Glazed Partition Screens …

Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens following the installation of the glazed panels. Artist: Christopher Tipping. Image: The Printed Film Company
Detail of one of the Glazed Partition Screens against a backdrop of the printed wallcovering. Image: Bronwen Gwillim

The artwork proposals extend to and include a series of glazed partition screens situated along one side of the main corridor, opposite the large-scale bespoke wallcovering, which itself acts as a grand backdrop to the new unit. The screens however, can be viewed from both sides, extending the reach of the artwork, which becomes something of a ‘theatre in the round’, presenting multiple viewing points and visual ‘conversations’ & interplay, not only with the artwork, but with the wider architectural scheme and interiors. The brief called for these screens to have the artwork encapsulated as a printed laminate between layers of safety glass. I collaborated with both VGL and The Printed Film Company on this element of the work.

The Printed Film Company described their brief as:

“We were asked to supply decorative laminated safety glass partitions in the main corridor; 6mm + 6mm low iron toughened glass, PVB laminated encapsulating our optically clear PET interlayer, on which we digitally printed the required designs to give pleasing environmental visuals along with manifestation. We procured the glass, printed the interlayer’s and managed the lamination process before delivering the laminated panels to site for installation”.

There are some lovely images of the work on their website –

The glazing panels were fitted into timber frames by the Macmillan Project main contractors, John Turner Construction Group

Draft design for glazed partition screen to main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft design for glazed partition screen to main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens prior to the installation of the glazed panels. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens following the installation of the glazed panels. Artist: Christopher Tipping. Image: The Printed Film Company
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens following the installation of the glazed panels. Artist: Christopher Tipping. Image: The Printed Film Company
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens following the installation of the glazed panels. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens prior to the installation of the glazed panels. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Interior detail of the New Macmillan Unit, showing the Timber Partition Screens following the installation of the glazed panels. Image: Bronwen Gwillim

This image also shows the print-white vinyl manifestations applied to the external glazing. These panels provided a much needed interface between the interior paces and the black brick wall outside.

Draft design for 2 glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping
Draft designs for 4 glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping

Areas of optically clear glazing, with no artwork are shown here – images above and below – in black.

Draft designs for 2 glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping
Production design draft for 4 glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: VGL

This colour image forms part of the production design detailing and indicates – via darker and lighter magenta tones, the opacity and translucency of a white interlayer, which has colour printed on both sides. The darker the tone, the more opaque the colour.

Production design technical draft for 4 glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: The Printed Film Co

The image above, illustrates the same process described earlier whereby the print-white layer creates the opacity and transparency of the final colour artwork – in this instance the degrees of print-white are indicated in shades of blue.

A wide range of samples were produced to achieve the right balance of translucent and opaque colour.

Production related design samples design for glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Christopher Tipping
Production related glass design samples by The Printed Film Company for the glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Production related glass design samples by The Printed Film Company for the glazed partition screens to the main corridor. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Detail of one of the Glazed Partition Screens against a backdrop of the printed wallcovering. Image: Bronwen Gwillim
Detail of one of the Glazed Partition Screens against a backdrop of the printed wallcovering. Image: Bronwen Gwillim

 

 

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