Leisure Centre | Christopher Tipping

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

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

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: 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 .