants, to be given out to each resident of Grange Park as part of the launch of the Centre.