Building Ruptures: Re-imagining Common Spaces (2018)
Commissioned by Across RCA
A week long workshop for students at the RCA to create modular public structures for use in and around Dyson/Woo buildings in Battersea. The project studies social, outdoor and in-between spaces and questions the current status of an art institution. The action took the form of communal construction in the common areas of the campus with an end goal to create functional ruptures in the architectural space, and an area that could be used for lectures, reading groups, talks, screenings and exhibiting art. The conceptual background of the project takes roots in politics of space, and research on collectivist architecture of the early 20th century.
The group was divided into sub groups, who were each given instructions for building a base, and then asked to design and build the top of the base. Each base was tessellated so that they could all interlink snugly as well as be dispersed as individual structures. During the week we led several activities that built towards the design and creation of these structures, including lectures, and off site visits to the TATE Modern where we looked at Superflex's 'One Two Three Swing!'.
Workshop Plan
Day 1:
Introductory talk on institutional critique and architecture and public art.
Tour around the building and introduction of the spaces.
Activities based on ideas of communal space utilisation.
Tate Modern visit to research architectural interventions
Day 2:
Technical briefing / Construction and mini-workshops*
Day 3:
Construction and mini-workshops / Building
Day 4:
Building
Day 5:
All day: Assembling and in-space activities
Drawing by Studio SFCH