Woah. The H-Vac Antepavilion is covered in Tetra-Pak Cartons Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | H-VAC was selected from 128 entries including 5 finalists as the winning proposal for the inaugural Antepavilion international competition. PUP worked with the clients and the Architecture foundation to realise the project in July and August 2017. Clad in reversible Tetra-Pak shingles, H-VAC is a playful subversion of planning legislation, exploiting permitted development rights for rooftop plant to confront the habitation of rooftop space. Covertly extrovert, the snaking linear form references the voluminous curved surfaces of rooftop ducting and air handling plant; primarily functional yet surprisingly sculptural. A shelter in disguise, the enlarged scale allows inhabitation and exploits its inaccessible location, concealing a rooftop garden.
Hidden Sounds: The Macallan Distillery Jim Stephenson 2021-06-15 | A collaboration with sound artist Simon James. Working with a range of recording devices, Simon created a soundscape from the noises of The Macallan Distillery in Speyside, Scotland by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
Check out this Dream Project: The Art Barn Jim Stephenson 2021-04-12 | A conversion of a 250 sqm. agricultural barn by Thomas Randall-Page into an archive in rural Devon to house the work of his father, Peter Randall-Page.
LionHeart: Thoughts, Poems, Architecture Jim Stephenson 2020-06-17 | LionHeart is a poet and a spoken word performer. Over time, and working closely with architects and those who inhabit their buildings, his research and his work has explored Architecture & Poetry's relationship around emotional inhabitance, and its connection to memory and mental health.In this short film, a collaboration with architectural film maker Jim Stephenson, LionHeart discusses his route into architecture and poetry and the power of architecture to heal.LionHearts' words are intertwined with a performance of his poem "The Absence of Light", written for Lisa Martinez.This short film will be followed by a longer piece featuring an interview with LionHeart about his work in Poetry and Architecture.The buildings featured in this film are (in order of appearance)...House in a GardenGianni Botsford ArchitectsLantern HouseGort ScottConservatory RoomDavid Leech ArchitectsThe Slot HouseSandy Rendel ArchitectsWalmer YardPeter Salter, Fenella Collingridge and MoleA Secular RetreatPeter Zumthor Atelier with MoleMarket Hall, Ghent Robbrecht en Daem and Marie-José Van HeeFilmed on location at Walmer Yard, London with Laura Mark and Ali Tollervey present and collaborating.
In Praise of Moles Wabi Tea House Jim Stephenson 2020-06-16 | This little guest room is used by its owner, a ceramicist, for hosting Japanese tea ceremonies. Entirely built of reclaimed materials by the client at a cost of £7,000, the addition is a deliberate evocation of the Fen shack. Inside the room is beautifully made, with views out to the walnut tree, and a deck to sit out in the sun. It celebrates ordinary materials, and makes an occasion out of the simpler things in life.
The Absence of Light: LionHeart x Jim Stephenson Jim Stephenson 2020-06-15 | LionHeart is a poet and a spoken word performer. Over time, and working closely with architects and those who inhabit their buildings, his research and his work has explored Architecture & Poetry's relationship around emotional inhabitance, and its connection to memory and mental health.In this short film, a collaboration with architectural film maker Jim Stephenson, LionHeart reads his poem "The Absence of Light", written after his discussion with architectural designer Lisa Martinez.LionHearts' words are intertwined with Stephenson's cinematography, both investigating the way light explores space.This short film will be followed by a longer piece featuring an interview with LionHeart about his work in Poetry and Architecture.The buildings featured in this film are (in order of appearance)...House in a GardenGianni Botsford ArchitectsLantern HouseGort ScottConservatory RoomDavid Leech ArchitectsThe Slot HouseSandy Rendel ArchitectsWalmer YardPeter Salter, Fenella Collingridge and MoleA Secular RetreatPeter Zumthor Atelier with MoleMarket Hall, Ghent Robbrecht en Daem and Marie-José Van HeeFilmed on location at Walmer Yard, London with Laura Mark and Ali Tollervey present and collaborating.
Invisible Studio: TRAILER Jim Stephenson 2020-06-12 | PRACTICE is a new series of architecture documentaries that focus on the way architects work, rather than the work they produce.The first episode looks at Piers Taylor / Invisible Studio. We follow Piers for a year as he builds a new project in the woods surrounding his home. We are currently trying to raise money to make future episodes for Practice and we have set up a Kickstarter with some great Rewards for anyone who would like to back us... kickstarter.com/projects/practice/practice-an-architecture-documentary-series?ref=user_menu
Trinity Works community workspace renovation Jim Stephenson 2020-06-11 | A short film commissioned by The Architects Journal, looking at HAT and their Trinity Works space, a community workspace and cafe which draws together people from the town of Colchester. The building is a centre for creative activity, with the MakerSpace running a programme of community classes, events and professional development workshops alongside studios to rent, and shared access to workspace and tools for making. It specialises in providing access to ceramics, textiles and printmaking equipment, such as kilns, silkscreens, letterpress and sewing machines.
Take a look inside the London Sculpture Workshop Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | London’s premier sculpture workshop that keeps artists making. London Sculpture Workshop is the first London based dedicated sculpture workshop, not-for-profit, community interest based company with exceptional facilities for artists. London Sculpture Workshop was established in 2012 by two founding members Giles Corby, MA (RCA) and Jessica Mello, MFA (Slade) who work closely with Studio Manager Melis van den Berg, MFA (Slade). All are practising artists’ who have a combined arts education of 19 years and teaching experience of over 17 years. londonsculptureworkshop.org | @LondonSculpture
Award Winning Broombank Minimalist House with Stunning Views Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Set on the edge of the River Alde in Suffolk, Broombank is a new build house designed by SOUP Architects. The building is set into the banks of the sloped site and accessed via a single-track lane that arrives into a sunken entrance courtyard, offering glimpses of the views beyond. The oak lined entrance space set behind the ground floor pale grey brick facade is continued through the house to the informal, angular living areas that open out into the expansive marshland landscape to the south. The project won a RIBA Regional Award in 2014. SOUP Architects - http://souparchitects.com This video was shot by Stephenson / Bishop in collaboration with Andy Matthews
Aardman Animations - Cracking Film Gromit! Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Aardman's adeptness of engaging audiences with compelling stories told through animation, has earned the company a deserved worldwide reputation. Their award-winning work produces a unique brand of independent film alongside work for broadcast and advertising spots. The studio has had ten Oscar nominations, and has won four. They've also created some of the country's best loved characters, including Wallace and Gromit, the Creature Comfort characters, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. Here, Creative Director Darren Dubicki talks about the art of sketching, creating characters and the worlds they inhabit. To see more of Aardman's work, visit: aardman.com
Serpentine Pavilion 2014 / Smiljan Radić and the Jellyfish Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | The 2014 Serpentine Pavilion is designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić. A semi-translucent, cylindrical structure that resembles a shell and rests on large quarry stones, this year’s Pavilion occupies 350 square metres of the Serpentine’s lawn. Radić's design for a temporary Pavilion has its roots in the architect’s earlier work, particularly The Castle of the Selfish Giant, inspired by the Oscar Wilde story and the Restaurant Mestizo - part of which is supported by large boulders. It follows, and contrasts with, Sou Fujimoto's cloud-like Pavilion which was visited by almost 200,000 people in 2013. Stephenson / Bishop were commissioned to document the pavilion in construction and in use. Produced by Stephenson / Bishop Ably Assisted by Jack Latham Edited by Gabriel Gane For a selection of the still images on Dezeen... http://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/24/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2014-smiljan-radic-2014-photographs-jim-stephenson For more info on the pavilion... http://www.serpentinegalleries.org/exhibitions-events/serpentine-galleries-pavilion-2014-smiljan-radic
10000 Ceramic Tiles cover this New Build in Londons Historic Savile Row Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | The opening of 24 Savile Row celebrates a unique collaboration between art and architecture. Occupying a corner site between Mayfair’s Savile Row and Conduit Street, the seven-storey mixed-use office and retail building is a work of art in itself, clad in 10,000 crystalline hand-glazed ceramic tiles and positioned on a decorative sand-cast bronze plinth. Here, we spoke to Stephen Pey from EPR Architects and artist and ceramicist, Kate Malone, about their roles in the design of the building and the nature of collaboration on such a large scale. www.katemaloneceramics.com www.epr.co.uk
Serpentine Pavilion 2015 / Selgascano and The Festival of Ribbons Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Selgascano’s design for the 15th Pavilion reveals an amorphous, double-skinned, polygonal structure consisting of panels of a translucent, multi-coloured fluorine-based polymer (ETFE) woven through and wrapped like webbing. Visitors can enter and exit the Pavilion at a number of different points, passing through a ‘secret corridor’ between the outer and inner layer of the structure and into the Pavilion’s colourful interior. The architects’ inspiration not only came from the site itself, but from the ways in which people move through London, notably the London Underground with its many-layered, chaotic yet structured flow. Stephenson / Bishop were commissioned to document the construction of the project and the finished structure.
The Whitworth Gallery / MUMA / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year we were commissioned by The Architect's Journal to document each of the 6 nominees for 2015's Stirling Prize. Here, we hear from Stuart Mcknight of MUMA discussing their extension to the Whitworth Museum and Gallery in Manchester. From the RIBA... A project for all seasons, where art, nature and architecture combine - this could be the eulogy for a building which is neither high-key nor overtly fashionable, rather it is reminiscent of 1950s Aalto. This extension to the extended 19th century Whitworth Gallery on the edge of Whitworth Park in Manchester builds on John Bickerdike’s 1960s work in a way that on entering seems subtle in the extreme but then gradually builds outwards in a sympathetic but entirely original way. The worst of the 1960s additions to the 19th century gallery, such as suspended ceilings, have been stripped out and earlier spatial relationships reinstated; the gallery now embraces the park. The café is both a pavilion in the park and a place from which to look back into the galleries. The structural stainless steel mullions of the new rear elevation and café both dissolve and reflect. The scheme revises the basis of the environmental standards for exhibiting art with old and new galleries flexible enough to be black-box or allow daylight in. The environmental strategy is equally inventive taking a passive-first approach that has been delivered unobtrusively, with no exposed services whatsoever – a curator’s delight. The creation of an elegant new basement collections space has also unlocked a grand hall which, with its near-criminal suspended ceiling and decoration, was the Whitworth’s big secret. It is now a lecture hall, education space and so much more, its timber trusses exposed, together with its Victorian grandeur, symptomatic of the way in which the architects have throughout unlocked a great old institution. The importance of the role of Gallery Director Maria Balshaw, and of the University of Manchester as a whole, has been recognized in Whitworth being named Museum of the Year in 2015. Their brief allowed the architects the space they needed. They proceeded with great care, first re-landscaping the forecourt to provide a sculpture venue with almost imperceptible access ramping, through to the foyer leading to a Bickerdike-fitted cross-circulation gallery, and on to the main gallery where the removal of yet another suspended ceiling exposed the original barrel vault into which mechanical ventilation has been invisibly inserted. Then they created the archive store in the undercroft and extended out with a glazed cloister underneath providing study areas shaded with almost impossibly slender fins and above a new glazed corridor-cum-linear gallery linking the restored galleries and the new one which is highlighted above the north elevation and backlit at night to announce the gallery’s presence. This is not just conversion or adaptation of the existing, the new architecture emerges quite seamlessly as an integral yet individualistic part of the whole assembly.
The Jam: About The Young Idea / Somerset House Exhibition Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | In Summer 2015, Somerset House, in collaboration with Nice Time Inc Productions, presented The Jam: About the Young Idea. With unprecedented access to The Jam’s archive, Somerset House curated the first comprehensive exhibition about the extraordinary band whose music immortalised life for Britain’s disenchanted youth during the late 70s and early 80s. Through unseen material and fan memorabilia, the exhibition charts the trio’s journey from Sheerwater Secondary Modern in Woking to superstardom, kick-started by the release of their debut hit single ‘In The City’, whose lyrics are referenced in the exhibition’s title, and ended six years later with 18 consecutive UK top 40 singles and over 14 million global album sales. Graphic for the exhibition were created by Anthony Burrill and Teo Connor and the exhibition design was by Simon Jones Studio studio. This video was commissioned by Burrill and Jones.
Maggies Centre / Reiach & Hall / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year we were commissioned by The Architect's Journal to document each of the 6 nominees for 2015's Stirling Prize. We visited Lanarkshire and spoke to Carol, Laura and Neil from Reiach and Hall about their new Maggie's Centre. From the RIBA... This new Maggie’s Centre is on the old Airdrie House estate, which was enclosed by a belt of lime trees, some of which still survive. So far so good. The old house was demolished in the ‘60s to be replaced by Monklands District Hospital in the ‘70s. It’s not a looker. Nor, it be honest, is the housing that abuts it. Airdie cannot afford architectural refinement, or so the thinking went until Reiach and Hall came along. Children of the ‘60s themselves, these are architects who know whereof they speak. They have designed hospitals aplenty and won awards for them, in particular New Stobhill in Glasgow (mid-listed for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2010) and even more relevantly the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, also in Glasgow, in 2009. If anyone can, they can begin to build the bridge between the impersonality of cancer-care in big hospitals and the niche architecture, the womb-like approach of most Maggie’s Centres that coddle the cancer-sufferer without maybe giving them the tools to go back into the world and carry on fighting. This open and uplifting place does that, because it is more like a house we might aspire to own. So the architects were ideal candidates to solve the problem: how to make something that is of the world and yet gives shelter from it, that turns its back but does not close its eyes. The answer is in a new surrounding perforate wall of hand-made Danish brick that recaptures some sense of paradise – which means literally walled enclosure – offering a degree of separation from the nearby hospital grounds. Stand on the rear terrace and you can see the houses opposite, walk down the steps into the courtyard and they and the rest of the worlds are hidden. From the outside the wall conceals a modest, low building that gathers a sequence of domestic-scaled spaces. Thus it affords a kind of passive security without blanking out the well-meaning passer-by. Visitors enter a quiet arrival court, defined by the low brick walls and two lime trees. At once, a sense of dignity and calm is encountered. A linear rill, a spring, animates the space with the sound of running water. The house is as much a modest church with a nave for the more public functions (meeting, greeting and the hearth – the Maggie’s table around which tea and mutual support are shared). Two unroofed courts catch sunlight, creating sheltered “sitooteries” (a Scots gazebo) and reflecting back the warm light via perforated copper panels. Then there are discreet ‘chapels’ off the side-aisles: four walls and a door for more private moments, differently scaled from loos where one can contemplate to a big dividable room capable of accommodating big groups – men, stubborn working-class men who find it hard to talk about or even admit to their problem are a major target here and it seems to be working. This is a truly memorable addition to a noble tradition of specialist health buildings.
Burntwood School / AHMM / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year we were commissioned by The Architect's Journal to document each of the 6 nominees for 2015's Stirling Prize. Here, Paul Monaghan of AHMM takes us through their Burntwood School scheme in London. Congratulations to AHMM and to Burntwood School on winning this year's Stirling Prize. From the architects... The transformation of Burntwood School pieces together a 1950’s modernist education campus for 2000 pupils and 200 staff in south-west London. Within an existing mature landscape, six new buildings-as-pavilions develop the heritage of the existing, orchestrating a system of bespoke constructional components to bring both efficiency and delight. The new buildings – four 4-storey teaching pavilions, a new sports hall and a new performing arts building – are placed amongst a number of retained buildings (including two by Sir Leslie Martin) to form a complete and coherent campus, with lawns, squares and a central pedestrian spine. Within each pavilion, classrooms and ancillary accommodation are arranged along a central corridor with voids and double-height spaces at each end to increase natural daylight and make connections to the exterior. The regularity of each plan is followed through to the elevation with faceted precast concrete panels that correspond to a 7.5 metre structural and classroom module; a development of the prefabricated façade work seen at Dagenham Park Church of England School.
Darbishire Place / Niall McLaughlin Architects / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year we were commissioned by The Architect's Journal to document each of the 6 nominees for 2015's Stirling Prize. Here, we spoke to Niall McLaughlin about his practices' social housing project for Peabody, Darbishire Place at the Whitechapel Estate in London. From the architects... This proposed development at Peabody’s Whitechapel Estate in East London completes an ensemble of six housing blocks surrounding an internal courtyard. The proposal aims to respect the massing and characteristics of the existing Victorian buildings on one of the oldest Peabody estates. It continues the idea of ‘open corners’, promoting easy pedestrian access and views between the courtyard and the surrounding streets. The design of the block takes cues from the typical Peabody housing blocks, designed by Henry Darbishire in the 1860s. The new block reflects the massing and characteristics of the existing estate blocks. Deep, white reveals around windows and balconies contrast with the brick facade and provide sufficient space for planters on the cills. The balconies are positioned within the building envelope, so as to retain a flat brick facade in keeping with the existing blocks. These balconies have openings on two sides to allow a maximum amount of daylight into the living rooms. The practice has ensured that central circulation space is generous, with natural light and ventilation. The winding stair has a central void to provide additional light and an important visual connection between the floors. The need for a ventilation shaft has been removed by positioning the required fire lobbies on an external wall with opening windows. At least half of the thirteen 1,2,3 and 4-bed units will be affordable dwellings.
Greenwich University Library / Heneghan Peng Architects / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year we were commissioned by The Architect's Journal to document each of the 6 nominees for 2015's Stirling Prize. Here, Shih-Fu Peng of Heneghan Peng architects describes the thinking being their new architecture school, library and academic building for Greenwich University. From the architects... The new library and School of Architecture and Construction is located along an approach from Greenwich Town to Greenwich Park¹ within the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The site, which is currently derelict, is within an urban fabric of terraced building which suggested a fine-grained approach. The urban grain (striation) is drawn across the site, its dimensions related to natural light penetration, air movement and scale. The grain of narrow and wide bands structure the site, narrow bands containing courtyards, service and cores, wide bands provide the teaching and learning spaces. The grain is further drawn through to the street to create a permeable streetscape. The library is located to the north establishing a connection to the main university campus in the Old Royal Naval College. Cafe and exhibition spaces line Stockwell Street whilst at the corner opposite Hawksmoor's St. Alfege Church, a slight setback creates a threshold, an entrance to the building and a pause in the street from which to turn with the church as its focus. A place where “the conversation of all (can be) a series of lectures to each” where students can see and learn from each other. The studio space is designed as the heart of the SoAC occupying the entire first floor, Suspended in the space between the courtyards, seminar rooms form part of the studio environment, creating an educational space of production and discussion. The building has the dual role of having to both embed itself as a piece of urban fabric to the south while making itself recognizable as a civic entity to the north. Its expression shifts in response to its context, appearing from Nevada St as a series of tightly packed volumes which blend into the streetscape; as one rounds the corner this fabric begins begin to pull apart, revealing the activity within and establishing the university’s presence within the town as a space of academic excellence and urban connectivity.
Neo Bankside / Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / RIBA Stirling Prize 2015 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This residential scheme lies in the heart of the Bankside area of London, located close to the River Thames and directly opposite the west entrance to Tate Modern and its new extension. NEO Bankside comprises 217 residential units in four buildings ranging from 12 to 24 storeys. These four hexagonal pavilions have been arranged to provide residents with generous accommodation, stunning views and maximum daylight. The steel and glass pavilions take their cues from the immediate context. A generous public realm is created which is animated by retail at ground level. Landscaped groves define two clear public routes through the site which extend the existing landscape from the riverside gardens outside Tate Modern through to Southwark Street and will act as a catalyst for creating a lively and vibrant environment around the base of the buildings throughout the year. The overall design hints at the former industrial heritage of the area during the 19th and 20th centuries, responding in a contemporary language which reinterprets the colouration and materials of the local architectural character. The oxide reds of the Winter Gardens echo those of Tate Modern and nearby Blackfriars Bridge, while the exterior’s timber clad panels and window louvres give the building a warm, residential feeling. The pavilions’ distinctive external bracing system has removed the need for internal structural walls and created highly flexible spaces inside the apartments. Located outside of the cladding plane as a distinct and legible system the bracing gives a greater richness and depth to the façade and provides a scaling device which helps unify the micro scale of the cladding with the macro scale of the buildings. Interestingly, the dramatic appearance of the bracing and nodes has become a selling point, with many buyers requesting apartments with nodes outside their windows. Winter gardens are enclosed, single-glazed balconies at the north and south ends of each building, suspended from the main structure on a lightweight deck with large sliding screens. They act both as enclosed terraces and additions to the interior living space. The gardens effectively create ‘prows’ and are expressed as exposed steel decks suspended from the main floor plates on a system of props and hangers. Glazed lift towers provide all occupants with great views of London and the river, and a dynamic expression of the vertical circulation on the eastern side of each building.
Making Environmental Connections with the Thames Pedestrian & Cycle Bridge Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | The new Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge over the Thames at Reading was officially opened in October 2015 and was designed as collaboration between Design Engine (architects) and Peter Brett Associates (engineers). The new bridge is part of significant infrastructure improvements to Reading and provides a much needed link for pedestrians and cyclists between Reading Town Centre, the upgraded rail station and Caversham. The structure is conceived as a single tapering mast in balance with the main deck which touches down onto Christchurch Meadows. The slender steel deck is supported by 14 pairs of cables, with a river span of 68m and a land span of 54m supported by a mast of 39m height located above the north bank of the River Thames. Where the bridge reaches the southern towpath the balustrading is fabricated from weathering steel echoing the form of the reeds along the edge of the river Thames in this location.
What a Transformation! Anish Kapoors New Sculpture Studio / Caseyfierro Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Over 20 years after artist and sculptor Anish Kapoor moved into an old dairy factory in south London, Caseyfierro Architects has transformed the entire street block into a series of studios, workshops and galleries. Commissioned by The Architects Journal, in this short film we spoke to Michael Casey of Caseryfierro about the process and the design of the new spaces.
Weston Library by WilkinsonEyre. Short with Titles Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | At the heart of Oxford’s historic core, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s 1940s, Grade II listed, New Bodleian Library (now known as the Weston Library) is a vital resource for academic research. In 2006, WilkinsonEyre was appointed to refurbish the library as a new cultural and intellectual landmark. The idea was to open up the building to allow more public access and engagement in the activities happening inside. This included the creation of new spaces for a programme of exhibitions and seminars drawing on the extraordinary resources of the Bodleian’s collections. The design works with, rather than against, Scott’s robust design, reinvigorating the space with an improved circulation diagram – for both book retrieval and user movement – and creating a number of contemporary interventions, including a spectacular reading room at roof level.
Serpentine Pavilion 2016 / Bjarke Ingles and The Temple Topper Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year's Serpentine Pavilion has been designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group. For The Architect's Journal Stephenson Bishop shot a short film of BIG's pavilion and of the four accompanying summer houses at the Serpentine, featuring interviews with Ingels, engineer Ricardo Baptista and British architect and designer of one of the Summer Houses, Asif Khan. From BIG: "For the Serpentine Pavilion 2016, we have attempted to design a structure that embodies multiple aspects that are often perceived as opposites: a structure that is free-form yet rigorous, modular yet sculptural, both transparent and opaque, both solid box and blob. We decided to work with one of the most basic elements of architecture: the brick wall. Rather than clay bricks or stone blocks, the wall is erected from pultruded fibreglass frames stacked on top of each other. The wall is then pulled apart to form a cavity within it, to house the events of the Pavilion’s programme. This unzipping of the wall turns the line into a surface, transforming the wall into a space. A complex three-dimensional environment is created which can be explored and experienced in a variety of ways, inside and outside. At the top, the wall appears like a straight line, while the bottom, it forms a sheltered valley at the entrance of the Pavilion and an undulating hillside towards the Park." From Asif Khan: "The Summer House takes a circular form where the circumference has been unpeeled to connect us and the Temple to a picturesque moment left hidden by William Kent almost 300 years ago. Through sun path analysis I realised that Kent aligned the temple toward the direction of the rising sun on 1st March 1683, Queen Caroline’s birthday. This effect would have been amplified by the reflection off the newly created Serpentine lake. We can imagine that The Serpentine lake itself may have been designed to amplify this annual moment, a landscape-sized mirror to reflect the sun, a possibility which John Rennie’s 1826 bridge obscures. In our Summer House a polished metal platform and roof provide an intimate experience of this lost moment for the visitor. Three ‘rooms’ of differing spatial quality gently enfilade together like those in the Temple. These are articulated by an undulating line of timber staves which create enclosure and direct views. The ground is a continuous gravel landscape punctuated by stepping stones, subtly elevating and measuring the visitor’s approach when entering the interior. As the structure meets the gravel it gently blends the horizontal and vertical, to appear as if the Summer House might have grown out of the ground. The project is designed to offer new experiences of the Park through dialogue with Queen Caroline’s Temple and the surrounding scenery."
The Switch House at Tate Modern / Herzog & de Meuron Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Jim Stephenson was commissioned by The Architects Journal to create a short film of the new extension to the Tate Modern, The Switch House, by Herzog & de Meuron. From the architects: No. 263 The Tate Modern Project London, UK Competition 2005, project 2005 - 2012, realisation 2010 - 2016 Tate Modern has changed London since 2000. The impact it has had on urban design and the development of the South Bank and Southwark, has been as substantial as its influence on the city’s artistic, cultural and social life. The new development adds another decisive dimension to the architecture and environment of this quarter and beyond. With a new entrance to the South, and a direct North-South passage, taking people from the Thames through the existing building and the Turbine Hall out to a new city plaza to the South on Sumner Street and from there on to Southwark, the new development connects Southwark with the Thames and provides much improved open, public space. Tate Modern is the world’s most visited museum of modern and contemporary art. In this next stage of development the vision was to establish a new model for museums of modern and contemporary art, by fully integrating the display, learning and social functions of the museum, strengthening links between the museum, its locality and the city.
Moments of Calm - Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | In 2013, Walters & Cohen won a competition run by the London Buddhist Centre (LBC) to refurbish and extend the Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat Centre in Suffolk. The retreat's many guests include Buddhists, carers on respite, and those dealing with stress, addiction and anxiety. The client's vision was for a serene, beautiful centre that improves health and wellbeing, and enhances the spiritual life of the community. This is achieved with the scale and quality of the new buildings: simple materials and local techniques create a balance between a modest architecture and reverence of the spiritual spaces. Integration with the landscape is fundamental to the aesthetic and sense of serenity and contemplation. The Sangha (community) courtyard creates Vajrasana's social heart. Single-storey, charred timber buildings wrap around it to provide communal living and dining rooms and bedroom pods. The pitched roof design draws light and air into these rooms, providing a generous sense of space. A dark, multi-toned brick envelops the shrine room, meditative Stupa courtyard and serene Akshobya courtyard. The Stupa, an important symbol of Buddhism, was designed by LBC members and has a sculptural quality that changes with the light of the day. In the shrineroom rays of light stream through the high windows, but here there are fewer distractions, making it easier to focus on the Dharma and meditation.
Blavatnik School of Government/ Herzog & de Meuron / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | On the run up to the Stirling Prize, 2016, The Architect's Journal takes a look into the six nominated buildings, with interviews from the architects. “The Blavatnik School of Government will become a global centre of excellence for the study of government and public policy. The School’s aim is to teach the practice of government and leadership in ways which will strengthen communities, create opportunities and foster cooperation across the world. The School offers Oxford University a new way to contribute to the world” Blavatnik School of Government Brochure. Such a vision requires a specific response and building. Herzog & de Meuron's starting point is from the inside, from the heart of the building, the Forum. This space cuts through the school as a vertical public space connecting all the levels and programs together into one whole. Central to a school of government is the idea of openness, communication and transparency, the central forum takes this principle literally by stitching all levels together. In the first instance the Forum provides access between spaces, but more importantly it provides congregation, meeting and social spaces. In Herzog & de Meuron's proposal it's arrangement is in many ways like that of an auditorium or a concert hall with a series of interconnected terraces that step up from the ground floor all the way to the upper levels of the School. Each terrace operates as a separate space, for example as a study area or as part of one connected whole volume for a larger presentation. The Forum is a space that allows, and positively encourages, communication and discussion, formal and informal, planned and accidental. The Blavatnik School of Government houses teaching and academic spaces which are supported by meeting, administration, research and service areas which are all connected by the Forum. At its lower levels, the building houses large public and teaching programs. The upper levels are occupied by academic and research programs that require a more quiet atmosphere to foster focus and concentration. Crowning the School are student and faculty spaces, which overlook an outdoor terrace, the Radcliff Observatory Quarter and the whole of Oxford beyond. The School offers a wide range of teaching-space types from small flexible seminar rooms to larger, horseshoe-shaped teaching rooms. Herzog & de Meuron, 2016
The Inside Outside House / Loyn & Co / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | On the run up to the Stirling Prize, 2016, The Architect's Journal takes a look into the six nominated buildings, with interviews from the architects. The site for Loyn & Co's private house lies in a sensitive rural location in the Forest of Dean and comprises 4 acres on a south facing gently sloping, wooded hillside. From within the site, there are panoramic views looking towards the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Accordingly, by virtue of its location, the existing property was visible from significant distances. The proposal involved replacing the existing house, with a new highly sustainable, energy efficient dwelling. The brief was to create a live-work dwelling specific to both the site and to the client’s needs. This included their passion for the landscape and environment along with their requirement for two artist’s studios and a gallery like space. The building was to be contemporary and to respond sensitively and yet positively to the site, creating a timeless, quality architectural solution which will contribute both to the immediate locality and to the wider rural area in general.
Riverside Campus / Reiach & Hall and Michael Laird Architects / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | On the run up to the Stirling Prize, 2016, The Architect's Journal takes a look into the six nominated buildings, with interviews from the architects. A trio of gridded glass blocks forms this new campus for a Glasgow college, which contains facilities for nautical and engineering students, including a replica of a ship's engine room. Edinburgh firms Michael Laird Architects and Reiach and Hall Architects designed the £228 million Riverside Campus for the City of Glasgow College, which formed when the city's Central, Metropolitan and Nautical Colleges merged into a single institution in 2010. The Riverside Campus is located beside the River Clyde. It is the first of two new campuses for the college, which will bring together services that previously operated across 12 separate sites. "Located at the edge of a major crossing of the River Clyde, the site marks a gateway in the city and projects the college's importance as a civic institution as well as creating a new memorable landmark on the Glasgow skyline," said the architects.
Newport Street Gallery / Caruso St John / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | On the run up to the Stirling Prize, 2016, The Architect's Journal takes a look into the six nominated buildings, with interviews from the architects. This private gallery in Vauxhall has involved the conversion of an extraordinary terrace of listed industrial buildings, that were formerly theatre carpentry and scenery painting workshops. The gallery forms the whole length of the street, with the three listed Victorian buildings flanked at either end by new buildings. The ground and upper floors within the five buildings are continuous, allowing them to be used flexibly in many combinations, to accommodate both large and small exhibitions. There are 3 large galleries on each of the two floors, stretching in a line from one end of the building to the other. The two gallery levels are connected by new spiral staircases and a large lift. Along Newport Street and facing to the railway, the unusual proportions of the Victorian workshops, with their groups of low level windows and high blank walls above, have been continued in the design of the new buildings. The new facades are made with a hard pale red brick that closely matches the surface of the listed buildings. The five buildings next to each other, all different but obviously related, make a sheer and impressive street elevation. The scheme includes a restaurant and administrative offices for the gallery. The building shows exhibitions of the client’s extensive collection of contemporary art, and is open to the public for free.
Trafalgar Place / dRMM / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | On the run up to the Stirling Prize, 2016, The Architect's Journal takes a look into the six nominated buildings, with interviews from the architects. Made up of 235 tenure-blind, high-quality homes of which 25% are affordable dwelling. The project transforms the built environment whilst respecting the history of neighbouring buildings. Trafalgar Place is a flagship housing project for Lendlease and is a part of their wider redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle. The transformation of the former Heygate Estate enriches the qualities of the area, creating a thriving, desirable place to live, work and visit. Separate buildings are integrated within an open green landscape characterised by mature trees and diverse new planting. A new public realm within the historic fabric of the neighbourhood is created.
Three Brighton Homes Inspired by Danish Design Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Baobab Developments continue their design driven philosophy as developers with three new homes in Withdean, Brighton by John Pardey Architects. Set in a unique site in the City, on the slope amongst woodland, the homes are intended to have separate personalities but present themselves as a family.
The Weston Library / WilkinsonEyre / RIBA Stirling Prize 2016 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | At the heart of Oxford’s historic core, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s 1940s, Grade II listed, New Bodleian Library (now known as the Weston Library) is a vital resource for academic research. In 2006, WilkinsonEyre was appointed to refurbish the library as a new cultural and intellectual landmark. The idea was to open up the building to allow more public access and engagement in the activities happening inside. This included the creation of new spaces for a programme of exhibitions and seminars drawing on the extraordinary resources of the Bodleian’s collections. The design works with, rather than against, Scott’s robust design, reinvigorating the space with an improved circulation diagram – for both book retrieval and user movement – and creating a number of contemporary interventions, including a spectacular reading room at roof level.
The New Design Museum in London / John Pawson & OMA Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Commissioned by The Architects' Journal, Stephenson / Bishop created a short film about London's new Design Museum featuring Morag Myerscough and Dejan Sudjic.
Learning and Playing with TAAT / Playground Project Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | TAAT & Bow Arts present 'Playground'. Made possible by Tandem Europe, Playground is a participatory education project that explores the way we learn and play.
Twitchers Delight in this Dramatic Bird Hide Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | The reception Bird hide at Top Hill Low, Driffield is centre piece of the facilities at the nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest with views over the large expanse of water. The hide combines classroom facilities, overlooking a dipping pond, a public viewing gallery with large picture windows to view the extensive, ‘D’ reservoir and a twenty-four hour twitcher’s hide for the dedicated bird watchers wanting to catch migratory birds on their last stop in the country before departing to warmer climes. This deceptively simple building provides separation between different user groups, and delivers drama to accentuate the experience to be had of the location and setting. The building has been considered in its context, establishing an articulated landscape approach to provide level access to the upper level viewing gallery and a new pond area as a focus for the ground level education suite. Careful consideration has been given to the materials so that they weather consistently and compliment the natural habitat. Tophill Low Nature Reserve is an active Yorkshire Water Treatment Works; it opened as a Nature Reserve in 1993 and features 12 hides spread across a 300 acre site that flanks the River Hull. The two reservoirs dominate the reserve and have SSSI status for their massive wildfowl numbers. Around the perimeter a network of marshes, ponds, woodlands and grasslands result in over one hundred and sixty bird species, with over 60 readily visible even in mid-winter.
Studio in the Woods/ Summer Pavilions in Somerset / 2017 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Piers Taylor takes us through the ethos and process of Studio in the Woods, which returned to the Somerset forest this Summer. From Piers - "Studio in the Woods was back this year – bigger and better than ever. 70 Students of architecture and makers along with 15 architects as group leaders and critics descended on Invisible Studio for a extraordinary long weekend of making. 5 groups led by Gianni Botsford, Kate Darby, Piers Taylor, Meredith Bowles, Charley Brentnall, Je Ahn, Le Ivett, Lynton Pepper, Barbara Kaucky, Susanne Tutsch, Fergus Feilden and Akos Juhasz with support from Laura Mark, Zoe Berman and Jack Hawker constructed a range of structures that explored an idea relating to the woodland in which they were located. Evening lectures were given by Niall McLaughlin, Martin Self and Robert Mull, who were then joined by Peter Clegg and Ted Cullinan for the final review. Alan Matthews, Bernard Twist, Martin Osbourne and Simon Schofield also provided much needed technical support."
Serpentine Pavilion / 2017 / Diébédo Francis Kéré and The Great Tree Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Taking inspiration from the great tree in his home town of Gando, Burkina Faso, where villagers often meet to reflect about the day, Francis Kéré’s 2017 Serpentine Pavilion design was based on creating this sense of community while connecting people with nature. A great over-hanging roof canopy made of steel and a transparent skin covers the entire footprint of the Pavilion, allowing sunlight to enter the space while also protecting it from the rain. Wooden shading elements line the underside of the roof, creating a dynamic shadow effect that changes with the movement of the sun and clouds. The wall system is comprised of prefabricated wooden blocks assembled into triangular modules with slight apertures, giving a lightness and transparency to the building enclosure. The composition of the curved walls is split into four fragments, allowing four unique access points to the Pavilion. Completely detached from the roof canopy, these elements allow both air and visitors to circulate freely throughout. At the center of the Pavilion is a large opening in the canopy, creating an immediate connection to the sky. In times of rain, the roof becomes a funnel channelling water into the heart of the structure. This rain collection acts symbolically, highlighting water as a fundamental resource for human survival and prosperity. In the evening, the canopy becomes a source of illumination. Wall perforations will give glimpses of movement and activity inside the pavilion to those outside. In this way the Pavilion becomes a beacon of light, a symbol of storytelling and togetherness.
Lift the Lid on this Hidden Historic Gem in Edinburg / St Cecilias Hall Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Taking inspiration from the shapes and intricacy of the world-class collection of musical instruments, the historic University of Edinburgh building, with its elegant oval concert room and re-displayed galleries, has been thoughtfully restored and re-imagined by Page Park Architects
A New Vision for Local Residents / Dujardin Mews Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | Dujardin Mews is the first phase of this wider Ponders End Regeneration programme. It represents the first social housing to be built directly by the borough for around 40 years. Karakusevic Carson Architects were appointed with Maccreanor Lavington from the GLA/Design for London panel to deliver a Planning Application for approximately 40 residential units in line with the aspirations of the Ponders End Central SPD. The brief provided by Enfield council identifies that “the site forms the first phase of the Alma Regeneration programme which can deliver around 1000 new homes.”
Contemporary Cottage / Snapshot Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | From the architects: This exquisite design clarified the layout of an existing two-storey cottage set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Set a world apart in the Wessex Downs of West Berkshire, our repeat clients wanted to convert a cramped existing cottage into a comfortable contemporary four-bedroom home that suited their lifestyle. As horse breeders and trainers who work in the adjoining rolling fields, it was important that their home was a distinctive sanctuary in harmony with its natural setting. The fact that it was in an AONB severely constrained what could be done to the exterior of the house. On the other hand, its isolation and south-western aspect meant that it enjoyed spectacular views. Overall, the design transforms the building into a bespoke, calm, deceptively simple home rooted in its extraordinary landscape. Finished in warm, tactile materials and with effortless attention to detail, the contemporary cottage exceeds the client’s brief.
Juergen Teller Studio / 6a Architects / RIBA Stirling Prize 2017 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This video is about JT 6A
Carl Turner Architects - POP Brixton Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | A quick tour of POP Brixton, by Carl Turner Architects.
Studio in the Woods 2018 / Deep Cut Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This year, Studio in the Woods decamped to the Wyre Forest and was hosted by the Wyre Community Land Trust at Ruskin Land with funding provided by the Guild of St George with additional funding from the Ruskin in Wyre HLF project as part of a strategy to explore future uses for the timber from the Wyre Forest. The film features Kate Darby and Piers Taylor, discussing the weekend, the process and projects involved and the long-term benefits of SITW.
The AJ Small Projects Award / A Long Look Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | We spoke to four previous winners of the AJ Small Projects Award, Laura Dewe Mathews, Meredith Bowles, Kate Darby and David Conner, about the pleasures of working at a smaller scale ahead of the announcement of the 2018 Winner.
The British Museum / Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners / RIBA Stirling Prize 2017 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | This video is about BRIMUS
Command of the Oceans / Baynes and Mitchell Architects / RIBA Stirling Prize 2017 Jim Stephenson 2020-01-28 | ...
