Use these category links to filter out individual projects and strands from the blog: Be Our Guest, Exhibition, Mentoring, News, Research, Wembley Vision, You Are Here,
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Be Our Guest
You Are Here
Wembley Vision
Viaduct Walk
Yesterday’s Viaduct launch and walk was excellent. A really good turnout with lots of interested and interesting people.
The weather behaved for the walk, allowing everyone to get a good look with fresh eyes at the Viaduct, and spend time talking and discussing the idiosyncrasies of the structure.
On our return some thoughts, ideas and comments were pinned up on the wall.
Posted by Rich
Exhibition,
News,
Research,
You Are Here,
Unfinished Business
Another amazing view of Watkin’s Folly.
Come to the Coming Soon Club from Tuesday 25 February to help me rebuild it!
Posted by Rich
Research,
Wembley Vision,
Walking The Viaduct Pt3
Yesterday I did the third and final walks for Viaduct.
First I met with architect and urban designer Joe Holyoak. Afterwards I walked the route with artist Cathy Wade. Fortunately the rain held off for these two walks but for the third, with Secretary of Digbeth Residents Association Pamela Pinski, the heavens opened. We conducted our interview indoors.
Now I have to finish transcribing all of these conversations and shape them into content for the newspaper.
Posted by Rich
Research,
You Are Here,
Walking The Viaduct Pt2
Yesterday saw the second pair of walks of the street-level route of Duddeston Viaduct.
In the morning I met with Nigel Edmondson, a City Centre Design Manager for Birmingham City Council. Nigel also used to work on the urban design for the East Side of Birmingham as well, and so knows a lot about the plans - past, present and future - for Digebeth. We discussed the possible uses for the Viaduct as part of a larger scheme for connecting various parts of the city.
In the afternoon I walked the route with Ben Waddington, an artist/historian/typophile with a keen interest in the histories that are told by the architecture. Ben talked about how the Viaduct told a story - not only of its own history, but of a larger, and more recent history of the treatment of Digbeth.
A final pair of walks will be taking place shortly.
Posted by Rich
News,
Research,
You Are Here,
Walking The Viaduct Pt1
On Friday I did the first two street level walks of Duddeston Viaduct accompanied by an invited guest.
At lunch time I met with Bob Ghosh of K4 Architects (who have already been looking at what could be done with the Viaduct here). We talked about the structure, its oddities, and how it seems to work as a framing device - creating vistas through its arches and influencing the shapes and sight-lines of buildings.
In the afternoon I walked the route with Pete Ashton. Pete is, amongst other things, a photographer, tour guide and teacher. Pete’s view was practically opposite of Bob’s. Where Bob saw potential for change - for developing the Viaduct and making it into an accessible and useful space, Pete wanted to leave it wild. As he pointed out, the top of the Viaduct had been pretty much untouched for over a hundred years.The plants, trees and any animals that have made it their home have done so in a completely natural way. Perhaps it should be preserved? - or as Pete pointed out, even preservation requires some human interaction - it should just be left as it is.
Both guests remarked upon the apparent invisibility of the structure - how it has become part of the everyday landscape and in many cases ignored.
Next week I’ll be meeting two more guests to walk the route and see where the conversation takes us. These conversations will be used to create content for ‘Viaduct’, a special one-off publication about the Duddeston Viaduct designed to raise awareness of this amazing structure.
Posted by Rich
News,
Research,
You Are Here,