CP2 - Manchester Arndale/Corporation Street Footbridge

Designed by a Manchester based architects Hodder & Partners after winning the design competition in 1997 the footbridge was constructed in 1999. Basically designed to get from A to B, the bridge connects the Arndale shopping center and the Marks & Spencer’s/ Selfridges building. The purpose of the footbridge was so that the public didn't get caught up in the traffic and congestion on Corporation Street and it was in a convenient location.                                                                                                                          

The newly refurbished bridge replaced the basic rectangular bridge that was unfortunately the focal point for the 1996 IRA bombings. After the bombings it was decided that it would be rebuilt. Costing just over £1m the cost was split between Manchester City Council and the Manchester Arndale shopping center. Designed in the form of a hyperboloid, when walking through it, its creates an illusion that you are somewhat spinning. It was constructed out of one sheet of glass which means with the hyperboloid form it is more structurally stable. In 2011 although it was safe it was suggested that the footbridge would be refurbished to make it even more perpetual. This meant that the footbridge was closed for 7 months which contradicts its primary purpose.                                                                                                 

The style of the piece is in keeping with the surroundings of this particular area. As most of it was ruined in 1996, the renovation of the city was becoming more and more modern. This footbridge was the placed as a representation of Manchester’s rebirth after the fatal incident.                                    

 

                                                           

Intentions Evaualtion

Experimentation has played a huge part in my practice in this project as I wanted to get everything right for my final two collections but also it gives me a great chance to work with different processes and fabrics, on of which is of good value. I have gone with two collections a digital collection and a print room collection. These both used the same colour palette and motifs which link them together. I've also designed my digital prints larger as I felt it was better to capture a repeat print on a larger sample and I also wanted to experiment with scale.

Over the summer I felt like I needed to take more risks when drawing. This meant working with different media and teaching myself to become more confident when designing digitally. Over the past weeks the Photoshop workshops have been of a massive help and they are skills to savoir for the rest of my life. To have the opportunity to be taught different skills for digital designs was great for this project and will also be very worthwhile for my future practice and employment. I've decided to give this project a name 'Newfangled Heritage'. This is something I have considered throughout my visual research, experimentation process and design work. Bring something old and something new together was something I was very interested in from the start and I have captured this within the dyed fabrics, motifs and colour palette.

During my print room sessions personally I felt this was a good chance to experiment with different process that could work within my project. From experimenting different ways of dying and printing in the print room when it came to printing my finals it was easier to pick our which process and dye would work best for me. I've put together a series of presentation boards as well. I have never done this before but its great to see my work come to life and what it could potentially look like in a series of different interior spaces. I also went out and research a few company's that are currently in the market to see if  my designs would fit within that industry and what I am aspiring to.

Throughout the project I felt like I needed to do more drawing work. This is something  I will be working on closely within the next project as this will help my work probably develop more and which will give me more to work with which can be refined a lot easier.

From the beginning I knew what look I wanted to create and I feel like I have exceed my own exceptions and pushed myself to more than what I had planned. Putting my designs onto projects has helped me contextualise my practice and is something I will be doing in my next project.

Tutorial 6 & Week commencing 17.11.14

Tutorial & Personal Practice:-

All this week I've been finishing off my samples and making them look as professional as possible on a budget. I have also taken out a few digital prints as I feel they didn't flow as well with the others. It was a hard process to eliminate some but one I feel would be worthwhile. I love the final presentation process as it gives you an good chance to re-evaluate your work for the last time and ask people what they believe has worked and if they would have done anything differently. I've thought really hard about my presentation of samples and hope it it fits well and looks professional. 

I have chosen to have two collection a print room collection and a digital collection. This is because I fell they flow better separate but still link with each other so they don't look like they are from a separate project. 

print room collection

digital collection

Tutorial 5 & Week commencing 10.11.14

Tutorial & Personal Practice:-

All this week I've been finishing off my samples and making them look as professional as possible on a budget. I have also taken out a few digital prints as I feel they didn't flow as well with the others. It was a hard process to eliminate some but one I feel would be worthwhile. I love the final presentation process as it gives you an good chance to re-evaluate your work for the last time and ask people what they believe has worked and if they would have done anything differently. I've thought really hard about my presentation of samples and hope it it fits well and looks professional. 

I have chosen to have two collection a print room collection and a digital collection. This is because I fell they flow better separate but still link with each other so they don't look like they are from a separate project. 

Print Room Collection

Digital Collection

Tutorial 4 & Week commencing 03.11.14

Tutorial:-

After showing my tutorial group what I had been working on we were informed to start looking thinking about presentation boards, layout and professionalism. So asking myself question like what is my concept? Who is my consumer? And also being to think where my designs would fit in industry….fashion, interior or art installation. This has given me and idea about using the skills learnt in the Photoshop lessons to mask my designs on to interiors as me and the feedback from my tutorial group feel my designs are defiantly suited for interiors.

Personal Practice:-

I’ve re-dyed more fabrics in the print room for my final collection but have dyed most of them a sand colour and then mono printed onto them. This will hopefully make my practice more diverse and not just being all one flat background colour. I’ve also been working on my presentation boards and thinking into layout and presentation of my samples. I’ve thought about my inspiration, concept and consumer and feel this is a good start to my presentation boards. Also this week I have finalised my digital prints and they will be ready next week. I have chosen to digitally print on the same fabric I have used in the print room as when I was experimenting on lighter fabrics in my experimentation process, the fabrics didn't strike me as interior fabrics. 

A few of my digital designs.

Tutorial 3 & Week commencing 27.10.14

Tutorial:-

Tutorial this week make me think more about tightening my selection of motifs so I've not got a wide range and just work closely with layering up my favorite that can/could work well as a final collection. I’m also going to start working on my digital prints now I've got an idea where my practice in the print room is taking me. 

Personal Practice:-

I’ve been mainly working on my digital prints this week. In the previous weeks in the print room I’ve found it hard to get the lighter colours to stand out on the dark backgrounds. Digitally designing make it easier to add light to dark, so from this I will be doing more darker digital prints. When I’ve not been able to get on an Mac at university I’ve still been in the print room working on and experimenting with my prints. I’ve had a go at mono printing more of a subtle coloured background to see what my motifs would look like on them. This has turned out a lot better than tie dying my final fabrics. 

Tutorial 2 & Week commencing 20.10.14

Tutorial:-

This week’s tutorial had me thinking more into my theme and how I’m bringing bits of old and bits of new. On screen I have ‘old’ and ‘modern’ motifs and I’m going to try out dying my own fabrics in the dye baths. I feel that the uncertainty of not knowing that its not going to be one block colour is good as it will give my fabrics a more imperfect look which is something I’m keen to capture. 

Personal Practice:-

In the print room I’ve been doing a bit of trial and error in the dye baths. I’ve been trying to match my fabrics to my colour palette. Its been quite a lengthy process but one that I’m happy with. I also had a go at tie dying my fabrics but boldness of the tie dye take your eye away from some of the motifs. I did try some tester prints on the dyed fabrics just to test the dyes and motifs on them and the reactive dyes sit a lot better rather than the pigment dye. When doing my final collection I want to be considerate when placing my motifs so with doing layout thumbnails in my sketchbook once my experimentation process is over. This makes sure I’m not over the top with the placement of my motifs.