Ben Morgan JonesStudio in the City

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Contents Page

Brief 02 Analysis 04Concept, Desire and Ideas 06Technical Drawings 08Construction Process 11Images 12Conclusion 19

“Man does not cease to play because he grows old, he grows old because he ceases to play.” Drew Lachey

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Studio in the City Installation - Victoria Bridge, BathBrief

The Brief calls for the first day of the project to be spent looking, observing and recording the conditions of Victoria Bridge. The idea is that if you look, you will discover. Encouraged to respond ‘instinctively’ to elements that interest and enthral. Whilst understanding why.

The second day will be spent proposing interventions that are site specific, capture, and transform a specific observed condition, and through this reveal something about the context. It is desirable that these installations can be ‘experienced’ and ‘ inhabited’ in some way.

The next task will be to build the installation, using materials acquired with a budget of £100. It is forbidden to build anything permanent or anything that cannot be dismantled. All work will then be reviewed on the afternoon of day three.

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Victoria Bridge (1836) is a key pedestrian crossing of the River Avon and is used by many residents of Bath on their daily commute.

Beneath the Victoria Bridge there is a heavy flow of pedestrian traffic and signs of social activity, encouraged by the shelter provided.

Recently resurfaced, the upper deck of the bridge is in a dire state, it is regularly used by the community but few people ever stop here.

Along the riverbanks, vegetation and wildlife is in abundance. Although from the bridge it is easy to ignore the surrounding location.

Showing severe signs of deterioration and wear. The bridge is littered with graffiti and vegetation, and is badly neglected.

Situated on the River Avon, there is a regular flow of slow traveling narrow boats that pass under the bridge throughout the day.

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Concept

Victoria Bridge is in desperate need of some care and attention, for such a well used means of crossing the River Avon, it has been neglected. Covered in graffiti and vegetation it feels abused, yet those who use it or travel beneath it ignore its current state. They are fixated with their commute from A to B and ignore all that is around them, be this the actual bridge, their surroundings or other members of the community, they are blind to their environment.

The aim of the installation is to alter the status quo, to raise awareness of location and surrounding personal, by disruption of standard routine through the means of inducing interest. Which will hopefully lead to the awareness of the neglect shown towards Victoria Bridge and the people that use it.

Desire

To induce a sense of play and happiness into the scheme. To create a positive atmosphere. To involve everyone that uses or passes underneath the bridge. To brighten up the day of every person in the community. To bring some joy to Victoria Bridge.

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DisturbanceBy hanging weighted bungee cord from the underside of Victoria Bridge, there is a hope that the oscillations created by activity on top would cause a disturbance in the river below. Thus hopefully alerting those underneath of the those that exists above. Although it would be an amazing visual spectacle, it is only a one way intervention and anyone actually on the bridge would be unaware of the installation and thus unaffected.

SoundBased on the idea of a playground toy. Brightly coloured listening devices hung from the bridge should not only alert someone visually but also acoustically, hence a commuter looking down will still be effected. The recognition to a familiar childhood toy should make the bridge a more lively place and encourage people to participate and have fun. Thus hopefully making them more aware of their surroundings.

Vision Setting up large periscopes around Victoria Bridge would visually alert those who travel on or beneath to their complete surroundings and others. But on observing those who use the bridge, one notes they are usually commuters who walk fast with their heads down looking at the ground, hence setting up mirrors may not be effective if they are unable to grab attention and get people to look.

8East Elevation 0 0.5 1 2

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Section 0 0.5 1 2

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Process of Construction

Prefabrication off site. (Repeat 6 times) 1. Cut bottoms off plastic salad bowls using a scalpel.2. File edges of recently cut bowls to achieve a smooth, clean finish.3. Mark and cut 42mm plumbing waste pipes to designated sizes.4. Mark MDF to designated sizes with location of pilot holes.5. Cut and drill MDF. 6. Remove any labels and spray paint funnels bright illuminance pink.7. Once dry use Araldite to fix funnels to plastic salad bowls.8. Attach the shorter pre cut waste pipes to the 90 degree turns.9. Using Araldite fix waste pipes and 90 degree turns to funnels. 10. Attach remaining waste pipes to each other via the extension piece.11. Attach waste pipe clips to pre cut tubes in designated locations.12. Screw waste pipe clips to MDF pieces, using the pre drilled pilot holes.

Assembly on site (Repeat 6 times)1. Attach bottom funnel section to long waste pipe.2. Hang installation off designated railing via the pre drilled pilot holes in the MDF.3. Secure last piece of MDF around railing and screw into opposite MDF piece. 4. Fix top funnel section to the long waste pipes.5. Enjoy completed installation.

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Conclusion

The installation showed that a simple childhood playground toy could bring joy and fascination to the most unlikely of places. Indirectly making people more aware of their location and surroundings.

Manufacture and assembly of the installation went extremely smoothly and the final product proved to be very stable and acoustically fairly sound. Whilst being just over budget the installation is 100% recyclable, with the majority of parts re-usable.

When erected the scheme attracted many of the Bath commuters, varying from school children to business men, all interested in the installation and its purpose. Hopefully the scheme has raised some awareness to the community; that Victoria Bridge, the surrounding area and the people should not continue to be ignored and neglected.

“The purpose of life is to fight maturity.” Dick Werthimer