Potential

Stairwell commission for the new Art and Design centre
Hills road sixth form college

The Brief

To design and construct a work of sculptural textile to mark the opening of the new Art and Design department, working with members of the department in it's development and creation, and informing the wider college community through a lecture and exhibition programme providing further insight into the work.

The Design Process

Exploring ideas around the theme 'What goes up must come down' a series of design workshops were undertaken, developing work from large scale spontaneous drawing, through paper relief, and then into 3D structures. Considering throughout the process the possibilities for manipulating surface, and its connection with structure, we also explored colouring and manipulating opaque and translucent fabrics.

The participants in the project, mainly members of GNVQ Art and Design, also carried out suppliers research; costing and assessing the feasibility of certain elements of design, for the first time introducing them to the realities of creating site-specific work.

The Design

The final design aims to leap through the space, emphasising the essence of rising and falling. Constructed from light-weight aluminium rod and tensile translucent and opaque fabrics, the structure will hang in the stairwell, illuminated by the sky-light and the large windows which characterise the space.

Visible from all levels within the space the sculpture will suggest counter-balance through the representational balls and arrows, the disks are to appear as if they are both rising or swirling downward, with the directional arrows to emphasis this.

Responding to the colour scheme of the space - blue, yellow and green have been chosen out of the palette, with flashes of orange. The arrangement of the colours within the structure will play with the idea of mixing colours, blue and yellow makes green. It is hoped that by incorporating translucent elements the fabric will create interesting unpredictable effects.

It is hoped the design will continue to uplift both the visitor to and the regular users of the Art and Design department, as well as be a landmark that the whole college community can be proud of.