I wanted to make sure that the order of the pages resembles the atmosphere of the Anglia Square and the Sovereign House, which is why I needed to make sure that the drawings are placed in the right order. Starting the book with very busy, detailed images and than ending it on very blank, straight shapes. Here is the first printed draft of the 16 pages book:
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When zooming into the pictures I have realised that they hide variety of interesting and unpredicted patterns. Looking at something from different perspectives allows you to see unseen layouts and compositions. I think that they are very successful collages on it's own therefore I might used them as actual pages of the books. Some of them are less complicated than the others which gives me variety to chose from. I think that I would apply them mainly at the last pages because of the strong use of bold/intense shapes.
Here are some of the pages that I have prepared for the presentation. I came to conclusion that I have to think more about the layout of the letters and shapes in order to show the idea better. I want to represent the feeling of walking from the downstairs bit of the anglia square to the first floor parking lot of the Sovereign House. The sound is the most important part of this story as it fades as you walk up the stairs therefore I want to make sure that most of the lettering and prints would be used on the first few pages. Lively conversations and busy surroundings would be happening mainly at the Anglia Square therefore overall appearance of the pages should be busy and more complicated comparing the last pages. Colours as well as patterns used towards the end should be more blunt and simplified to show the gigantic feel of the building. When you look at the Sovereign House from the bottom you can only see shades of grey and huge concrete construction.
The most important thing that I have learned during this project is the research process and how I used it to support my work. Before I would mainly do a lot of research at the beginning of the project and than chose a path that I think it's the most interesting. It would lead to me do massive amount of work but mainly based on one specific idea. This way of working didn't allow me to progress but instead I had to go back to the beginning and than chose another path, which I found hard as my work wouldn't expand on one idea.
This time round I have been doing broad research and than interpreting my findings through my work, which would than lead me to doing further research.Meaning each decision and drawing that I've made has been based on research. It was very structured and refreshing way of working therefore each piece of work has research behind it even if it's just simple idea taken out of book or internet. I had to make sure that I am carefully reflecting on my work, rather than being descriptive about it in order to make good decisions and solve creative problems. Hanging things on the wall allowed me to see what I have actually done so far. Being able to see everything at once helped me decide which pieces I should develop further. I think that it was important to it because of the variety of processes and styles I have tried for this project. In the end, I have combined some of the things together and I decided that some of them are not worth exploring more. From now on, I will be mainly concentrating on making book rather than experimenting with mediums. I have to make sure that I narrow it down in order to get things done for the deadline.
When researching more about the Sovereign House I found few different reasons why the office was actually closed. At first I thought that it was because the building was too expensive to maintain. I found articles which talked about asbestos, which is a dangerous mineral fibres which can cause lung problems and/or lung cancer if exposed to it for too long. I experimented with the image on Photoshop trying to make it look like dust or soil particles. It could've been also done with charcoal or graphite stick but edited on software the image look more detailed and interesting.
What if the reader flicks through the pages of the book and gets charcoal on the fingers? I think that it would smudge out the illustrations and makes them messy but at the same time it would show the feeling of this place better. As asbestos is something that no one wanted to experience at Sovereign House in consequences it made them all to leave the building. Stains on fingers would be something that they wouldn't appreciate. In both cases the dust would leave stains or even annoy people. Could I make a whole book out of black and white images? I think that I have created such variety of textures and patterns that if I add colour the attention would be taken away from the most important parts. The images would look too busy and full. As I have done quite a lot of collages, drawings and prints my goal was to try to combine all of them in one piece or to rearrange them in a way they they compliment each other and look good as a set. I am happy with the way some of them turned out but I don't think that they show Sovereign building in the right way. Too much colour and pattern makes this place look happy and lively where as I see it as very cold bulky construction.
I think that the only exercise that I still haven't done at this point is just simply drawing around the Anglia Square and getting the information down at the time. I think it was important to do that at location because it made my drawings look slightly off proportions as I kept moving. I want to concentrate on the metal construction that hangs above the shops.
'These framed narrow inverted dormers at first floor, the inclining mass of these foundation revealing columns that rose past a clerestory to support the four main storeys of the office block above. At two corners, including one overlooking the shopping plaza of Anglia Square, the corner column forms the core of the most distinctive elements of the building, the entirely glazed spiral fire stairs. While the lowest levels of the building are now bereft of both their original cladding and fenestration, they remain a significant example of how Brutalist architecture can not only touch the ground, but do so in a more humane and sophisticated way that a sea of pilotis.' 'Sovereign House is surviving not only because of a flat lining construction industry, but also because of the resilient commercial life of Anglia Square. As the recession tightens budgets ever further, the low rent shopping plaza beneath Anglia Square is busy all day long. Outlets such as “The 99p Store,” “Iceland” and the East Anglian discounter “QD” are framed by a locally owned butcher, greengrocer and greasy spoon café. The irony is that despite being let slide into dereliction by a lack of imagination, reinvestment and repurposing, Sovereign House overlooks one of the most vibrant (albeit down market) retail complexes in the city.' What is asbestos? Asbestos refers to a group of six types of naturally occurring minerals. Asbestos minerals are made up of fine, durable fibers and are resistant to heat, fire and many chemicals. Once called the “miracle mineral” for such properties, asbestos was used in a slew of everyday products, from building materials to fireproof protective gear. It is now widely known that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, as well as other cancers and lung-related illnesses. References:
https://adamxphotos.com/2016/05/18/explore-140-her-majestys-stationery-office-hmso-sovereign-house-norwich-2015/ http://c20society.org.uk/botm/sovereign-house-norwich/ http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1976/jul/30/asbestos-stationery-office-norwich https://www.pleuralmesothelioma.com/asbestos/ https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/what-is-asbestos.htm |
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