Tag Archives: Seating

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm

Central Chelmsford

March 20, 2015 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

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.

Sean Ogley, Senior Technical Manager for Denne Construction who has advised and managed my input throughout the scheme – in tandem with Frances Lord, Public Art Consultant – took me around the site to review recent developments and to see the manifestation sample in situ.

These are few images from the visit –

Central Chelmsford, Genesis Housing Association. Landscape and embedded public art interpretation during installation on site. Image:Christopher Tipping

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 whole scheme has been designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects with Area Landscape Architects. The project is being delivered by Denne Construction.

Genesis Housing Association. Detail: sandblasted granite paving, part of the embedded public art interpretation, taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

The green granite with sandblasted text is supplied by Hardscape.

Genesis Housing Association. A view of the interior courtyard known as The Place, with embedded public art interpretation, taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: cnc routed text in slatted timber seating, part of the embedded public art interpretation, taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

All the timber slatted seating with cnc routed text is manufactured in collaboration with Citysquared Street Furniture.

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: slatted timber seating, part of the embedded public art interpretation carries cnc routed text - image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping — Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: slatted timber seating, part of the embedded public art interpretation carries cnc routed text – image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: large platform slatted timber seating, part of the embedded public art interpretation carries cnc routed text - image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping — Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: large platform slatted timber seating, part of the embedded public art interpretation carries cnc routed text – image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: Yorkstone steps with inset granite text to the risers, part of the embedded public art interpretation - image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping — Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Detail: Yorkstone steps with inset granite text to the risers, part of the embedded public art interpretation – image taken during installation on site. Image: Christopher Tipping

The York Stone steps with inset granite text are manufactured by the Ashfield Group.

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Glazing manifestation test sample to M1 / M2 Block entrance lobby. Image: Christopher Tipping

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 !

The manifestation is being manufactured and installed by Vinyl Graphics Ltd.

Central Chelmsford for Genesis Housing Association. Glazing manifestations are being applied to the glazed screen for M1 / M2 Block entrance lobby. Image: Christopher Tipping

Blog, Public Art, Public Realm, Station Quarter North, Southampton, Transport

Station Quarter North, Southampton

March 20, 2015 Christopher Tipping 1 Comment

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.

Southampton Station Quarter North - 'Type C' bench units being installed on site by Balfour Beatty Services. Image: Wilson Massie BBLP — Southampton Station Quarter North – ‘Type C’ bench units being installed on site by Balfour Beatty Services. Image: Wilson Massie BBLP

Blog, Public Art, Public Realm, Station Quarter North, Southampton, Transport

Station Quarter North, Southampton

March 18, 2015 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

Yesterday, Tuesday 17th March saw the first of the Type C cast benches arrive on site to be crane-lifted into place at Station Quarter North.

Balfour Beatty Living Places – Services Division are doing a great job in regard to the installation and delivery of the whole project on site.

‘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.

Wyndham Place as seen from Wyndham Court showing Southampton Central Station Quarter Regeneration project. Image: Wilson Massie, Balfour Beatty Living Places.

Wyndham Place, Southampton seen from Commercial Road looking west showing Southampton Central Station Quarter Regeneration project. Bespoke Cast Concrete benches during installation. Image: Matt Dyer, Senior Project Engineer, Balfour Beatty Living Places - Services Division. — Wyndham Place, Southampton seen from Commercial Road looking west showing Southampton Central Station Quarter Regeneration project. Bespoke Cast Concrete benches during installation. Image: Matt Dyer, Senior Project Engineer, Balfour Beatty Living Places – Services Division.

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.

Blog, Margate Steps, Public Art, Public Realm

The Margate Flood and Coast Protection Scheme, aka the ‘Margate Steps’

January 20, 2015 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

I recently saw some new aerial images of Margate Steps at low tide taken by the project contractors Breheny –

Breheny have very kindly allowed me to publish them on my blog. Notwithstanding its success as an example of coastal engineering within an urban setting, these images of the project really show to good effect the scale and impact of the project. As a public realm & additional amenity space which the step revetment provided for the town, the project was also successful as demonstrated by the awards it has won.

The project was awarded the ‘Community Award’ at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South East England Engineering Excellence Awards 2013. This award is for schemes, which deliver their engineering objectives whilst achieving secondary benefits for the surrounding community.

Town Pride Award 2014 as administered by the Margate Civic Society,

I was commissioned as the project Artist by MACH – Margate Art & Cultural Heritage, Thanet District Council & the Environment Agency. My role was to supply an interpretive & contextual backdrop developed with which to influence the design process & inform the structure, detailing & interpretation of this major sea defence works. The total budget for the project was £6m.

Client Team: TDC & Margate Renewal Partnership. MACH – Margate Art & Cultural Heritage, Engineers: East Kent Engineering Partnership.

Contractor: J Breheny Contractors Ltd. Specialist Concrete Pre Cast: CCP Cornish Concrete Products. Flood Risk Management Consultant: Herrington Consulting Ltd

The Margate Flood and Coast Protection Scheme. Aka the ‘Margate Steps’. Image: J Breheny Contractors Ltd

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm

Central Chelmsford – Large Platform Seat

November 25, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

25th November 2014

More images in today from Hardscape detailing the manufacture of the large platform seat for Central Chelmsford.

Vinyl plotted with the design is applied to the granite slab before sandblasting.

AS the process continues, the vinyl is stripped away to reveal areas to be sandblasted.

The process is a skilled & precise one for Vlad to undertake. The slabs cannot be moved easily, so he has to move around the work.

The sandblast is no more than 2mm deep across the slab. The fine honed finish on the surface will be retained under the vinyl which still covers the letters.

Sandblasted granite seat by Christopher Tipping & Hardscape for Central Chelmsford. Image: Hardscape — The fine work is excellent. All the vinyl stencil which has been plotted and cut has to be weeded out by hand for sandblasting.

The four granite slabs which make up the large platform seat awaiting more sandblasting outside.

Granite slabs completed. When wet the granite will become almost uniformly dark. As the surface dries, the images and text will begin to reveal themselves. The areas with no sandblasting or shallow detail will dry out first.

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm

Central Chelmsford

November 21, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

Friday 21st November

Hardscape have just completed sandblasting the large granite platform seat for my project at Burgess Springs, Central Chelmsford. They sent over a couple of images yesterday. Looking pretty good from here – really want to see more images !

Hard to convey to convey the size of this piece of work – each slab is approx. 1200mm x 1200mm.

I think they have done a great job – cant wait to see it installed on site.

Image: Hardscape - Large Granite Platform Seat in 4 sections, each 1200mm x 1200mm — Image: Hardscape – Large Granite Platform Seat in 4 sections, each 1200mm x 1200mm

Image: Hardscape - Large Platform Seat in 4 sections, each 1200mm x 1200mm — Image: Hardscape – Large Platform Seat in 4 sections, each 1200mm x 1200mm

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm, Uncategorized

Central Chelmsford – York Stone steps in progress

October 17, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

Works are well underway by the Ashfield Group to manufacture and supply the artwork step details to the project. The double height steps in York Stone are being inset with a darker granite text detail set into the face of the riser, which is part of the art interpretation on site. These double height steps will also have a slatted timber top, which creates ad hoc seating within the main sequence of steps at the southern end of the site. The timber will also carry cnc routed text.

Individual water jet cut granite letters are inset into York Stone, which has had the word already cut by water jet as a negative space. Image by Ashfield Group

The letters are cut from granite tiles. Image by Ashfield Group

Waterjet Cutting the stone (4) — Image by Ashfield Group

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm

Central Chelmsford – artworks in progress

October 17, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

The timber seating units for The Gate – a set of 6 radius benches with cnc routed text – are currently being installed at the Central Chelmsford site. The benches are being manufactured by City Squared in Leeds & installed by Ground Control. The designs were developed in collaboration with City Squared. The cnc routed text refers to the history, location and memory of the space & is defined by the adjacency of the Anne Knight Building, which has been refurbished & is considered the anchor building of the development site.

Plan drawing showing the arrangement of radius timber benches within the area known as The Gate.

One of the benches in the factory during manufacture by City Squared. Image by City Squared.

Detail: Timber sections set out in the factory. Note the cnc routed text. Image by City Squared.

For engineering & structural reasons, the long arcs of the benches had to be constructed in two sections. Image by City Squared

Each of the benches has a timber upstand end against which one can rest or lean. The timber detail is reinforced with a stainless steel internal frame and horizontal steel pins. Image by City Squared

2014-10-10 15.49.11 — The detailing is very well engineered and finished. Image by City Squared

The timber benches sit atop a brick built plinth, which mirrors the semi circular setting out of the site. The benches here have not be fully installed and fastened. Image by Ground Control

Detail of cnc routed text. The benches are constructed in two sections. The sections have yet to be aligned during installation. Image by Ground Control

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Art, Public Realm, Uncategorized

Central Chelmsford

September 17, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

Central Chelmsford Site Visit – Monday 2nd September 2014

Anne Knight of Chelmsford – Detail: ‘Anne’, sandblasted text motif in Royal Green granite by Hardscape

Client: Genesis Housing Association – Main Contractor: Denne – Project Managers: Bidwells – Architects: PTE architects – Landscape Architects: Area Landscape Architects – Arts Consultant: Frances Lord

507 new homes as well as retail and offices will make up the new development. The project is delivering a blueprint for a new community in Chelmsford.

The site has a number of key buildings once part of Anglia Ruskin University, which are being partly or wholly retained and refurbished. These are the Frederick Chancellor Building of 1905 and the Law Building of 1931.

2014-09-08 10.51.33 — Anne Knight was a Quaker and a stalwart Anti Abolitionist, one of very few women to attend the World Anti Slavery Convention meeting held in London in 1840. She would have attended this Quaker Meeting House, now named after her. This is the key anchor building on site.

The refurbished Anne Knight Building with new public realm

The view of The Gate with its blue black brick curved elevation. This area is intended as a public open space, extending the forecourt and public realm of Chelmsford Station. The ground floor elevations are glazed and the interiors will be used as retail and food outlets.

Looking South, through the aperture into The Place. The elevation of The Gate is dynamic & brooding. The crisp detailing is pared down. A facade of cantilevered black balconies appear to jut out from deep into the interior of the building from recessed windows.

Looking south towards Central Park through The Place. The main pedestrian route will be on the left of this image, with the remaining site will be landscaped as a formal courtyard garden for residents and visitors alike

The view north, towards the Station from within The Place

These are both samples of text to be used in the interpretive artwork which is embedded throughout the site. The sample on the left is York Stone with inset water jet cut grey granite, by Ashfield Ltd. Inset text such as this is used for step risers at the south of the site. The sandblasted sample on the right is part of a Royal Green granite paving supplied by Hardscape , called The Stream which runs continuously through the site north to south. Both interventions are based on contextual and site specific research I undertook.

Blog, Central Chelmsford, Public Realm

Central Chelmsford

May 6, 2014 Christopher Tipping Leave a comment

This is the development as seen from the southern edge of the site, looking north. — This is the Central Chelmsford development as seen from the southern edge of the site, looking north.

Draft designs for granite inset text to York stone steps & cnc routed text to timber seating of 'The Steps' at the southern end of the site. — Draft designs for granite inset text to York stone steps & cnc routed text to timber seating of ‘The Steps’ at the southern end of the site.

The Central Chelmsford development has been in progress on site since 2012. I was commissioned to join the team as project artist in January of this year.

The integrated project team is made up of :

Client: Genesis Housing Association. Main Contractor: Denne. Project Managers: Bidwells. Architects: PTEarchitects. Landscape Architects: Area Landscape Architects. Arts Consultant: Frances Lord.

You can hear more on the project via this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orYUpbnacis

The site has a number of key buildings which were once a part of of Anglia Ruskin University. 507 new homes as well as retail and offices will make up the new development. The project is delivering a new community in Chelmsford.

One of the most historic & resonant as well as the earliest buildings on the site is the Grade II listed Anne Knight building, a former Friends Meeting House from 1824. Named after one of Chelmsford’s most distinguished women, Anne Knight 1786 – 1862. Anne Knight was a Quaker and a stalwart Anti Abolitionist, attending the World Anti Slavery Convention meeting held in London in 1840. Her views and correspondence on women’s rights led to her publishing what is considered to be the very first leaflet on women’s suffrage in 1847.

I have also responded to the landscape plans and architectural flow & rhythm of the site as well exploring how the various elements & spaces of the site are navigated and used by pedestrians. As the hub of a new community, the communal areas of the development are important places for people to take ownership of.

As well as collaborating with the project team I am also working and collaborating with several manufacturers and specialist contractors such as Hardscape, Ashfield Ltd & City Squared on elements of paving, seating and steps throughout the site, where interventions will be made via cnc routed text into timber and water jet cut and sandblasted granite.

I am working with City Squared in Leeds to develop the bespoke timber seating as well as to perfect the cnc routed text applied to the the timber. I have most recently been in discussions with a typographer to ensure that all the text is delivered with clarity and distinction.

Draft visual for proposal to sandblast detail onto a large granite platform seat. — Draft visual for proposals to sandblast detail onto a large granite platform seat.

An aerail view of the site which sits adjacent to the railway line — An aerial view of the site which sits adjacent to the railway line – outlined here in red.

Black brick curving facade of The Gate which forms the key elevation on site — Vertically set, black brick curving facade of The Gate which forms the key elevation & gateway on site

Draft scope for timber seating and granite detailing within The Place — Detail: Plan drawings & draft scope for timber seating and granite detailing within The Place

There are a number of brick built tree planters within The Place. Several of them have timber seating detailed as part of the artwork scheme. This large timber platform seat with longitudinal timbers will have text added via cnc routing. — There are a number of brick built tree planters within The Place. Several of them have timber seating detailed as part of the artwork scheme. This visual for a large timber platform seat with longitudinal timbers is still in development. It will also have text added via cnc routing. Visual by City Squared.

Draft text to York Stone double step risers with timber seat — Draft: Granite text to York Stone double step risers with timber seat

Draft visual of The Steps, with inset text to York Stone risers and digital manifestation to the glazed curtain wall. — Early draft visual – an elevation drawing of The Steps, with inset granite text to York Stone risers and digital manifestation to the glazed curtain wall.