Wood Wharf Ideas

Before we had our Model Making intro on Monday I'd already been out and bought some playdo, I know this isn't high tech but it's quite easy to mould (well it is for ages 3+). I can't wait to do a model in the model shop, all those tools and machines... 

So I developed the ideas that came out of last weeks tutorial and came up with a design plan. The title for my design is 'A Natural Reflection'. The two areas we are designing are very different, one quite stark and modern and the other quite natural; with all the water and glass there is reflection and so I felt the title united the two parts. 

There will be tall highly polished steel sculptures which I originally thought would be tall and slender but Paula raised a good point about their stability and to think about a wider base, so I then thought about the onion shapes in Chaumont although on a much larger scale. Also to give them have a purpose so I thought they could be made into seats. The top of each sculpture will have down facing spotlights to cast shards of light at night.

Original thoughts, to have tall, slender columns

Changed the shape to onion but keeping them tall and having seats in them, you need to imagine these are steel and not bright yellow

In the sunlight they'll cast striking shadows at certain times of day

An idea of the steel sculptures with the seat inset and going all the way round

The lattice onion shapes from one of the Chaumont show gardens - at night this garden looked great, the onions were lit up from the inside and cast beautiful shadows with the light

The design also gives reference to the olympics with the layout in the centre part as 5 piece grid. As one arrives in the space off the footbridge there is an angular covered walkway lined with Betula in wooden planters. This is repeated in front of the multiscreen TV under the circle. Along the bottom north side there are coloured perspex screens etched with previous olympians in action, larger than life. These are repeated at the top west edge with the names of all the countries taking part in 2012. Not finished yet but as the design moves into the natural side so the shapes will become more organic and the design will have a softer feel. Get some feedback in tutorial tomorrow and then try to get the plan finished, next step will be to bring it to life in Sketch up and Photoshop, both new programmes for me, doing ok so far with Photoshop (I think) so looking forward to getting my brain round Sketch Up.