Today goes down as the highlight day for me so far. We packed in a huge range of studio and project visits.
From the small emerging office of Studio Octopi to the huge Foster machine. The absolutely stunning Herzog and DeMeuron Tate Modern gallery extension touched our souls, while the opulence and excess of the Chipperfield project brought into question issues of sustainability.
We started the day with a visit to Fosters office where the scale and size of the practice means they can afford a huge amount of resources. The dedicated ‘materials research’ team has a highly organised material library and the enviable ability to prepare comparison data on the embodied energy of any material.
The visit to the new Tate extension was the highlight of the trip so far with John O’Mara from Herzog and DeMeuron giving us a tour of the construction site. The lower level spaces are almost complete and we were able to stand in the oil tanks that have been converted to gallery spaces. The opportunity to experience the beauty of these raw spaces was an emotional moment. Externally we were able to see the beautifully detailed concrete structure and have some insightful discussions about the brick detailing. The brick screen prototype was great to see and we were all inspired by the use of new techniques and custom square bricks.
The director Alex of dRMM generously showed us some of their social housing work and the much published ‘Sliding House’ was great to see. Studio Octopi were next and another trip highlight for me.
The very accommodating directors Chris and James talked us through their elegant and highly considered work. The Stratford kiosk project was a favourite and I am sure that soon we will be seeing their work everywhere. Visiting an emerging practice like this is really beneficial for those of us trying to get our own practices going, Chris and James are at that next step and it was great to discuss their journey with them.
Carmody Groarke were the last practice visit for the day and after a 12 hour non-stop day we enjoyed beers and cheese while looking at their impressive range of projects. Many of the projects show an excellent engagement with production processes that allow them to find efficiencies and to produce inventive outcomes. Their temporary scaffold project on top of a Westfield shopping centre was a favourite and it was interesting to hear that they consider these temporary projects as a product not a building.
All practices visited today place a huge emphasis on physical models and it has been great to see the rigorous testing process of all the projects. It was a big day and one that will be remembered fondly for a long time. The team is weary but totally inspired….. Off to Barcelona tomorrow!!!!
Mel
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