BA:ASO_DISSERTATION_THE TACTILITY OF NOSTALGIA

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The Tactility of Nostalgia:

An investigation in sensory perception and the relationship between tactility and the construction of

nostalgia and atmosphere within contemporary spaces and buildings – in particular the extension of

the Granary Building for Central Saint Martins.

Anne Bellamy

BEL10287992

BA:ASO Unit 10

Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design , University of the Arts London

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The Tactility of Nostalgia

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Introduction 9-10

1. Theorectical Research

1.1 The Body – Sense and Perception 13-17

1.2 The Mind – Transactions and Associations 19-20

1.3 The Environment – Textures and the External Dimension 23-25

2. Peter Zumthor: Construction and Harmonies

2.1 Conceptual Ethos 29-35

2.2 Case study - Therme Vals 37-42

3. Central Saint Martins: Heritage to Contemporary

3.1 Southampton Row – The Antiquity 47-54

3.2 Kings Cross – The Modern 57-66

Conclusion 67-69

Table of Figures 71-76

Bibliography 77-80

Appendix’s

I. 81-84

II. 85-88

III. 89-95

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Table of Contents:

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“Our attention is caught…by a detail. Emotions well up. Something moves us.”

Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture, 2010 (Zumthor, 2010, pp16)

Is it possible to observe in today’s contemporary architecture an identifiable shift away from tactility - that is creating

generic and uninspiring sensory environments? The formation of memory and nostalgia are dependent upon stimu-

lating surroundings that trigger our mental and physical perception of space. This thesis aims to investigate sensory

perception and the role of tactility in the construction of nostalgia in contemporary spaces, in particular the renovation

of the Granary Building for Central Saint Martins.

Nos·tal·gia

Noun

: A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past

(Nostalgia, 2013) Nostalgia, of spaces and environments can be interpreted as a multiplicity; the backdrop for a mul-

titude of activities to bring about the feelings of users in response to textures. It presents moments in which we

celebrate the inhabitance of a building through our mind and memory. (Lefebvre, 1997, pp.145) Henri Lefebvre

states that our ocular-centricity is destroying the “…richness of lived experience.”(Leach, 1997, pp.138) and thus our

ability to connect emotionally to architecture. Phenomenology engrosses us in an intimacy with our daily life that

ultimately determines our attachments to places. Finnish theorist Juhani Pallasmaa summarises Ponty’s views (2008,

pp.13) and explains that “…the task of architecture today is making visible how the world touches us.” (Pallasmaa,

2008, pp.13) Architecture must evoke qualities - as the concept of phenomenology explains, that coalesce to provide

richer experiential spaces and tangible atmospheres that we can communicate with. The physical mediations of these

atmospheres, and imagination and memories are inherently linked to materiality.

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Central Saint Martin’s move from Southampton Row in Holborn to its new location in the Granary building in Kings

Cross in 2011 presents a situation in which we can investigate and analyse students’ experiences and ascertain wheth-

er the use of materiality will make more seductive places to encourage feelings of nostalgia. As the old building exists

only in our imaginations, tracing the semblance of Southampton Row will highlight either a loss of engagement in the

new building or, the possibility that new spaces can evoke nostalgia of inhabitance.

My research will be focused on how we can observe this nostalgia as a process from body to mind through the envi-

ronment, broken down in the following chapters:

- The body; how senses perceive the spaces we live in.

- The mind; rituals and attachment to places that translate into nostalgia.

- The environment; how surfaces communicate to our sense perceptors.

The thesis will draw on a supporting exploration of Peter Zumthor’s approach and work, the consideration of South-

ampton Row and the Granary building using primary data collected from current students to see whether the modern

counterpart’s materiality influences the construction of atmospheres and nostalgia.

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1.. Theoretical Research

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1.1 The Body: Sense and Perception

The world as we know it is subjective. Humans experience the world according to their body as an entity receiving and processing

data from the outside surroundings.

“Each animal inhabits a private subjective world that is not accessible to direct observation. This world is made up of infor-

mation communicated to the creature from the outside in the form of messages picked up by its sense organs.” H.W. Lissman,

(Hall, 1966, pp.41)

Our body has evolved over millennia to a specialised system of different receptors that allow us to process the world so that we

can survive. We interact with our surroundings using:

Sight Hearing Taste Smell Touch

(See figure.1)

They are what connect us to a world that maybe unobservable - an intricate scientific process of input and output governing our

world in response to outside data. However we live in an ocular-centric world dominated by visual stimulus. (Pallasmaa, 2005,

pp.19) 90% of information is recorded visually, and sent to the left hemisphere of the brain, the area responsible for logical

content processing (Aamodt, 1999, pp65). Yet vision can be seen as one of the less reliable senses, as what we see or think we

are seeing is not always the way things actually are. Data can be processed in other vivid ways; for example sound can define

spatial properties and distance without a visual stimuli. An understanding of how we collect data reveals that we have no less

than nine senses including:

Balance Temperature Kinaesthesia Time

(How many…, 2013)

(See figure.2)

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figure 1. Hierarchal diagram of most commonly recognised senses

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figure 2. Depictions of our less aknowledged senses

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As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary (Perception, 2013), perception is the result of our senses receiving raw data

from “blind processes” as Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1993, pp.166) states from the subjective world and turning it into objective

emotions:

Per·cep·tion

Noun.

: Awareness of the elements of environment through physical sensation

(Perception, 2013) The sensations we gather from spaces around us are the basis for the way in which we experience architec-

ture around us. Rather than being passive, our mind constantly seeks out to understand the complexity of our surroundings. Our

perceptions do not have rigidity; they actively desire to seek beyond their own limits (Pallasmaa, 2008, pp.13).

“The hands want to see and the eyes want to caress, “(Pallasmaa, 2008, pp.13)

Goethe says explaining how senses should be disassociated with their implied systems. We perceive senses with our entire bod-

ies, not by consciously separating body and mind. This is what makes a memory so visceral; perceptual understanding needs to

provoke the interplay of all the body and all its senses (Pallasmaa, 2008, pp.10) to allow for its recreation.

Our sensory systems allow us to be fully immersed in and understand the environment we live in. These systems provide a way

for our bodies to translate data into something that speaks to our mind and emotions. We are constantly registering changes to

our surroundings to build up an active picture of the objective world. By highlighting architecture that emphasises the role of the

senses, and therefore its sensory qualities that challenge our perception we can start to build a discussion between the building

and the participant that will talk of attachment and memory.

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figure 3. Perception allows our body’s to consider all senses to question the actuality of what we see

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1.2 The Mind - Transactions and Associations

Our minds’ perception of the exterior world is the most important part of developing nostalgia. The detection of even the smallest

sensation collects in our minds thus structuring our feelings towards a space. If our bodies learn to perceive certain experiences

from an intimate involvement of our body, as architect Eileen Grey describes “the minute situations of daily life” (Pallasmaa,

2005, pp.62) associations and rituals build to become feelings of nostalgia. Our exposure to certain sensory traits in architecture

build up, as Mette Aamodt (1999) describes:

“…language of recognition, perceptions of association…memories are involuntarily recalled when a person comes into contact

with the smell again, thereby collapsing the space and time between the two events...” (Aamodt, 1999)

We trigger association by exposure and repetition. Thus the creation of an environment that addresses many layers of tactility will

provide the most spatially stimulating foreground for the “embodiments of [our] dreams”, (Bachelard,1969, pp.15) as Gaston

Bachelard describes how a space can personify our feelings. It is the link between contact with stimulating environments and our

bodily participation that allows association to develop, and as Macann summarises Maurice Merleau-Ponty

“I am not a spectator beholding a visual panorama, but an actor staging an ever-changing scenic drama.” (Macann, 1993,

pp.188)

We are active participants in a space, and the analogy of a building as being a choreographer and we the dancer reinforces the

notion that the body in space is the most important part in the construction of nostalgia – as we are guided and moved through

sensory repetitions and perceptual associations that immerse us in the daily situations of life. Involuntary memory or nostalgia

collapses you back to the situations of daily life that you once experienced so vividly.

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These repetitions and associations are physical embodiments of what Bloomer and Moore (1977) describe as being missing from

today’s architectural world:

“…the potential transactions between body, imagination and environment.” (Bloomer&Moore, 1977, pp.77)

They imply that there are specific moments of architecture and buildings that can negotiate the body and our minds and create

meaningful experiences for us remember. These transactions are collaborations that consider tactility and senses as one.

Relating to the situation within the old and new buildings at Central Saint Martins we can analyse what qualities of buildings

create the condition for these successful transactions to take place. Looking at sensory perception, association and nostalgia

together within the old building we will be able to ascertain whether or not a certain aspect and method of design is responsible

for these conditions. If so, is this feature something that could be applied to a contemporary building as an architectural gesture

to encourage the establishment of nostalgia.

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1.3 The Environment – Textures and the external dimension

Places inhabit the same subjective world as we do; residing in space in the same way as us they possess sensory properties

that make them as responsive as we are. Architects endeavour to create sequences of spaces that whilst creating a habitable

space is what Bloomer and Moore describe as being “…a world that is a sympathetic extension of our sense of ourselves.”

(Bloomer&Moore, 1977, pp.78)

In order to reconnect and attach to our sense of ourselves and atmosphere – the existential realm of a building that we react to

(Pallasmaa, 2008, pp10) - we need to break away from homogenous and generic environments i.e. spaces that “…provide little

excitement or visual variation and virtually no opportunity to build a kinaesthetic repertoire of spatial experiences” (Hall, 1966,

pp.62) for example large scale housing developments and multi-use complexes. In order to break the constraints between the

physical and the mental, architectural expressions of materiality suddenly become elemental in our development of perceptual

associations and, hence our meaningful experiences in a space. Lefebvre points that

“…what we are concerned with is not texts but textures…” (Lefebvre, 1997, pp.138)

Textures and materials are the elements that bind a building together as they are the objects our bodies come into contact with. We

don’t perceive walls as solids but we understand their weight and their solidness. By using the concept of phenomenology – that

is how concrete objects use tactility to coalesce to together to form tangible atmospheres – materials and textures actuate obliga-

tory sensory responses but they can also take on other properties described before such as temperature and balance. It champions

a purely physical material response to how tactility and the interplay of sensory perception are used in the making of memories.

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figure 4&5. The clinical and smooth appearance of ETFE

figure 6&7. The rich diversity of plywood grain and patterns

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If we were to, for example clad an interior in ETFE or any similar polymer material it would give a clean and smooth finish. Ar-

chitects work with advancements in technology to create the physical manifestation of an “ageless perfection” (Pallasmaa, 2005,

pp.32). Rather than being a response to comfort and tactile experiences, architecture moves closer to the seclusion of anything

that does not offer aesthetic value. Demonstrating that:

“…the flatness of today’s standard constructions is strengthened by a weakened sense of materiality.” (Pallasmaa, 2005, pp.31)

Yet to clad a space in timber, such as plywood will present a completely different aesthetic to that of a man made polymer. (See

figure.4-7) We can respond to a natural material that has depth and imperfections – as we can appreciate the craft that will have

gone into its construction. The art of joining natural materials covered in patterns and imagery brings architecture to become a

resonant part of the real world (Zumthor, 2010, pp.11). As Peter Zumthor sums up in Thinking Architecture “materials in archi-

tecture can be made to shine and vibrate” (Zumthor, 2010, pp.10). Pallasmaa argues that as the embodied world loses it richness

to constructions devoid of any natural materials - the phenomenological exposure of textures can facilitate the re-invention of

aesthetics in terms of materiality.

Concerning ourselves with materials with a phenomenological sensitivity will give us the tools to orchestrate space and buildings

in a more holistic sensory experience in which emotions are nurtured. The next chapter of the thesis will draw on the discussion

of Peter Zumthor to provide an analysis of how these theories are acted on by a contemporary architect to create atmospheres and

the methods in which he does this. Analysis will follow the pattern of context – beginning with environment and materials, then

examinations of the body’s participation in space relating to senses allowing us to examine how they relate to mind and memory.

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2. Peter Zumthor: Construction and Harmonies

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2.1 Conceptual Ethos

Described by Frampton (2002) as striving “…to create work[s] that looks as though [they] have always been there” (Frampton,

2009, pg326). Zumthor’s buildings are clad in natural materials; exuding an expectancy of history in a contemporary building.

The materials crave warmth and use, and become “…more about an elemental feeling than a specific material” (Platt&Spier,

2010, pp.34). The material combinations talk of experience and atmosphere that forms a type of alchemy that appropriates phys-

ical forms into memory and emotion. (Zumthor, 2010, pp.85) This alchemy and transformation of usually intangible qualites

- especially light - into perceptable elements is also something explored in the work of Zumthor’s contemporary, Steven Holl.

(See figure. 14-19)

Zumthor vividly describes what atmospheres mean to him, recounting his memory of a door handle from his childhood – recalled

after an evocative description of his walk towards his kitchen. (See figure. 8) His recollection shows a positioning of his body as

a participant in space, reinforcing Ponty’s analogy of the person as an actor responding to space sensorially - opposed to a static

spectator of visual images. The nostalgia that Zumthor is recounting is reminiscent of Marcel Proust’s episode of the madeleine’s

– when he eats a madeleine his mind suddenly recalls the first time he encountered one:

“An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses… this essence was not in me it was me.” (Proust, 1927, pp.48)

What Proust - and Zumthor - describe is memory by association that relies implicitly on sensory perceptions. Our bodies act in

response to our surroundings extending our imagination out of mind and memory to collide with the real world – memories are

not images but our body’s recollection of our perceptions.

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figure 8. Word collage taken from Peter Zumthor’s Thinking Architecture describing the walk from his garden to his kitchen, as he rememebers.

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Zumthor’s Saint Benedict’s chapel is described by Professor Ursprung in a similar way to the memory of the door handle by

Zumthor. The materials build up momentum to a shift in perception of space and heighten Ursprung’s senses so that the process

of entering has a deep impact on his mind (Ursprung, 2009 pp.1-2). (See figure.9-13) In the same way Zumthor talks about the

solidity of the door, Ursprung mentions the:

“…unexpectedly long and narrow doorknob, which increased the leverage and lay in the hand like a comfortable tool.” (Ur-

sprung, 2009, pp.2)

The material properties of the handle influence his understanding of how his body works in the space, making a stimulating

transaction that will resonate in his mind each time he encounters similar weightiness. The sensitivity to details and crafting is

something integral to the work of Carlos Scarpa, who by taking care in the smaller components of a building highlights our bodies

involvement in the physical world of a building. (See figure.20-24) Zumthor’s approach to architecture crafts a harmony between

our body’s place in a building or room and “reservoirs” of memories and atmospheres (Zumthor, 2010, pp8):

“Since our feelings and understandings are rooted in the past, our sensuous connections with a building must respect the

process of remembering.”

(Zumthor, 2010, pg18)

Whilst we do not collect images of forms, we will from these reservoirs be able to recognise this richness and fullness in new and

different spaces knowing that we have experienced this before. What follows is an analysis of an example of Zumthor’s work, to

help strengthen our understanding of materials influence over memory.

figure 9-13. Visual timeline of the approach to Saint Benedicts Chapel, and our change in perception of materiality and tactility as we get nearer.

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figures 14-19. Examples of how Steven Holl transforms light into tangible physical component of a building and space.

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figure 20-24. The work of Carlos Scarpa, champions a silent emphasis on craft and details.

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2.2. Case Study - Therme Vals

The spa located in the mountain area of Graubünden, Switzerland is an extension of an existing hotel complex. After what

Zumthor called a “rigorous examination of place and purpose” (Platt&Spier, 2010, pp.35) one material was chosen for the

building –Valser Quartzite. This locally sourced granite is found within the Alps, where minerals unique to the region were em-

bedded in the stone. The granite is finished in every way, split, milled, sawn, stacked, polished and broken (Therme Vals, 2013).

The volumes of space are made up of layers of slabs; walls are not just facades but structural elements allowing you to sense the

physical weight of the building.

The appearance of the stonework has a strong visual presence – its continuous linear presence subconsciously guides you through

the spaces. It talks of “…being an envelope and background for life…” (Zumthor, 2010, pg12). Much like Hall talks of the

grooves in the walls of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese pavilions, where they compel you to run your fingers in it, the repetitions

in the stonework urge us to feel the space. The device of repetition involves us personally with the surfaces and textures of the

spa (Hall, 1977, pp.51) creating platforms for our senses to break the boundaries of mind and body - and creates an immediate

familiarity with the layout and plan of the spac. (See figure. 25-26)

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figure 25-26. Birds eye view and plan of the bathing spaces within Therme Vals, highlighting the regularity of spaces and how exploration of the spaces will be encouraged by the materials leading users to new and perhaps ignored spaces.

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figure 27&28. The visual appearance of audio and temperature qualities become visible in the space due to the waters reaction the stone

The use of this stone serves as an activator for our senses; the way our bodies participate in the space with the stones qualities

unlocks a richer experience in the rooms. The stone cladding initiates visual, audio and tactile qualities, but the presence and

changing levels of air, light and water in the spaces destroys our sensory hierarchy. Thus transforming the stone to display op-

portunities where our senses can perceive other synaesthesic qualities. The density of the stone in relation to the vast volumes

occupied by water creates an acoustic anomaly where sound becomes visible. Silence is interrupted only by lapping and rippling

of water as people move through it. The reaction to water creates minute changes to the environment; steam heats up the space

warming our bodies but coating the stonework in velvet like condensation which glitters as frost as you move outside. In this

space our bodies clash and merge with the physicality of the stone, becoming a part of what is around us. (See figure.27-28)

These qualities portray a procession and collection of experiences, moments that seduce you through the corridors and baths

rather than directing you – much like we observed with Ursprung in Zumthor’s Saint Benedict’s chapel. We perceive the space

with our bodies and our mind too, merging the physical and mental worlds allowing for memories to form immediately as we

enter the spa. (See figure. 29-30)

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41figure 29&30 The visual presence of the rocks mineral qualities highlight a linearity that compels users forwards and around, blurring defnite entries and corners.

Zumthor’s construction of a phenomenological atmosphere in the spa based around materials and their sensory properties creates

a multi-faceted environment for us to pay witness to. Nostalgia within the space is described by one visitor as:

“A sense of earthiness, of being grounded in the landscape. I felt like I had always known this was here, as if it was a house you

always passed on your way to school – it was that kind of connection. When I stepped in, somehow everything felt comfortable,

like I knew where to go and how to get around the baths.” (Knightley, 2013)

What she describes is an example of nostalgia, the act of stepping into the rooms - much like Proust’s eating of a madeleine - im-

mediately recalls associations of places that are references of the atmosphere and mood. The materiality informs nostalgia, acting

as an informer of the space, revealing memories and comforts that she recognised as familiar regardless of whether she had been

there before. The nostalgia also manifested itself with the visitor as a sense of how and where to move and how to reach certain

areas; there was a familiarity of way finding influenced by the linearity of the stonework. By understanding that emphasising

certain qualities of materials we can induce nostalgia within a contemporary setting, as shown here with Therme Vals, we can

move onto investigate Central Saint Martins with a strengthened knowledge.

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3. Central Saint Martins: Heritage to Contemporary

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Central Saint Martins for over one hundred years was located in six campuses across central London. In 2008, the decision was

announced that the school would be moving from its roots to a new development in the largest regeneration area in London;

Kings Cross, North London. The move spelled a bold new era in CSM’s history as the main outcome was to house all 5000

students under one roof as opposed to scattered across the city. The concept was for a campus that reconfigured the successes of

the old atmosphere into the new. The architects, Stanton Williams manifesto was to provide

“...architecture that inspires, a series of spaces that aim to liberate and make visible the energy [of the school].”

(Stanton Williams, 2013)

In 2011, the school opened for the first time and one last cohort of students to have been at Southampton Row started at the new

campus. What follows is a consideration of Southampton Row and the Granary building based upon feedback and communica-

tion with students who have experienced both spaces.

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3.1 Southampton Row – The Antiquity

Southampton Row was built and designed by George Lethaby, the first Principal of the Central School of Arts and Crafts (the

original school that became Central Saint Martins after absorbing other schools) in 1908 to be the first purpose built art school

in Britain. The Edwardian Grade II listed building stood as a testament to the schools arts and craft movement sponsored by

tutors, William Morris and John Ruskin. The environment within the building is one of heritage and luxury. Bold deep dark oak

characterises the main spaces, lining the corridors and walls. It becomes a motif found throughout the building, in the parquet

flooring, the large heavy solid doors of the rooms and - especially in what many saw as the heart of the college the magnificent

oak staircase. (See figure.31)

As one student describes the layout “the building was a maze” (see Appendix. I, Q6.2) but the timber guides and encourages

you up and along. The recurring use of the richly grained timber spread throughout the public spaces and the studios creates a

repetition and recognition that students became familiar with- its subtle presence meant that were no spaces in the building that

we felt foreign to. It was ritual and habit to move through the building by the staircase, the movement created collisions between

the material and our senses perceptions of course studios that involved body and mind. (See figure. 32-34)

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figure 31. The grand old staircase at the heart of the Southampton Row, that introduced the motif of timber

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figure 32-34. the pattern of repition and exposure as you move up the staircase

The timber unlocked the potential for our senses to experience more than just the obliged sensory perceptions of sight and sound

in the building. It created potentials for the exposure of our bodies to changes in smell and temperature. One student described

how “the smell lingered in the walls” (see Appendix. I) the wood absorbed remnants of people’s inhabitance. As you moved

through the studios where students were using different materials and tools, the timber served to emphasise the olfactory qualities

of the space. Temperature was another sensory quality emphasised by the timber detailing. The presence of light pouring into

the studios and onto the timber walls and parquet flooring gave the impression as one student expresses as they“[studios] looked

warm” (see Appendix. I Q2.12) Temperature and our comfort was made tangible and visible by the warm properties of the wood,

emphasising our senses in space. (See figure. 35-36)

Our kinaesthetic awareness is stressed further by the repetition of the timber, so that our bodies are fully aware of our journey

through the building despite the maze-like quality of the space. Unlike Zumthor’s building that build up a sense of procession

– the old building at Southampton Row relies on the comfort and repetition of the student’s response to the material qualities to

create the build-up of nostalgia. This explicit relationship between the inhabitant and their surroundings made so visceral by the

exposure of materiality

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figure 35&36. the visible tangibility of the warmth of the studios due to the properties of the timber repetitive nature

Students describe their memories and longing for the old building because “it had a unique character, oozed the sense of history

and legacy” (see Appendix. I Q2.4) and that “everything felt together and connected” (see Appendix. I Q3.5) paying tribute

to the way in which we perceived the connections between our senses and emotions through the environment. In the case of

Southampton Row can be seen as a success of the material influence on our body’s participation in the rooms and studios. Over

70% of the students interviewed agreed that their first association and nostalgic memory of the old building was the staircase

and its prominence. The timber is elemental as it helps to invoke the wistfulness for those bygone atmospheres. This highlights

the power of our mind and emotion, accentuated by our body and senses because the old building no longer exists apart from

in the students imaginations. By appreciating how the tactility was used to create such strong connections, we can see how the

material treatment of the new building by Stanton Williams will be able to re-invent and re-inspire how we inhabit and bond with

a contemporary building of which we have no previous knowledge.

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3.2 The Granary Building – The Modern

In 2008, the Grade II listed Granary building in King’s Cross was announced as the new home of Central Saint Martins to bring

together the disjointed college. The project was a mix of the renovation of the remains of the Granary building, originally built

in 1851, and a major extension. The Granary housing just the library and administration, it was the 32,000sqM extension that

was to house all 5000 students. Stanton Williams, the firm who were chosen to oversee the planning and design of the building,

released a public statement identifying that “Our architecture is about how people experience place and how places affect them.

Our works reconnect people with their environment through the careful manipulation of the sensual qualities of light, material

and space.” (Stanton Williams, 2013)

Much like Zumthor’s vehement argument that his buildings characters are “[not] driven by a decision about materials and con-

struction” (Platt&Spier, 2010, pp.35) but instead are driven by his conception of what the overriding atmosphere and experience

should be; Stanton Williams project description for the Granary space mirrors this approach. “The spaces are designed [to be felt

as] flexible and “raw”…to stimulate creativity, dialogue …where chance and experimentation create new slip-streams between

disciplines…” (Stanton Williams, 2013). The new extension to the building consists of four floors, housed in two parallel blocks

divided by what is known as the Street. Movement was imagined three dimensionally, that draws students up, along and across

spaces liberating student’s participation in the whole building (Stanton Williams, 2013). This movement encourages constant

collisions between body and space. (See figure.38-40) The pallet of the building consists primarily of concrete and plywood, and

secondary materials such as ETFE and polished steel.

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figure 38. View of the extension to the south of the existing Granary Building to the north.

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figure 39&40. Section and plan of the existing and new addition to the Granary building, highlighting the vertical and horizontal areas of movement

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The concrete, plywood and other materials are fused in the space in a way suggestive of Zumthor’s allegory of architects and

alchemists of the atmosphere through tactility. Concrete is the primary material – using 20million litres to form structural sup-

ports and the interior cladding (Stanton Williams, 2013). It has a dominating presence in the building, exposing the students to

the weight of the building constantly. Like Therme Vals, the concrete has a consistent form, seeing it become stairs, floors, walls

then ceilings - a visual ritual of your movement. Wherever you go in the new building you experience the continuous fluidity

of the concrete guiding you, much like the motif of timber in the Southampton Row building, and the quartzite in Vals. (See

figure.41-44) The plywood, being the other main material is placed in and amongst the concrete – cladding the studio spaces

and some corridors. Plywood was chosen because of its flexible application, as it is easily replaced. Whilst concrete remains a

constant in all spaces the plywood is more recurrent.

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figure 41-44. Continuous presence of concrete, changing from steps to floor, to wall to ceiling

As the water in Therme Vals acts as a trigger for sensory interplay, the saturation of the Granary building with light performs a

similar function. ETFE, the material awning for the roof space of the Street, floods the area with a diffused wash of white light

that softens the concrete. Instead of becoming a symbol of the buildings synthetic perfection, ETFE infuses and works with the

other materials to create a more tactile environment. The filtered light hits the timber block floor of the Street and because of

the properties of the timber adds richness to the environment that had not earlier existed. Whilst the space is physically cold, it

exudes an image of warmth – an interesting perceptual collision of mind and body. The concrete absorbs a similar property in the

main Street, the light emphasising a hidden colour pattern and richness. (See figure. 45-48) Yet this is a creation of the lights role;

the physical spaces to our bodies can be harsh – jumping from hot stale studios to the cold concrete street (which is sometimes

matched to be three degrees warmer than the external climate) emphasising a severity that occurs between our physicality in the

space and our minds.

This warmth instilled in the spaces from the grain and patterns due to the light exudes more than just a physical tactility but

introduces a visual pattern that we are stimulated by. However they are not reflections, as used by Mies Van der Rohe in the

Barcelona Pavilion. The light draws out the repetition of the natural grain; each panel is followed by another cut from a deeper

layer so that there is a depth. Our eyes and our fingers are invited to stroke and follow the pattern consciously, and subconsciously

we recognise a stability and familiarity to the space. Like Zumthor describes, they are creating a familiarity without citing spe-

cific references. We are made to appreciate unknowingly the rawness and newness of the building without a necessarily sterile

environment. (See figure. 49-50)

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figure 45-48. The ETFE roof, and the light flooding into the space being softened and hitting the timber floor.

Figure 49&50. The plywood covering of the studios, and how the grain has repetitions of depth that move vertically along the wall, inviting your fingers and eyes to follow and recognise the craft.

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To better understand whether the approach has been successful I conducted a survey of a selection of students, see Appendix. I,

that examined their thoughts and memories of the new building. They will help us understand whether the environment conveys

atmosphere – and to question the role of materials in the process.

What is possible to see from the results, is that there is definitely the suggestion of nostalgia and atmosphere of the building

in the minds of students. The students were and are engaging with the Granary building in a way that is re-forcing meaningful

experiences. Stanton Williams professed the aim of the atmosphere was to provide a negotiable space that was stimulating in

bringing students together. What is repeatedly mentioned in the surveys is a positive recognition of the freedom and movement

“…feeling of being outside, and having freedom to move anywhere.” (See Appendix. I Q5.4). The examination of the materials

placement shows that this nostalgia has been influenced by the material choices. “It makes me feel like I’m outside and part of

a large community of artists and designers. [There] is much more space and multiple events going on.” (See Appendix. I Q6.4)

Encouragement of movement has been heightened by the pattern of exposure and the way the materials respond to each other.

Over 75% of responses to the questions asking where their most visceral memory of the building was answered the “Street”. This

is where I believe the atmosphere becomes most apparent. “… A sense of calm…” (See Appendix. I, Q4.3) Students describe the

space with more fondness and emotion than any other space. Students feel wholly connected with the entire building because of

the exposure of the solid concrete that subtlety guides them – yet the plywood stimulates warmth and enclosure.

What we observe in the new building is evidence of the establishment of a meaningful atmosphere and therefore an environ-

ment that stimulates successfully the formation of memories. However the responses of some students, in comparison with the

previous case studies appear to lack the intensity that Therme Vals and Southampton Row creates. Whilst it is clear that the

environment is stimulating; the main objective of this thesis is to argue that the full engagement of all the body’s senses – and

not the prioritisation of one sense – will produce a more meaningful experience. Answers by some students lacked an attachment

or association of a space or moment.

“Concrete and glass and coldness…” (See Appendix.I Q5.8)

“Space...and light…” (See Appendix.I Q5.7)

In the case of the new building, whilst there are moments on sensory interplay – much of the perception is based on visual stim-

ulus. This does not disprove the analysis of the new extension, rather I believe it provides strength to the investigation where we

realise that a correlation may exist between the level of sensory engagement and the strength and tactility of memories created

in a space.

66

Conclusion

67

For us to have a connection and fondness for a space it must embody a physical discourse of memory making. What we can take

from this thesis is that our perception of, interactions with our surrounding environments provide the building blocks of memory.

Our sensory receptors provide us with tacit centres of knowledge that absorb the qualities of the physical world and make this

understandable to our mind and imagination. Memories are our collective imagination of particular exposures to tactility and

sensory stimuli, as poet Wallace Stevens sums up “I am what is around me.” (Stevens, 2006, pp.86) and this includes the totality

of our perception not just our static observations of space.

Atmospheres can be interpreted as the collective nostalgias of our sensory perceptions of a space. The case studies provided an

understanding of different approaches towards materiality and the senses that can be used to create the transactions that Bloomer

and Moore described as being missing in contemporary architecture. As observed in the work of Peter Zumthor, he approaches

the materiality from a perceptual position that engulfs the space with multi-sensory material engagement that provides constant

exposure. And the materiality used in Southampton Row creates carefully devised patterns and repetitions to emphasise sensory

changes and connections.

Stanton Williams manifesto sets out their aim to emphasise our sensory experience of Central Saint Martins, and from the

analysis we can see they utilise similar strategies as the case studies to achieve this. They encourage a lightness and fluidity to

the concrete skeleton to encourage movement and participation whilst the raw timber adds a natural perception of heritage and

warmth. The contemplation of the student’s participation in the space and their feelings towards the space reveals that they feel

connections and have formed associations with the phenomenological sense of openness. Yet the responses did not convey such

a profound attachment as responses towards the other case studies provided. We saw that the other case studies created almost

synaesthesic like environments engulfing the senses – whereas the new building at Kings Cross does not create as many oppor-

tunities for this.

68

In considering the research question of this thesis, which revolved around the role of sensory perception and tactile participation

in the creation of atmospheres to support the creation of nostalgia, I believe that the case studies and in particular the new Granary

building have provided strong evidence for the relationship between materials and memory. The case studies provide evidence

that atmosphere and history can be “applied” to a new structure by integrating the role of the senses and making them important

participants in space. As the tactility of the building increases we become increasingly aware of our perceptions of it, thereby

creating more opportunities for emotion to emerge. So where Therme Vals and Southampton Row have strong material presences

and strong emotional connections; the less sensory immersive environment in the new Granary building engages with less of a

nostalgic atmosphere in the minds of the students.

To perhaps investigate this relationship further, the occurrence of synaesthesia could provide an interesting path of research.

What was exposed in this thesis is that senses must come together and be used holistically by our body to connect with an envi-

ronment, and the manifestation of such cross connections between all our receptors often proved to stimulate a stronger emotional

connection.

69

70

Table of Figures:

1. Collage of sense images from clockwise

Available at:

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1fVGf0SHO70/TU5EOczJSI/AAAAAAAAAB4/YWcpoja3-6g/s1600/eye.jpg>

<http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a01/vent-mouth-cancer-800x800.jpg>

<http://www.ilovesweethearts.co.uk/blogJo/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/nose.jpg>

<http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleimages/26331-50816-42.jpg>

<http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/fingertips.jpg?w=753>

Accessed on 28/03/13

2. Collage of sensory images from clockwise

Available at:

<http://m1.i.pbase.com/o6/21/842821/1/119309611.DzApgC0T.IMG_0224.jpg>

<http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwvr02nXYE1qf8cm7o1_500.jpg>

<http://www.tony-mackenzie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Cold-Person.jpg>

<http://www.bodyrevolutionfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/30/do-not-eat-this-type-of-salad/balance.jpg>


3. Perception, available at:

<http://images.flatworldknowledge.com/portolesediashumrel/portolesediashumrel-fig01_x002.jpg>


4. ETFE available at:

<https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9yYmqoDD2Xo/Tt9a4HNqJmI/AAAAAAAAAUA/Y6317YIF804/s640/mediatic_pic03.jpg>


71

5. ETFE available at:

<http://www.construction.com/CE/CE_images/0807edit_5.jpg>


6. Plywood available at:

<http://www.bessemerplywood.com/media/plywood/spruce1-1.jpg>


7.Plywood available at:

<http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/plywood.jpg>


8. Word collage taken from, Zumthor, (2010) Thinking Architecture, Birkhauser

9. Saint Benedict’s Chapel plan taken from, Zumthor (1997) Works, Lars Muller Publishing

10. Saint Benedict’s Chapel available at:

<http://places.designobserver.com/media/images/heymann-site-13.jpg>


11. Saint Benedict’s Chapel available at:

<http://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:St_Benedict_Chapel.jpg>


12. Saint Benedict’s Chapel door handle available at:

<http://perspectives.charlesluck.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/St.-Benedict-door-handle.jpg>


13. Saint Benedict’s Chapel interior available at:

<http://perspectives.charlesluck.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/St.-Benedict-door-handle.jpg>


72

14-19. Collage of Steven Holl’s work from clockwise available at:

<Vhttp://f-stopped.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/seattle_st-ignatius-steven-holl.jpg>

<http://www.eikongraphia.com/images/SH_lobby_Copyright_Steven_Holl_S.jpg>

<http://www.arcspace.com/CropUp/-/media/103718/glasgow_6.jpg>

<http://www.stevenholl.com/media/files/123/98-047-14B---W-PROJECT-HORI.jpg>

http://plasticbodies.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/dscn0194.jpg

<http://ivanredi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Steven -Holl-Sketch-concept-St.-Ignatius-Chapel-Seattle.jpg>


20-24. Collage of Carlos Scarpa’s work from clockwise available at:

<http://www.veronissima.com/immagini/castelvecchio-scarpa.jpg>

<http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/6938622108_d4f25e4f1d_z.jpg>

<http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7054456449_1028f9740c_z.jpg>

<http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/6910121122_afea9a00a8_z.jpg>

<http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/7075014369_20e90a95a1_z.jpg>


25. Plan of Therme Vals taken from, Zumthor (1997) Works, Lars Muller Publishing

26. Ground floor plan of Therme Vals, taken from, Zumthor (1997) Works, Lars Muller Publishing

27. Therme Vals water taken from: Zumthor, (1997), Works, Lars Muller Publishing

28. Therme Vals water taken from: Zumthor, (1997), Works, Lars Muller Publishing

29. Therme Vals available at:

<http://abrancoalmeida.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/peter-zumthor_termas-de-vals4_1996.jpg>


30. Therme Vals available at:

<http://www.helenebinet.com/image_cache/1339510515-1473312-510-400.jpg>

Accessed on 28/03/13 73

31. Photomontage taken from personal photo collection, 09/13

32-36. Photograph taken from personal photo collection, 09/13

38. Central Saint Martins aerial view available at:

<http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/new-ual-campus-for-central-saint-martins-at-kings-cross/>


39. Central Saint Martins section available at:



40. Central Saint Martins plan available at:




45. Central Saint Martins roof available at:

<http://www.viewpictures.co.uk/ImageThumbs/ACNH-0029-0050/3/ACNH-0029-0050_Central_Saint_Martins_London_United_Kingdom_Architect_Stanton_Williams_2011_Atrium_glass_roof.jpg>


46. Photograph taken from personal photo collection, 09/13

47. Central Saint Martins interior view available at:

<http://www.viewpictures.co.uk/ImageThumbs/ACNH-0029-0033/3/ACNH-0029-0033_Central_Saint_Martins_London_United_Kingdom_Architect_Stanton_Williams_2011_Atrium.jpg>



74

Chapter cover images

Front cover:

Photograph taken from personal photo collection, 09/13

1.1 Senses available at:

<http://s5.favim.com/orig/54/black-and-white-eye-mouth-Favim.com-533535.jpg>


1.2 Tactility available at:

<http://www.metropolismag.com/webimages/2128/5FlexicombDanGottlieb.jpg>


1.3 Plywood available at:

<http://www.boulterplywood.com/photogallery/wood%20names/OLIVE%20ASH%20BURL.jpg>


2.1 Peter Zumthor house available at:

<http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7026717671_36efc5abed_z.jpg>


2.2 Valser Quartzite stone taken from personal photo collection, 06/12

3. UAL Logo available at:

<http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/24832124/4289231736_43c9004490_o.jpg>


3.1 Southampton Row available at:

<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Central_Saint_Martins_College_of_Art_and_Design.jpg>


75

3.2 Exterior view of Central Saint Martins available at:



76

Bibliography:

Aamodt, M. (1999). Architecture Smells. In: Mori, T Immaterial/Ultramaterial. London: George Braziller Inc. 65-68.

Asgaard Andersen, M. (2012). In Conversation: Peter Zumthor and Juhani Pallasmaa. Architectural Design. 82 (6), 22-25.

Bachelard, G, (1992) The Poetics of Reverie, London, Beacon Publishing

Bachelard, G (1969), The Poetics of Space, Boston, Beacon Publishing

Bloomer, KC and Moore, CW (1977) Body, Memory and Architecture, Yale, Yale University Press, 77-79

Cadwell, M, (2007) Strange Details, Cambridge, MIT Press

Frampton, K. (2002). Minimal Moralia. In: Labour, Work, and Architecture. Phaidon. 327-331.

Frampton, K (2007) Modern Architecture, A Critical History, London, Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Gibson, JJ, (1986) The Environmental Approach to Visual Perception, Psychology Press

Hall, E.T, (1966) The Hidden Dimension, New York, Anchor Books

Halbwachs, M (1992). On Collective Memory (Heritage of Sociology). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Klinck, T, (1999) Body, Performance, Boundary In: Mori, T Immaterial/Ultramaterial. London, George Braziller Inc. 71-74

Lefebvre, H. (1997). The Production of Space. In: Leach, N Rethinking Architecture: Reader in Cultural Theory. London: Routledge. pg138.

Macann, C, (1993) Four Phenomenological Philosophers, London, Routledge

Merleau-Ponty, M, (2002) The Phenomenology of Perception, London, Routledge

Ponty, M. (1993). The Phenomenology of Perception. In: Macann, Four Phenomenological Philosophers. London: Routledge.

Pallasmaa, J, (2005) The Eyes of the Skin, London, Wiley-Academy

Pallasmaa, J. (2008). Tangible Light. In: Daylight and Architecture. 07, 9-13.

Platt, C and Spier, S, (2010), Seeking the Real: The Special Case of Peter Zumthor, Architectural theory Review, 15:1, pg30-42

77

Proust, M. (1927). Remembrance of Things Past. Volume 1: Swann’s Way: Within a Budding Grove.

The definitive French Pleiade edition translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. New York: Vintage.

Rasmussen, S.E, (1959) Experiencing Architecture, Cambridge, MIT Press

Stevens, W (2006) Collected Poems, London, Faber and Faber, 86

Tazinaki, J, (2013) In Praise of Shadows, London, Vintage Classics

Ursprung, P, (2009), Earthworks: The Architecture of Peter Zumthor, Pritzker

Zumthor, P, (2010). Thinking Architecture, 3rd ed. Basel: Birkhauser

Other Resources:

Annabel Knightley, personal communication on 19th March 2013,

78

Online Resources:

“Central Saint Martins” Available:

< http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cats/56/6247.htm> Last accessed on 20th March 2013

“CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS AT KING’S CROSS” Available at

<http://blog.kingscross.co.uk/articles/csm-at-kx-london-premium-fashion-college-last-night-opened-up-the-doors-to-its-new-pur-

pose-built-complex/> Last accessed on 20th March 2013

“How many human senses are there?” Available:

< http://www.wisegeek.org/how-many-human-senses-are-there.htm> Last accessed on 18/03/2013.

Kimmelman, M. (2011). The Ascension of Peter Zumthor. Available:

<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/magazine/mag-13zumthor-t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=michaelkimmelman&>.

Last accessed 24th Jan 2013.

Masetti, A. (2010). Multiplicity and Memory: Talking About Architecture with Peter Zumthor. Available:

<http://www.archdaily.com/85656/multiplicity-and-memory-talking-about-architecture-with-peter-zumthor/>.

Last accessed 20th Jan 2013.

Merriam-Webster article “Perception” Available:

< http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perception> Last accessed on 17th March 2013

79

80

“Nostalgia” Available:

<http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/nostalgia?q=nostalgia> Last accessed on 20th March 2013.

“Stanton Williams: Central Saint Martins” Available at

<http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/new-ual-campus-for-central-saint-martins-at-kings-cross/> Last accessed on 20th March 2013.

“Therme Vals” Available:

< http://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals/> Last accessed on 19th March 2013

“Valser Gneis” Available:

< http://www.therme-vals.ch/en/therme/origins/valser_gneis/> Last accessed on 19th March 2013

Appendix:

Appendix I

Answers transcribed from an online survey answered by third year students

at Central Saint Martins.

Primary Research, survey presented to third year architecture students at

Central Saint Martins.

Q1.What is the first thing you remember about the old CSM building at Holborn?

1. The windows on to the street

2. The staircase up to our studio!

3. The big old dark wood staircase

4. The staircase

5. A really old building

6. It reminds me of history

7. The entrance hall, the statue.

8. The seats in the window bays on the stair case and the Parquet floor

9. Divided rooms

10. The spiral staircase.

11. Dirty floors and stairs. Everybody likes that

12. Having the interview and entering the studios via the staircase with the grand piano and at bottom entrance

13. Grand staircase

14. The staircase

15. How dark it was and the stairs, it felt quite enclosed/claustrophobic

Q2.Whereabouts in the building was your favourite place and why?

1.Central club, had a real calm feeling

2. The architecture studio! You could look out of the window and see all of London! And hear everything that was going on!

3. The metal workshop. Although cold it was like a secret bunker down-stairs. As a converted ballet studio then full of old machinery it had a special feel to it with its high ceiling. It sat below street level so again that sense of being below a busy street outside added as a separation from the different activities happening elsewhere. Not to mention the two techni-cians had their own little world down there. It felt a little detached from the rest of the building in a way.

4. The entrance. It had a unique character and oozed the sense of history and legacy of the school

5. Studios

6. Our lecture room coz it was close to the entry

7. The top lecture hall, because of the view over London.

8. The small architecture studio in the middle

9. Studio felt homely

10. Our old studio, because of the space and the columns.

11. The stairs. It was cold but you could stand around check out the people passing and chat between lectures.

12. The stage 3 studios. Not as stark white as the stage 1 studio. It looked and was warm, the floorboards were worn with age, the windows facing the street and staying late working there were plenty of memories there.

13. The main studio, the amount of light compared to the rest of the building made a big contrast

14. The staircase. The light and the continuousness

15. Upstairs in the red lion building, top floor lecture theatre, because it 81

Q3. What do you remember most fondly about our old studios in the Hol-born building? The space, light, materials etc.

1. Intimate spaces, much better acoustics, and light white sunny

2. Big bright spaces! Lots of light, a bit noisy and cold from the old win-dows though. Lots of character with the floor and the way people person-alised their spaces

3. Although very cold they were always very light as in natural light which we don’t really get the same quality of in our new studios. Whilst they were noisy from the street life outside there was a strong connection to our central location and connection to London in a way that again we don’t have in our new building because our new building acts very much like a cocoon of csm life only.

4. Naturally lit but claustrophobic at night

5. a lot of space, but everything felt together and connected perhaps through the layout of desks

6. Remember white colour paint walls, whole “wall” of light, cold and soundly

7. Very noisy because of single glass windows facing the street.

8. Light, the parquet flooring and the views

9. The space

10. The columns and the high ceiling.

11. Again, the fact that they were dirty. Made it easier to work and draw

12. There was more privacy in our studios, not having it as a shortcut like how it is in the new building. Eating in the old studios felt more welcom-ing because of the materials, the wooden floors, the kettle and microwave, it felt like there was age rather than the new concrete. And ventilation from just opening a window to rid smells but that can’t be done the new studios,

the smell would just linger.

13. Light, space, white walls, wood floor

14. Chairs. Non-formal attitude

15. How big they were, the tall ceilings, huge tables, everything was white apart from the floor which was lovely.

Q4.Where is your favourite place in the new Kings Cross campus build-ing?

1. Top floor bridge

2. The library, when it’s not busy! The way they have preserved the old building is so nice

3. The street as its always busy with people playing the piano or hanging out or putting on a performance. It’s the central hub where all differant courses come together. Or alternatively the top bridge at the front of the building because there is a sense of calm and strong light up their where you can often is alone.

4. The corridors overlooking the street

5. Photography studios

6. Library where u can see timber beams and details

7. The bridges, looking down at the street and up on the roof

8. Top floor End Bridge

9. Corridors outside the project space

10. The street because of its massive entrance and the learning zone because of its height and view.

82

11. The canal outside the building

12. The corridor study areas. I like being able to move the chairs and make a private space on the public walkway. Can spy on people’s fashion as they walk by, like a catwalk, the real atmosphere of a bitchy art school can be sensed when judging and can be fun when you’ve been so focused on a drawing. Also one of the places with wife.

13. Don’t really have one

14The library and learning zone. The street

15. The street, it’s too cold but I love how open it is.

Q5.When you think of the Kings Cross building what is the first thing that comes into your head? E.g. lighting qualities, historical qualities, material qualities etc.

1. Corporate identity

2. Massive concrete block!

3. Scale and history- I see the front of the granary and it’s big. It has a strong presence mainly attributed to its sheer size in comparison to its surroundings. It highlighted as an unmissable point in a large open space being the square and it’s beautiful because of its old salvaged brickwork.

4. Natural light everywhere which gives me the feeling of being outside, and having freedom to move anywhere.

5. Set up spaces, everything appears almost stage like and setup through lighting and the materiality

6. Human activity. That place where ants live. Factory.

7. Space, old and new, light, very noisy

8. Concrete and glass and coldness

9. Lighting

10. The entrance and the concrete materials

11. Great location.

12. it’s just a mass of concrete and technical competence. There isn’t a real sense of personality embedded, such as funky colours or unexpect-ed materials. However the floors along the street have a nice quality, the wooden cubes been hand laid. It feels good to be part of the regeneration of kings cross and next to the canal making a nice natural atmosphere by the waters.

13. Concrete, glass, light and space- the street

14. The light and spatial qualities in the street. Materials

15. I love the mix of modern and old materials i.e. glass and the old mill building at the front, the library is a good example as well as the street for this. The floor is amazing in the street its natural which seems quite honest.

Q6. Do you prefer the old Holborn building or the Kings Cross building and why?

1. Holborn more suited to teaching and learning. Less showy, more space, more human

2. Holborn! Character and history of csm! The spaces meant things to people, people basically lived in that building, the way they person-alised their space and used the spaces. Being able to go and see other peoples work and use the other studios was good. The building was like a maze, which made it interesting. Its location in Holborn was ideal, perfect for bus and tube, shops, the SU etc.

3. Difficult one. I miss Holborn because I prefer the location and it had a quality to it you can’t quite feel in the new build. Although both are historical I guess the historical presence and the fact that the Holborn campus almost felt like it was falling apart at times gives it more of that historical presence. It had the true lived in feel like it had had a long life 83

of differant uses whereas kings cross although technically has a history it feels kind of new and squeaky clean. I also think it’s difficult to say because we started our whole experience of uni and this course in Holborn so there will always be the fact that when we began everything was new not just the environment but what we were learning, who we were meeting which I find in all situations like that build a stronger kind of memory and association with place. Kings cross though is an exciting development and beautiful space and we have a much better connection to what other courses do through shared space.

4. King’s Cross building. It makes me feel like I’m outside and part of a large community of artists and designers. Much more space and multiple events going on.

5.I think they both have unique features about them and I can’t decide which, but I am happy at Kings cross because it has everything I need, I do think that the Holborn building made me feel more like I was a part of the building because everything was at a smaller scale.

6. I prefer old one. It’s was like a real school for me, not like a factory...

7. No doubt the new KC because of the high quality of space and the flow of the building.

8. Yes. It had history in the walls and in the atmosphere as well as details and cosy spaces that felt private and your own. The new building is hard and unforgiving.

9. Old, felt like there could be a better community

10. Holborn, it was “cosier”

11. Yes. I wish they had pulled it off the ground and put it next to the canal in kings cross. For all the reasons mentioned above. It felt like an art school.

12. Personally. The old building. That’s where the beginning was and es-tablished friendships began. Defacing the material (I know it sounds bad and illegal) by drawing on the tables so you left like an artistic signature.

There was a wider range of food shops at walking distance without hav-ing to face the cold windy boulevard; Covent Garden was also walking distance away. However, there is potential for the new building once everything to get built I’m sure.

13. New, more people, more inspiring

14. The old was more personal. More of an art school and less com-mercial

15. Kings cross because it’s more modern and the layout is easier to understand than the Holborn building.

84

Appendix II.Personal photos taken at the old building on Southampton Row after the building had been emptied for the transition to Kings Cross. All photos are were taken by myself and from my personal collection unless stated otherwise.

The banister, seating and ceiling of the main staircase

85

The studios doors and door handles

86

The studios windows and floors

87

The entrance, hallway and seating

88

Appendix III.Personal photos of the Granary building campus, Central Saint Martins, Kings Cross.All photos are were taken by myself and from my personal collection unless stated otherwise.

Watercolour render of proposed atmosphere in the “Street”Available at <http://www.simonjonesandassociates.co.uk/display.php?item=interi-or/large/stantcsm>

Proposed view of Granary Building areaAvailable at <http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/new-ual-campus-for-central-saint-martins-at-kings-cross/>

89

Staircases, banisters and details in the extension

90

Views of the street, and the connecting bridges

91

Concrete floor, stairs, walls and ceilings

92

Corridors and pathways

93

Corridors and pathways

94

Montage of plywood wall stretching the length of a corridor with repetition of wood grain - covered in graffiti by students

95

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