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architecture

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition

March 7, 2019 by Intern

British based Architect of Ghanaian descent, Sir David Adjaye OBE, known for his beautifully and carefully thought out landmark structures within the architectural world, is showcasing his past, present and future work at The Design Museum.

Adjaye’s international recognition comes from his ability to immerse himself and fully understand a culture’s past in order to design and build a structure that not only holds the information and artefacts of that specific time, but holds the memory and tells the story of those that were involved and lost during those times. Throughout the exhibition, every room is dedicated to a specific building that has been designed by Adjaye to hold, preserve and experience the memories of that specific time.

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

When you first enter the exhibition, you are met with an introductory room with images of well-known historical landmarks. Here, Adjaye introduces himself with a written statement giving his opinion on how structures of remembrance should be designed, as well as what the exhibition will entail.

Gwangju River Reading Room

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

The first official room of the exhibition was dedicated to the Gwangju River Reading Room which Adjaye was invited to help design. Collaborating with writer, Taiye Salasi, this structure was intended to be designed and made in remembrance of the hundreds of students and citizens who were killed in the South Korean city of Gwangju’s ten day uprising in May 1980. The exchange of book and ideas in this space was intended to keep the memory of those who passed, alive.

The room was dimly lit with the small scale model of the designed reading room, which sat in the middle. Images of the real reading room were lit up on one side of the room and a book shelf on the opposing side. The sombre feel of the room reflected the events, being immersed into the experience of those who suffered all those years ago.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Moving onto the next room, showcasing a landmark, located in Washington’s National Mall which was solely designed and made to remember as well as celebrate the African American community and their contribution to building America during slavery. Adjaye, knowing and learning about their history, came to know the contribution that African American slaves had in many trades including ironwork. From this information, the exterior panelling of the building honours this trade and the slaves that contribute to it. This is only a small snippet of the how Adjaye and his team designed this building to honour and most importantly remember the lives that were lost during slavery in America.

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Sclera Pavilion

One of Adjaye’s smaller and temporary structures was the Sclera Pavilion which was made to be a safe space for self-reflection and contemplation for the public, designed in the shape of an eye. Within the room that was dedicated to this building, was a life size version of the design in the corner of the room. Different levels of wood, with different widths, descended from the ceiling gave the room a feel as to what it would have been like within the structure, alongside a smaller scale model of the building which sat in the middle of the room. This room, unlike the others, was lit up changing the feel and overall experience of the room.

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre

Out of the 22 countries directly involved in the Second World War, the UK is the last to build a memorial to commemorate the horrific event in our history. However, this is about to change with Adjaye’s proposed plan of a national landmark for the remembrance of the Holocaust which is to be finished in 2020. The memorial will sit next to Parliament,  with the proposed design including a powerful architectural memorial above ground where 23 bronze fins are located which lead to underground exhibitions which reflect the 22 countries before us who have remembered. This building looks to be architecturally striking and I urge you, when it’s built to go and see this long awaiting structure and exhibitions.

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits David Adjaye’s Making Memory Exhibition London Hand Embroidery
There was so much more amazing things to experience and learn about these structures from this, as well as the other rooms that were dedicated to the Adjaye’s planned proposals for structures such as the National Cathedral of Ghana and the Mass Extinction Memorial Observatory. This exhibition left me in awe. The showcase of all the memorials allowed me to enter that time and learn the importance of remembering the past so that we can shape our future the right way by learning from our mistakes. This exhibition should not be missed!

By Kiah Fisher. All photos taken by Kiah Fisher

Exhibition Details:

David Adjaye: Making Memory Exhibition

Dates: 2nd February 2019 – 5th May 2019

Location: The Design Museum

Opening Times: 10:00- 18:00

Last exhibition entry: 17:00

For ticket pricing see the Design Museum for further details

 

Filed Under: Art, Interior Design, London Tagged With: architecture, david adjaye, desifgn, design museum, interior design, making memory, things to do in london

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding

April 20, 2017 by Hasina Akther

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Francis Golding – 1944 – 2013

The Francis Golding Exhibition: ‘a sartorial biography’ at The Museum of London is a small viewing celebrating the fashion and life of Francis Golding. He became a fashion icon and ‘charts the changes in the city’s style over the last 40 years’. He was born 1944 and sadly passed away a few years ago in a tragic bike crash.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Career

Frances Golding moved to London in 1967 when he was 23, the city at this time was a fast growing, vibrant city with great social culture through a boom in music, theatre and fashion. Golding started his London career shaping the city landscape with his architecture soon becoming a successful career. He became one of London’s leading architectural, planning and conservation consultants with projects including the Gherkin, the Walkie-Talkie and One New Change.

Fashion

Golding was passionate about fashion and collecting menswear. The exhibition explores 14 items that belonged to Golding through his London life.

At this time expressing yourself through fashion was key, allowing your identity to be shown through society. The homosexuality act was discriminated among men and the expression through fashion enable people to show what could not be said out loud, through their clothes.

The Museum of London described Golding to “portray a ‘dandy’ look for that day and age in London”- ‘…soon I will look like the bi sexual libertine I am’.

The following Photos are examples Golding’s Fashion and accessories on show at The Museum of London exhibition

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Window display at the Museum of London exhibition of Francis Golding’s clothing and accessories 1960-75.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Close up view: Black leather Briefcase, known to be used at the beginning of Golding’s civil service career.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Close up view: Black leather boots, Foster and Son, London.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Close up view: Printed tie, from Thea Porter  (red) and Liberty of London tie (green patterns).

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Striped jumper from Bloomingdales 1960.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Window display in The Museum of London exhibition. A latter selection of Golding’s Fashion. The difference in materials and colours is quite prominent, perhaps him settling into the London living and influences of the city in the 21st century.

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores The Life of Francis Golding London Hand Embroidery

Close up view: the label on Timothy Everest tie. Beautiful details and quality in the materials.

Architecture

Francis Golding was one of the country’s leading architectural, planning and conservation consultants, and had a big influence on the look of contemporary London. He had many collaborations, for example: Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Terry Farrell, Rick Mather, Rafael Viñoli, Jean Nouvel and Michael Hopkins.

His collaboration with Norman Foster was particularly memorable as it was for the Gherkin, London.

By Phillipa Lloyd

Filed Under: Fashion, London Tagged With: architecture, consultant, dandy, exhibition, fashion, London, menswear, museum of london, style, timothy everst

Hawthorne & Heaney in Conversation with Laura Lees

April 5, 2017 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Hawthorne & Heaney in Conversation with Laura Lees London Hand Embroidery

Fellow embroiderer, artist and designer Laura Lees is usually found creating highly colourful, fine art pieces furniture pieces but she took a little time away from her usual pursuits to speak with us about her work:

 

Hawthorne & Heaney: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today, we’d like to start by asking you the question we get asked quite a lot of how did you get into embroidery originally?
 
Laura Lees: I applied for a city and guilds embroidery course when I was 17 and fell in love with it then. I found my skills at drawing not exceptional but confident. I found a new level of ability with the needle and thread superior than that of drawing with a pencil.
H&H: And what is it that inspires you?
LL: The way you can transform something from the ordinary to the extraordinary. I love the feel of the threads, the sound the scissors make when they’re cutting fabric, the quality of line and the battering noise and speed of my beloved Bernina industrial sewing machine. most importantly, I love the clarity of heart and mind, the skill involved and the the fact that i am always learning.

H&H: What would you like your students to take away from your class?

LL: A real sense of achievement, pride and enjoyment.

H&H: Where can we see more of your works?

LL: I am preparing for an exhibition to take place at the end of the year, inspired by dutch author Joris Luyendijk s book ‘Swimmimg with Sharks’ which demistifys the financial world of the city banks. This resonated deeply with me, having amongst many others lost my fashion label in the 2008 crash.  I explore the ‘smoke and mirrors’ architectural language of finance by descending on what must be the least understood environment in Europe: the City of London. Taking the habitat of the so-called and self-described Masters of the Universe as my inspiration and translating the visceral world that lives and survives by opacity into tangeable abstract textiles.

H&H: Anything coming up in the pipeline you can share with us?

LL: I have recently launched The Mighty Stitch corporate workshops, The Mighty Stitch embroidery workshops teach teams a new skill, engendering engagement and motivation, ultimately creating a bespoke embroidered piece of art for your workplace. • Simple, supportive instruction • No experience needed, anyone can take part
Participants are encouraged to be playful and experimental – the workshops facilitate collaboration, communication, storytelling, mindfulness, and, most importantly, making a mess! Enhanced work environment we all need a bit of that, i think .

H&H: Thanks again, I’m sure we will be seeing much more of you with all that come up!

 

Hawthorne & Heaney in Conversation with Laura Lees London Hand Embroidery

Laura also has a Workshop coming up in April which will give the participants the opportunity to be a part of Laura’s work as the pieces created on the day will be encorporated into a new piece which will be exhibited at the RIBA as part of the London Festival of Architecture. Follow the link to secure your place for this intriguing and unusual opportunity:

Hawthorne & Heaney in Conversation with Laura Lees London Hand Embroidery

‘The Riba workshop is a full day, immersed in urban embroidery.  We will focus on how a city evolves through its inhabitants by learning freehand machine embroidery, hand stitching and applique. The outcome is to create an embroidered image of a building or architectural structure.  

Afterwards, I will explore how a city is fabricated by stitching together the individual and diverse pieces made by workshop participants into a new work to be exhibited a the RIBA as part of @londonfestivalofarchitecture. 

All artwork will be returned to the participants after the exhibition.
This workshop is part of the programme of events inspired by the exhibition ‘Mies van der Rohe and James Stirling: Circling the Square’. 

Urban Tapestry with Laura Lees, 22 & 23 April, 11am to 4pm
RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD
Booking at architecture.com/Workshop ‘

Hawthorne & Heaney in Conversation with Laura Lees London Hand Embroidery

All images credited to Laura Lees

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, London Tagged With: architecture, art, artist, Collaboration, Designer, embroidery, furniture, Hawthorne & Heaney, inspiration, Laura lees, London, London festival of Architecture, machine embroidery, riba, stitch, tapestry, textiles, texture, workshop

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