Category Archives: The Flower Bowl

Flower Bowl Images from Rockpanel

My great collaborators at Rockpanel have just sent me a new set of images they have commissioned of The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre at Brock, near Preston.

The wonderful images are by Daniel James Alive Photography.

I was commissioned by Guy Topping MD of Barton Grange Garden Centre to create the cnc routed artwork for the external Rockpanel rainscreen facade.

The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel

Rockpanel put me in touch with Barton Grange following our work with HLM Architects on their ‘Heart of the Campus’ project for Sheffield Hallam University. I was then commissioned by Guy Topping to design artwork to be integrated into the exterior cladding, which wraps the façade of the Flower Bowl. The client was keen to reference its long association with plants, trees and especially flowers. The artwork is therefore a celebration of flowers inspired not so much by botanical accuracy, rather their abstract super graphic nature at large scale, exploding like fireworks in celebration across the elevations of the building.

The façades are specified in Rockpanel Colours in RAL 7022, routed to reveal the design, which was created in collaboration with Mark Durey at The Cutting Room, Huntingdon, using Alphacam CAD CAM software.

The translation of my artwork to the end product is anything but straightforward. Mark’s intimate knowledge of the technology, combined with his experience in creative problem solving, brings an entirely bespoke method to creating the final installation. The final outcome is exceptionally accurate.

The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel

‘The Flower Bowl is an innovative multi-use leisure destination, which sits alongside Barton Grange Garden Centre and Barton Grange Marina at Brock, near Preston in Lancashire. 

The Topping family run the Barton Grange Group which owns and operate the Garden Centre, Marina and Flower Bowl and whose history spans back more than seventy years. The company runs several award-winning garden centres, a 4 star hotel and a widely respected and successful landscape contracting firm.

The architects for the project were Worthington Ashworth Jackson Walker (WAJW). They faced several challenges in accommodating the large number of disparate facilities with potentially conflicting requirements in close proximity. WAJW Architect Alistair Williams, “The single greatest challenge was to master the complex geometry of the vast, undulating roof and to detail this in such a way that it could be accurately replicated on site.” The 4200m2 single storey structure now features that gently undulating grass roof that, it is hoped, will eventually have sheep grazing on it’. Rockpanel

The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel
The Flower Bowl cnc routed facade artwork. Image: Daniel James Alive Photography by kind permission of Rockpanel

 

Look at this …

Alan Lovell of Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies sent some great production images of the 7m diameter PietraPave granite mosaic I created, during its recent construction in China. The work has been manufactured and is now on its way to the UK for installation at The Flower Bowl, Barton Grange nr Preston.

7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave

 

7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave
7m diameter granite mosaic during manufacture in China. Image by kind permission: Alan Lovell, Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies, Pietra Pave

 

 

Almost done – the last few boards

By the way, I chose the worst day of the week to make a site visit to Barton Grange in Lancashire to check on progress – rained all day – the one poor day out of a glorious week of fine weather. Images not as good as they could be.

Notwithstanding that, the progress by Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd has been brilliant and the main contractors, Truman Design and Build are now focussing on the interiors which are a hive of activity.

Externally, the rainscreen boards are almost all in place – with many exhibiting various stages of weathering, which starts with the exposed routed board being a bright yellow tone and gradually darkening to a rich tan / copper colour.

The Cutting Room in Huntingdon have now almost completed cutting the last of the boards and these will be shipped to site during the next week or so.

Main Entrance Elevation in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Installation of cnc routed rainscreen facade in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

 

Sub-Station

The last 2 elevations are now in progress, having signed off the artwork for the Elevations 7 & 8, the Sub-Station Building and Rovero End. My work is now pretty much done here. Going to site to see it installed is now a priority.

The Flower Bowl. Draft for Elevation 8 – Sub Station and Rovero. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for Elevation 8 – Sub Station and Rovero. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for Elevation 8 – Sub Station and Rovero. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for Elevation 8 – Sub Station and Rovero. Image: Christopher Tipping

Big Flower Mosaic

The last pieces of production artwork have now been signed off. Most of the front elevation of the building has now been installed. Weirdly I’ve not yet been up to see it. Been pretty busy here in Ramsgate.

A good thing is that Guy Topping commissioned a further piece of work from me – a 7m diameter granite mosaic of a large flower for the main entrance threshold. The manufacturing work was commissioned from Bannister Hall Landscape Supplies and will be manufactured in China.

The Flower Bowl. Draft for granite mosaic paving entrance feature. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for granite mosaic paving entrance feature. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for granite mosaic paving entrance feature. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl. Draft for granite mosaic paving entrance feature. Image: Christopher Tipping

The Flower Bowl – getting there…

I have been incredibly lucky to collaborate once again with Mark Durey at The Cutting Room in Huntingdon. I worked with Mark on the cnc cut facade for the new Heart of the Campus Building at Sheffield Hallam University Collegiate Campus. I am indebted to him for bringing these projects to life in way I could not deliver on my own. My colleague Sarah Alldritt also deserves a big thanks for her work translating my original artwork into ai vectors. Mark imports these digital files and re-builds the artwork through an Alphacam CAD CAM software programme to create the work. That may seem a straightforward digital process created by clever software …let me tell you that it is not. The translation from my artwork to end product is anything but straightforward in this instance. Mark is the key here. He has a clear understanding of how the programmes work – but – more importantly he is prepared to go ‘off-road’ and put his experience to task, problem solving and bringing an entirely bespoke service into play to produce the outcomes you see. I am lucky to have him as a collaborator.

Mark has an individual methodology at play whilst creating the cutting files. He adds colour to enable him to plan the work and – indirectly, I find these images inspiring and creative in themselves. Probably annoyingly I am always asking for screenshots of particular details.

Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey
Manufacturing drawings for The Flower Bowl cnc routed elevations. Image: Mark Durey

The latest image by the client Guy Topping – the left hand elevation for The Flower Bowl Main Entrance – but how did we get to this point?

Main Entrance Elevation in progress at The Flower Bowl. Image: Guy Topping

 

 

 

 

The Flower Bowl

In July 2017 I was commissioned by Guy Topping, Managing Director of the multi award winning Barton Grange Garden Centre in Brock, Preston to design artwork to wrap around the external elevation rain screen of a new mixed use Leisure Centre he was developing to be called The Flower Bowl.  I was initially contacted by Jenni Muston of Rockpanel whose exterior cladding boards were specified for the work. Jenni put me in touch with Guy. I had previously collaborated with Jenni and project Architects HLM, on a project for Sheffield Hallam University Collegiate Campus. The new ‘HEART OF THE CAMPUS’ building was completed in 2015. As an award winning Garden Centre, the client was obviously keen to promote its long association with plants, trees and especially with flowers. The artwork is a celebration of flowers, inspired not so much by botanical accuracy, rather the abstract illustrative, super graphic nature of flowers at large scale, exploding like fireworks in celebration across the elevations of the building. The local landscape and textile heritage of Preston also contributed to research and concept development carried out at the Harris Museum. 

Christopher Tipping. Section 7 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Guy Topping
Christopher Tipping. Section 7 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Guy Topping
Christopher Tipping. Section 7 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Guy Topping
Christopher Tipping. Section 7 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Guy Topping
Christopher Tipping. Section 7 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd.

The artwork was developed for production & manufacture in partnership with The Cutting Room in Huntingdon, with whom I collaborated on the Sheffield Hallam project. I am indebted to them for their commitment to the project. The boards are being installed on site by Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd under the project main contractor Truman Design & Build. The installation & handling of the artwork boards on site has been & continues to be excellent. The project Architectural Consultants are WAJW 

A draft artist visual for The Flower Bowl by WAJW Architects showing indicative elevations and green roof with grazing sheep. Image: WAJW
Cranked corner, Sections 5 to 6 during installation. The Flower Bowl under construction. Image: Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd.
Cranked corner, Sections 5 to 6 during installation. The Flower Bowl under construction. Image: Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd.
Draft artwork in production. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft artwork in production. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft artwork and flower iconography in development. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft artwork and Chrysanthemum flower iconography in development. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft artwork and Water Lily flower iconography in development. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft artwork and Iris flower iconography in development. The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping

 

Christopher Tipping. Section 2 Elevation during installation by Aztec. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Aztec Industrial Roofing Ltd.
Christopher Tipping. Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2018. Image: Christopher Tipping
Christopher Tipping. Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
Christopher Tipping. Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

When the Rockpanel Board is first cnc cut and installed, the exposed colour is yellow, which fairly quickly weathers to a darker & richer colour.

Christopher Tipping. Section 2 Elevation. Boards awaiting installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Guy Topping
Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Guy Topping
Section 2 Elevation during installation. The Flower Bowl 2017. Image: Guy Topping
Agapanthus – Barton Grange Garden Centre – Research. Image: Christopher Tipping
Barton Grange Garden Centre – Research. Image: Christopher Tipping
Flower research at Barton Grange for The Flower Bowl. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl under construction. Image: Guy Topping
The Flower Bowl under construction. Image: Guy Topping
The Flower Bowl, September 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl, October 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl, adjacent Canal – October 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
The Flower Bowl, adjacent to the Lancaster Canal – September 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping

The Canal Basin here is managed by the Barton Grange Garden Centre.

Barton Grange & The Flower Bowl is well positioned on the A6 Preston to Lancaster road, the M6, the London to Glasgow high speed mainline and the Lancaster Canal. Image: Christopher Tipping
Front of house under construction. Section 6 – The Flower Bowl October 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping
Building under construction. Section 6 – The Flower Bowl October 2017. Image: Christopher Tipping