A renovation project for the disused Siemens cable factory in Woolwich.
A community space that combines the functions of an open studio and cafe gallery to create a link between the future residents of the community and local artists, with the aim of benefiting both the cultural and commercial value of the artwork. To retain an artists' colony for London while breathing life into a new community.
"Multiple layers of connections increase the possibilities for communication."
Introduction
My project is a combination of an open art studio and a café gallery. The aim is to create a connection between the future resident and local artists.
Our site is in Woolwich, on the banks of the River Thames. The low rents allow for a large artists' colony - Thames side studios.
The functional analysis of around buildings shows that artists and future residents will be the main users. At the same time, the only two restaurants will not meet the needs of the future population.
over 500 individual studios located one road away from the site, and the artists are from different disciplines. A project on the ground floor will be convenient for them to show their artwork.
To get a deep understanding of the local artist community, I did interviews with some artists, and one ceramic artist said. Due to its isolated location and lack of customers, the gallery here is not in use. But she wishes to have a lively gallery in order to sell her work more quickly.
A fashion designer said he was afraid the rising rent will destroy her.
They really need a popular gallery with some extra low-rent studios. Which allows them to sell their artworks to subsidize the rising rents. and have a chance to continue creating.
But, how can the gallery be popular, who are the buyers?
The plan of faraday works will bring many residents and commuters to the area.
there will be very active during off-hours.
When it comes to commuters, I'm reminded of the preliminary research on excesses. The Woolwich ferry, which has been running free of charge for more than 100 years, is already excessive in its function of transporting pedestrians across the river as more rapid means of transport become available.
But there are still some busy commuters who would like to take it. It would take twice as long as taking the foot tunnel.
Why do they want to spend time on a seemingly excessive ferry?
Through the interviews on the ferry lounge, I find there’s a perfect space for them to have a brain break. Like to think about something new for them.
After analyzing their needs, I found some similarities. I made a wish list And I found a gallery and more choices of food can benefit both of them.
When I put this needs in space function, that will be a curved wall of showcases, which can visualize the studios inside, lead visitors in, and provide more artwork slots.
A double-deck studio which means lower rents and the first floor can be a private working space for artists. On the ground floor, they can do some small business.
Cafes at the entrance can attack more people and meet commuters' basic needs.
These are just the basic functional guarantees, for the design experience I need to create a multi-layered connection between the visitor, the artwork, and the artist to enhance their possibilities of communication. So they are visual connection, material connection, social connection, and optional connection, I will explain them later.
This is the final function area, Roughly divided into three areas. Studio, corridor , café. There are 8 similar double-deck studios inside, and I choose two of them to make a model and draw a perspective of it.
The ground floor is a living room for artwork purchase and Demonstrating the process of making artwork, display cases under the staircase provide more space for the artwork to be displayed. Behind the curved wall are the public studio and cafe.
The first floor is a private working space. It is equipped with a balcony and a speakers corner.
To provide a better experience of connection, I set it in 3 layers.
The 1 layer is visual connection. People can see what going on inside of studios when they order their drinks by the gap between artworks and shelves, sometimes they can enjoy the artwork while knowing how it was made. It also engages them to go inside.
The 2 layer is the material connection, every artist can pin up their tag with different materials in the cracks of the columns and fill them with colorful wax, and the color is the same as the color zone on the curved wall. They can clearly attribute the artworks while the experience of touching special materials. The columns become the canvas and signature of each studio.
The 3 layer is social connections. Flexible benches and tables on columns allow many kinds of conversation space to appear between the staircase and the column.
The 4 layer is an optional connection. Sometimes artists need to meet their old friends who are working here without an appointment, But they don't want to be immediately interrupted from the work they are doing. The wall of the private studio on the first floor is made of Luminoso wood board, which is semi-transparent. Only when they are not buried in their work do they notice the light moving on the walls?
I wanted to tie the future residents and the art community together with multiple layers of connection. I can't stop the rise in rents that Faradaywork's project will bring to the artists, but I hope to leave more artists behind through my designs and make art a community culture.
