A quick site visit yesterday – 19th March – to see the manifestation sample installed in the M1 / M2 Block entrance lobby. This is one of the interpretive artworks on site – part of the public realm and public art enhancements.
This is the interior courtyard space, which we know as The Place – this is a public space for both residents and pedestrians alike. The site will provides a new pedestrian route along a desire line from Chelmsford Station, through to the town centre.
The York Stone steps with inset granite text are manufactured by the Ashfield Group.
Interior of entrance lobby – with sample vinyl manifestation taped to the glazing. The weather was really dull & overcast. The printed white inks don’t jump out very much. If it had been bright and sunny, the design would cast a myriad of shadows onto the frame and floors. Will have to wait & see how that works out !
This week saw the delivery and installation of the first bespoke cast concrete units to site. Wilson Massie of Balfour Beatty Living Places has let me use his images taken during the works to install. Balfour Beatty Services are delivering and installing all the project on site.
The units are manufactured by CCP Ltd – Cornish Concrete Products, nr Truro.
I spent yesterday – 17th March 2015 – in Reading, working in the design room at VGL Ltd with one of their production designers, James, to build and sample the final production artwork for the glazing manifestation to be installed in the M1 / M2 Block Entrance Lobby, Central Chelmsford. VGL really do put in the extra mile to get exactly what I want – it is very much appreciated.
We had a full size sample printed and tomorrow I am going to site to see it installed for final approval by the project team.
This is the visual that was produced – it is presented against a black background because the artwork is printed in many layers of opaque and transparent white overlaid one on another. – Durst Print white only in reverse onto Madico Optically Clear vinyl, applied to the inside face of glazing.
‘Outside Wyndham Court a great deal of the footpath and landscaping is down and this gives a glimpse of how the scheme is going to look. Block paving of the public car park has started, trees are in and yesterday the first of the new bespoke stone benches was crane lifted into place.’Taken from the Southampton Station Quarter update bulletin, 18th March 2015, Balfour Beatty Living Places.
Bespoke benches during installation. Unfortunately, one of the 6 units has a lighter finish than the others. This can be remedied post installation on site by the manufacturer CPP Ltd.
On Thursday 12th March I flew down to Newquay to visit CCP Ltd – Cornish Concrete Products – to review production on the first set of bespoke benches for Southampton Station Quarter. I was meeting up with Simon Taylor, Urban Design Manager –Southampton Highways Partnership, Balfour Beatty Living Places, who is the Design Manager for the Station Quarter project. Simon met me at Newquay Airport & we drove down to Bissoe to CCP’s manufacturing plant.
I left Ramsgate on High Speed 1 for London, St Pancras, then by Tube to Victoria to pick up the Gatwick Express & Gatwick to Newquay by Twin Prop and from there by car to Bissoe – easy ! A great day – but one delay along the way could have been a disaster – fortunately it was brilliant.
The units below are the first to be manufactured and are, as such the sample test for the project. We will be looking to iron out any issues presenting at this stage and develop a methodology for ensuring quality control through the production period. The Type C unit – is only one of several bespoke profiles being developed – with each profile there are accompanying bespoke ends and specials to be made.
This is a single unit, part of a six unit seating set for the landscape works. The seating forms part of the interpretation and public art created for the project. The units as seen here have yet to have the etching treatment to expose the surface aggregates, so appear quite light in colour. The finished colour and aggregate mix reflect the multi blend granite paving used throughout the site and is informed by the geology of the site – alluvial gravels – which were at one time quarried nearby in the area now occupied by the Civic Centre. These gravels would have formed the beach of the River Test Estuary, which was – until 175 years ago – to be found where Blechynden Terrace now stands.
We have selected the Blackhill Aggregate – White Cement – Heavy Etch sample to work with –
The composite image below, illustrate the evolution of the Type C Bench. The basic section is added to with bespoke and varying ‘ends’, with some units being further cast with lighting recesses.
I particularly like to see the timber joinery and craftsmanship which goes into the moulds. No-one else really sees this – and the general public generally have no idea of the work that goes on behind the scenes to achieve the objects they see in the public realm.
Finally caught up with progress on the Central Chelmsford Project on Thursday 19th February.
I hadn’t been to site since October 2014 & things had really moved on, with one block of the development already open to residents. The public realm is still ongoing, which includes the embedded artwork and interpretive text.
The York stone steps with inset granite text was manufactured & supplied by the Ashfield Group. The installation on site is a very time consuming and bespoke process. I am looking forward to seeing the works all cleaned up and finished.
The large sandblasted granite platform seat has been installed, but not completely finished as yet. This element, along with the sandblasted paving text was manufactured & supplied by Hardscape.
The central courtyard is in progress, with brick built raised beds with trees, shrubs and grasses. All hard landscape concept design and planting for the scheme is by Area Landscape Architects.
The interpretation work I have done is mainly embedded within this scheme as seating, paving & steps. The text – as seen below – sandblasted into Royal Green Granite slabs & set into York Stone paving – has not yet been cleaned & is very dusty and dirty from continuing building works. The site is closed to the public. This will however, become a busy pedestrian thoroughfare when completed. .
12th February 2015 – Treforest, South Wales – the birthplace of SIR TOM JONES !
I met with Dr Chris Evanstoday to discuss the history of iron production in Merthyr Tydfil and the legacy and impact of this on contemporary Merthyr Tydfil and its aspirations & current regeneration programme. This is in light of contextual research I am doing in regard to the new Bus Station project and Link bridge feasibility study.
Francis Crawshay – an eccentric member of the Crawshays of Cyfarthfa, who had portraits of his workers painted which was, at the time highly unusual, giving a remarkable insight into the lives of ordinary working people. He was something of a Druidic character, building stone circles and mounds.
The Upland Landscape of the Brecon Beacons & its importance in both the past and the future of Merthyr Tydfil. Merthyr is a product of this upland landscape & could make much more of this relationship.
The Taff Trailand how visitors could experience & relate to Merthyr as a gateway to the Brecons.
The Creativity and Flair of the great engineers and innovators who were central to the Industrial Revolution in Merthyr not being sufficiently celebrated. Watkin George,William Edwards, William Williamsworked at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. Even factory buildings were classically proportioned. Merthyr was a hub of creative knowledge, that became not only world famous, but exported this knowledge all over the world – even sending expertise to set up new Ironworks in Russia for example. The town generated and maintained international contacts, becoming an international crossroads of industry.
Elemental Processes of ironworking – extremely labour intensive. The ability to standardize products and replicate to order under these conditions was testament to the degree of control over processes these manufactories had. Confidence in their technology and how to utilise it successfully
Impact on landscape – early extraction methods included damming rivers and streams and then breaking the dam to allow the raging waters to scour the top soils and expose the iron ore beds. Cinder Tips, & Slag Heaps
Power – the control and management of water was at the heart of Merthyrs advancement. Transport was the other – Canals, Tramways, Railways, Roads, River.
Power – Napoleonic Economy & Rise to Wealth – Atlantic Trade – Iron and Slaves – Dr Chris Evans Research
I have now made two visits to Merthyr Tydfil & am preparing to go up again this week for two days to meet with the project team and Capita, who will be delivering the Bus Station. Capita recently completed the The River Taff Central Link and Bridge – a new road system that connects Merthyr Learning Quarterat the existing Penry Street Bridge, through Avenue De Clichy, across the new road bridge located south of Swan Street, and via the new road in front of the College. The new bridge is a major landmark for the town.
The town centre is fascinating & has some wonderful architecture. Just remember to look up above the shop fronts to see the architectural detail! Key anchor buildings are still extant & a good deal of regeneration is breathing new life into these buildings and by default, back into the town centre. The RedHouse, an arts and cultural centre – in the former Town Hall – is a singular example of great regeneration practice & takes in the adjoining Penderyn Square – “As part of the Heritage Quarter development, a new civic square outside the renovated Old Town Hall will be a key focal point for the cultural identity of Merthyr Tydfil. The square will be a vibrant environment that will host events across the year celebrating the heritage of the town”.
I have done a lot of walking and am talking to whoever I can to enlighten me on the legacy and heritage of the town, but also about its aspiration and spirit for the future.
I have also been asked to contribute to a feasibility study commissioned by Merthyr Tydfil CBC, to look into replacing the existing footbridge link from the College, to St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre with a new footbridge which also extends to the site of the new Bus Station on Swan Street. The project is being delivered by Mott MacDonald & Knight Architects. This pedestrian connectivity is a critical element in unifying the accessibility of trains, buses and pedestrian routes in the town. It serves also to improve and build upon the visual impact a new footbridge may have as a landmark attraction and destination along the Taff Trail, bringing more tourists and visitors to the town centre.
This site, on the corner of Swan Street and Avenue de Clichy was until recently, the home of the Hollies Health Centre, which has now moved to state of the art new facilities in the Keir Hardie Health Park at Cyfarthfa. The old buildings have now been demolished. The old Police Station – right & centre of picture, is also in process of demolition to make way for the Bus Station. The back of the St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre can be see on the left of this image.
This image looks grim, but to be fair, the weather on the day was dreadful ! If you turned around, the views out to the surrounding hills are great, even on a horrible day. Castle Street now leads onto the new River Taff Central Link Road at one end and the Redhouse at the other – both, great examples of the power of regeneration schemes in the town to make credible changes.
This area was the site of the former Ynysfach Ironworks, owned and run by the Crawshay Family of Cyfarthfa Ironworks. The new road seen running through the site above almost follows the path of the former Glamorganshire Canal,which was fully opennd in 1794 and declined progressively between 1898 & 1951. Much of the Canal route is now buried beneath the A470 Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil Truck Rd.
Where the River Taff meanders to the left in the above image and turns the corner, was the site of the Ynysgau Iron Bridge, one of the first Cast Iron Bridges built anywhere in the world, started in 1799 & completed in 1800. The bridge was designed and built by Watkins George, a brilliant engineer working for Richard Crawshay of CyfarthfaIronworks, known as the Iron King. The bridge was constructed for the workforce to cross the Taff to reach the Ironworks. It was dismantled in 1963 and is now stored by Merthyr Tydfil CBC.
Communications and advances in transport were critical factors behind the expansion of Iron production during the Industrial Revolution. Natural water supplies found in the Taff and its tributaries & streams provided the source of power, but this had to be managed and controlled. Innovation and technological advances were the powerhouses.
Merthyr Tydfil may no longer claim to be the Iron Capitol of the world, but transport and innovation continues to be the catalyst for change in the area.
This distinct zoning of views as one crosses the bridge could also change considerable during the year. It’s a great feature from where to see the town – its downfall being that it isn’t particularly good to look at ! A new footbridge would have the potential to exploit this fact too and make the most of the opportunities presented.