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ANGELA WRIGHT

 

 

"POWER HOUSE" -  INSTALLATION ON STREET FACADES OF 54-58 UNION STREET, LONDON, SE1 

 

begun as a public-site installation for the London Festival of Architecture 2008 (LFA Power House).
site plus cable-hung 'blinds' of PVC-polyester with "Grafisoft" adhesive-vinyl drawings
viewable from 28 June 2008

 

thanks to: 
R.K. Burt & Co Ltd., Wholesale Paper Merchants, 57 Union Street, London SE1 1SG - for loan of building facades. 
Siddons Van & Car Hire, 191D Perry Vale, SE23 - for logistical assistance. 
Patrick Sweeney - technical consultant 


.

MAKING THE WORK

 

 

 

THE SITE

 

The work began when I walked down Union Street in late 2007 and saw the cement-rendered blank windows of R.K. Burt's warehouse on the rather desolate north side of the street's 'village square'. These brick-framed panels resembled blank canvasses waiting for paintings!

 

    

Paste-up 2-pics 24-3-08 
The north side of Union Street's 'village square' (at its junction with Southwark Bridge Road). The row of buildings on the north side of this triangular space range from  monumental railway architecture, through derelict 18/19thC buildings braced by scaffolding, to the ex electricity sub station's admin block and machine hall (the latter now R. K. Burt artist' paper warehouse).

.

     

Paste-up 3-pics 28-12-08
The north side of Union Street's 'village square' with the "Powerhouse" installation.

 

 

 

 

SKETCHES

 

The work started as sketches - drawn, cutout, glued, collaged.

 

                              

early 3-08

 

Pic 17-3-08  

   

Pic 17-3-08

 

Pic 17-3-08  

 

   

21-3-08

Pic 21-3-08  

 

                 

Pic 14-5-09

Pic 21-3-08  

 

                

22-3-08

Pic 23-3-08  

 

                

Pic 25-3-08

 Pic 27-3-08

 

    

Pic 27-3-08

 

 

 

 

ON SITE - MEASURING THE 'WINDOWS'

 

On the 24 March - using long taped-together measuring-canes from the pavement and subsequently counting bricks from photos - Angela measured the 5 rendered window spaces: 4 on the main facade and 1 on the side.  

 

The four blocked windows on the main-facade are all 6.40m high. Window-1 is 2.4m wide and the other three are 2m wide. Window-5 on the side facade is uniquely 3.8m by 4.58m. Both 1 and 5 will pose a special fabrication problem: they exceed the 2m width of the pvc-polyester fabric which must be strongly and invisibly joined.

 

                                                                            

24-3-08
'Windows' 1 and 2 at the left end of the main facade. Window 5 on the side facade.

24-3-08
Angela measures with long canes.

 

 

 

TETTERODE AMSTERDAM - DEVELOPING THE BLINDS

 

During April and May the development of the 'window-blinds for blind-windows' began in an Amsterdam studio whose high walls and big ex-factory window facilitated the work physically and subjectively.

 

    

14-4-08

 

15-4-08

 

18-4-08

 

18-4-08

 

18-4-08

 

24-4-08

 

27-4-08

 

28-4-08

 

7-5-08

Tetterode work has returned to the London studio

 

 

 

ON SITE - COLOUR TEST

 

Soon after returning from Tetterode some of the 'models' made there were taken to the installation site to test colour alternatives. Available are four colours of PVC-polyester fabric and # colours of Gravisoft adhesive-vinal.

 
                                 

11-5-08

 

11-5-08

 

                              

11-5-08

 

11-5-08

 

                             

11-5-08

 

11-5-08

 

 

 

 

LONDON STUDIO - MAKING THE BLINDS

 

During May and June the making of the five 'blinds' filled my London studio. The 4 blinds across the building's main facade #1, #2, #3, #4 were made in reverse order from right to left from right to left. The single blind #5 on the side facade was left to last. Blinds #1 and #5 are spacial - wider than the other three they would require two fabric strips to be joined and would benifit from experience. 

 

25-5-08
Blind-4 was the first to be made. The big roll of PVC-polyester has been unrolled for the first time, but not yet cut to length.

27-5-08
Blind-4 - the Gravisoft drawing on has just started.

27-5-08 
Blind-4 - Angela is cutting Gravisoft strips ('drawing-marks').

28-5-08
Blind-4 

                             

30-5-08
Blind-4 

30-5-08
Blind-4 

1-6-08
Blind-3 

1-6-08
Blind-3 

6-6-08
Blind-3 

6-6-08
Blind-3 

7-6-08
Blind-2 

8-6-08
Blind-2 

9-6-08
Blind-2 

10-6-08
Blind-2 

11-6-08
Blind-1 is wider than the previous three. The first (full-width) length of fabric is laid down.

11-6-08
Blind-1 - Angela has joined the two lengths and examines the join.

12-6-08
Blind-1 - its underside is folded back over its front, showing ithe taped join.

13-6-08
Blind-1 

14-6-08
Blind-1 

16-6-08
Blind-5 - this uniquely wider than long side-facade blind has been made of two joined lengths. It is laid across the studio width, its top to the left. The option of covering it with a close-spaced 'venetian-blind' of narrow strips is being tested - it was not adopted - this is the only blind without this additional rhythmical layer.

                            

17-6-08
Blind-5 - finished.

17-6-08
The blinds are ready for their suspension system. Steel-tubes will be inserted top and bottom, glued and reinforced with ali-strapping; cable will be threaded through drillings in the tubes and secured with ferrules. These components are being made in the yard. Here Angela is preparing cable.

17-6-08

A portion of blind-fabric folded and glued around a heavy steel tube has been hanging across the gate testing the strength of the adhesive.

17-6-08
This temporary work surface displays the (transient) pattern of a particular practical task.

17-6-08

Steel tubes are being cut (and if necessary joined). 

17-6-08

Patrick Sweeny (technical consultant) and Clive Burton (sculptor and constructor) discuss a method of fixing fabric to steel-tube.

19-6-08
The blinds have been sealed to their steel tubes. Patrick is fixing suspension cables.

19-6-08
The blinds have been rolled and packed for transport to their Union Street site tomorrow.

 

 

 

ON SITE - INSTALLING THE BLINDS

 

Installing began on 19th June with blind-5 and blinds 4 and 3 the next day. The hanging system and procedures were only partially successful and blinds 4 and 3 were removed for upgrading and rehung on the 28th June. Blind-5, whose width had required a stronger support, was adequate and would not be upgraded and rehung until 20th July. The pictures below show the sequence of hanging, upgrading, re-hanging. 

 

The blinds have survived with regular inspection and minor mantenance, however an accumulation of random wind damage now requires renovation and they were removed on 21st Jan 09 to be rehung in mid April.

 

                              

19-6-08
Blind 5 - Only three blinds were hung in the first two days. 

21-6-08 
Blind 4

                                                         

21-6-08 
Blind 4

21-6-08
 Blind 4

                                                         

26-6-08
Blinds 1/2/3/4 - in an unused office in the adjacent building the front facade blinds - rolled in clean plastic - are fitted with an improved hanging system. Angela is securing a suspension cable to prevent its entanglement when raised. 

26-6-08
Blinds - The fixing of a suspension cable. The cable is threaded round a 'thimble' to prevent chafing; its ends squeezed together by copper 'ferrules' and, for extra safety, clamped in a 'dog' whose nuts are being tightened.

                                                                     

26-6-08

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK 
Blind-3

   

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK 
Blind-3/4

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK 
Blind-3

   

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK 
Blind-1 is waiting to be hauled up. From its top are ropes to the roof and from its bottom ropes are threaded through the wall's ring-bolts to steady it when it rises. Blind-1 is the last of the row to be rehung with the improved system.

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK  
 Blinds-1/2/3/4 - Blind-1 is beginning to rise.

                                        

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK 
 Blinds-1/2 - raising blind-1.

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK  
 Blinds-1/2/3/4 - Patrick and Dave on the roof adjust Blind-1 for height and lateral position, while Angela prevents it flapping in the breeze.

                              

28-6-08 - Pic GARY BLACK  
 Blinds-1/2/3 - Blind-1 is being secured to the wall-rings.

20-7-08
 Blind-5 - three weeks later Blind-5 has also been fitted with the improved system and is being carried out of the building for rehanging.

                              

20-7-08
Blind-5 - is prepared for rehang.

20-7-08
 Blind-5 - Angela steadies the blind as Patrick adjusts and secures the suspension cables.

 

 

 

THE FINISHED WORK  

 

The completed installation is shown on page-1 - use the link below :

 

 

 

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