Gabby's Blog – Page 2 – Exploring week by week what I get up to at Uni

Sir John Soane Museum Review

The former home of Sir John Soane, now turned museum, is a beautiful atmospheric space which houses a vast collection of objects collected by Soane throughout his life. One of the reasons I found this space so intriguing and inviting is its unique layout over three townhouses, connected by seemingly hidden passageways which present the abundance of objects within the collection.

When I walked into the museum, the atmosphere feels as though I had walked into a large time capsule, which was articulated through his paintings, books, and varied artefacts. Each room highlights the vast collection perfectly, through many strategically placed windows in both the ceilings and walls. This was a particularly important element for me to investigate whilst within the space, because the project brief at hand this week is designing a window of contemplation space.

This unique museum showed me many possibilities in how I could display a collection, which will help to inform the creation and design of my spaces within my coursework. It evoked a question of whether my collections should be placed uniformly and together, as I think placing the items sporadically is very striking too and worked very well within the Sir John Soane Museum.

References

Image 1 – 6 – Keeble, G. (2022). Sir John Soane Museum [Photograph].

Contemplation Space Precedent Study Critical Captioning

This space by Simo Design (2019), within the house titled ‘Palermo’, truly encapsulates what contemplation means to me, and to my client. It explores the idea of a relaxing space to read and think, whilst keeping a calming and natural design to the interior space.

The secluded design allows privacy, and the window on the right allows light and ventilation, which are all design features which elevates the space and allows for contemplation (Simo Design, 2019).

The interior contemplation space on the right is pared back in comparison to the design above. Designed by Morq Architecture (2017), the design retains the natural element which is peaceful, and calming.

This precedent study includes a large window which seemingly frames the view. In my own work, I intend to design a window which incorporates this idea, and showcases the outside environment as if it were in the pages of a magazine.

References

Image 1 – Simo Design (2019) Palermo. Available at: https://www.simodesign.com/palermo/ (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Image 2 – Morq (2017) Altana. Available at: https://www.morq.it/projects/architecture/residential/altana/ (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Contemplation Space Critical Captions

Contemplation to me is the concept of being able to reflect upon the events going on within your life, whether this be in a busy environment people watching, or somewhere more calming as the image above is. The image above displays a serene and beautiful environment, which is what I would personally chose when deciding on a location to reflect within.

Being on holiday is a relaxing time for myself, and I have found the most peaceful times whilst vacationing in Santorini. The colour palette of the island highlights simplistic white and blue whilst also incorporating striking bright pink within the bougainvillea. This palette is what makes the island so unique, and also is why the location is so relaxing, and perfect to contemplate within.

Continuing with the theme of wildlife, but bringing it into the home, this photograph emits an atmosphere that makes me want to sit down and read a magazine. It is exactly this cozy aesthetic which is what makes this space so beautifully designed. Often homes use quite natural colour palettes, as this is the current trend, but this image demonstrates the full effect that can be achieved within an interior when a colour palette is used to its potential.

Lastly, in keeping with home design, this image above showcases a greenhouse design perfect for using as a contemplation space. The use of greenery within this environment is very inviting, and is exactly what I think of when I imagine a contemplation space and what contemplation means to me. This is a environment away from the house, which is quiet and serene and perfect for personal reflection.

References

Image one – Krivec, A. (2018) I photographed daffodils on the slopes of Mt. Golica. Available from: https://www.boredpanda.com/i-photographed-daffodils-on-the-slopes-of-mt-golica/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Image two – Pinterest. (no date) Santorini. Available from: https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/AZGTHNkHHrAWTeNHZdfN8EySHqVZ4nSoTDEYRmQp-a9BUCLOcVDLRk4/ (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Image three – Ro, L. (2017) Chef’s refurbished London flat is an eclectic mix of the old and new. Available from: https://archive.curbed.com/2017/5/8/15580364/chef-mark-hix-bermondsey-london-flat-apartment-design-decor (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Image four – Pinterest. (no date) Greenhouse. Available from: https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/280771358010856050/ (Accessed: 24 October 2022).

Critical Reflection of Live-Work-Collect Studio Design

My design creation for Project 1: live-work-collect studio has been designed for a fashion illustrator, who uses her space to display her collection of vintage Vogue magazines. It was important as the designer to create a space which replicates her needs for work, but also allows her to divide the room up so that she can unwind peacefully.

My creation utilises retractable translucent screens which partition the room. These dividers explore the use of transparency, allowing the light from the beautiful bay window through, whilst still providing a level of privacy. These partitions expand on the precedent study by Molo Designs which I previously explored, but where their partition used wood and was opaque, I intend mine to be crafted from a translucent material.

Overall, I am happy with the overall concept my room embodies, however I would like to work on the integrated furniture which showcases the collection. My plans currently have a rectangular bookshelf which displays this; however, it could be interesting to explore a display case which mimics the curvature of the pleated partitions. I will continue to work on my design after the feedback session, and hopefully continue to understand the relationship between a fashion illustrator and the use of the space she inhabits.

References

Image 1 – 4 – Keeble, G. (2022) Live-work-collect studio design [Photograph].

Cornelia Parker Review

Cornelia Parker’s exhibition (2022) highlighted the hidden beauty in everyday objects, which I think will have a profound impact on how I view common objects going forward. This concept sent me into a reflection to understand why I felt that it is so important to notice the little details. Viewing this exhibition also gave me a sensation of admiration for Parker as an artist, especially upon entering the exhibition and seeing the installation of Thirty Pieces of Silver, which truly embodies this idea of creating striking art from objects we are familiar with.

The piece of work which I was drawn towards the most within the exhibition was the War Room. Parker’s use of space and light within this installation compelled me to walk in and take in the striking view. I particularly found Parker’s use of repurposing the offcuts of the material used to create the annual poppies really meaningful. Having come from a background in fashion, which is an industry which produces alarmingly high amount of waste through fabric offcuts, I loved how such striking art could be produced from these waste materials.

“The fact that the poppies are absent is poignant, because obviously a lot of people didn’t come back from the First World War, and other wars since”
(Parker, 2022)

On reflection, this exhibition helped me to understand the beauty within ordinary objects. Most people, including myself, would not typically see these items as she does, and would not think to create such striking works of art. To me this is what made this exhibition so unique and memorable.

References

Parker, C. (2022) Cornelia Parker [Exhibition]. Tate Britiain. 19 May – 16 October 2022.

Cornelia Parker (2022) Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/cornelia-parker (Accessed: 12 October 2022).

Image 1 – Parker, C. (1998-9) Thirty Pieces of Silver [Installation]. Tate Britain (Viewed: 4 October 2022).

Image 2 – Parker, C. (2015) War Room [Installation]. Tate Britain (Viewed: 4 October 2022).

Precedent Study Analysis

Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please fashion collection possesses beautiful textural inspiration, which can be translated into a concept for the live-work-collect studio brief. Using a fashion designer’s work as inspiration is significant because the client at hand is a fashion illustrator who collects vintage Vogue magazines. This concept can translate into modular pleated screens which can transform throughout the space to the clients’ evolving needs.

The wooden room dividers shown above were designed by Molo Design and provide amazing functionality and transformability, which allows the user to adapt the space to their ever-changing requirements. This concept could work beautifully within a smaller studio space; however, the thickness and height must be altered to work within the space. Additionally, it could be striking to experiment with alternate materials and opacity for the partitions.

Although less practical than retractable room dividers, this origami-inspired ceiling designed by ASSEMBLE provides both functionality and visual interest. Arguably, it would be unrealistic to imagine this concept recreated in a smaller and temporary live-work-collect studio, because of the permanent nature of the design. However, it is still interesting to understand the alternate ways that origami as an interior design concept can be approached.

References

Image 1 – Kurigami, K. (2021) From the Library: PLEATS PLEASE. Available at: https://www.communedesign.com/post/from-the-library-pleats-please/ (Accessed: 10 October 2022).

Image 2 – Molo Design. (2022) paper softwall / folding wall partition. Available at: https://molodesign.com/collections/space-partitions/paper-softwall-folding-wall/ (Accessed: 10 October 2022).

Image 3 – Architizer. (2013) Geometric Origami Ceiling. Available at: https://architizer.com/projects/geometric-origami-ceiling/ (Accessed: 10 October 2022).

Wearable Architecture

As a fashion design graduate, I enjoyed diving straight into Week 1’s task of designing a piece of wearable architecture. When I initially heard the brief of choosing a place that we have experienced personally as the inspiration, my mind immediately was drawn to the British Museum. I grew up in museums around London, and therefore wanted to look to somewhere where I had such great memories growing up.

The glass and steel roof of the British Museum is fundamentally beautiful and has so much detail. This feature lets in an abundance of light and truly highlights the Great Court’s magnificent space. Designed and constructed by Foster and Partners in 1999, the glass and steel spectacle use 3,212 panes of glass, of which no two are identical due its curvature.

Observing the detail within this space led me to use origami to convey the triangular panes of glass. My intention was to fold long strips of card to then manipulate around the body. My design process was very fluid, as I started by creating the origami before I knew where I wanted to situate the wearable on the body. I used my dressmaker’s mannequin for this process and to experiment with different looks, where I ultimately landed on creating a headpiece. I achieved my final look by curving the origami strips around a wire wreath, which I attached to a headband to make it functional. Creating a headpiece truly delivered the beauty of this roof by imitating its round curvature detail.

On reflection, this project was a great way to combine my two areas of education, fashion and interior design, and is a process I would love to experiment more with in the future.

References

Image 1 – Dunn, A. (2005) British Museum Great Court Roof. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_Great_Court_roof.jpg (Accessed: 29 September 2022).

Image 2 – Keeble, G. (2022). Wearable Architecture Front View [Photograph].

Image 3 – Keeble, G. (2022). Wearable Architecture Back View [Photograph].

Image 4 – Keeble, G. (2022). Wearable Architecture Experimentation Front View [Photograph].

Image 5 – Keeble, G. (2022). Wearable Architecture Experimentation Back View [Photograph].