Coventry Society Newsletter - June 2017

Full details about Civic Day on Saturday, June 17 can be found on the back page.

How fortunate we are to see our city becoming one of the great centres of architectural design through its rapidly developing School of Architecture.

The BSc Architecture course at Coventry University is part of the School of Art and Design, drawing on the expertise of a wide range of creative courses that include Automotive Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design, Fashion and Illustration As the academic year ends work accomplished by students exhibit their work for the wider public to see.

Architecture, Urban Space and Democracy: Places for Civic Engagement provided was the challenge set for this year’s 2nd semester course in architecture. Interestingly students were asked to design a new Council House for Coventry City Council, with at its heart a new council chamber.

The results produced by some 21

students were visionary and some of them were quite amazing.

Course director Katherine McNeil said: “Our graduating students, each year, demonstrate increasing architectural sophistication and strength of contextual responses within the City of Coventry.

This year sees new methods of representation, with an array of development models and a strong interest in material and tectonics, the reality of architecture. The projects are shown through sophisticated drawings,

June 2017

revealing the depth of thinking which students bring.

“From first year, students are encouraged to form their own informed responses to project briefs. The success of this approach is evident in the diversity of beautifully crafted strategies and spaces, from the heart of the project ideas to the wider city connections. The optimism of Coventry’s people and rich architectural heritage are reflected in the students’ proposals. Through these ideas, we see the cultural manifestation of society in architecture. Inspiration for all … we invite you to imagine, share thoughts and together, create the new inter-disciplinary dialogues for the future.”

Individual approaches by students have been wide-ranging and diverse, from roof terraces in the sky, to viewing balconies in the council chamber and forest tree-like columns making up main structures.

One student expressed his thoughts: “Through all conflict and debate people forget that democracy is a coming together of people from all different Origins and Cultures who work as one to achieve and provide solutions allowing civilisation in Peace and Harmony.” ►Course director Katherine McNeil, is a member of the Coventry Society and regularly attends our meetings.

Atherstone Hat Making Tour

with Judy Vero of the Atherstone Civic Society Monday June 12 Meet at 6.30pm at the Rail Station Car Park, Long St. almost opposite Grendon Lodge where we finish the tour

Contacts

Postal address: 77 Craven Street, Coventry CV5 8DT Chairman’s tel: 024 7640 2030 Email: info@coventrysociety.org.uk If Twitter is your thing, you can follow us at https://twitter.com/#!/CovSoc We also have our own page on Facebook.

You can also follow us there at http://www.facebook.com/ CoventrySociety

More news and views on our website: www.coventrysociety.org.uk

Co e tr So iet ele rates the atio al pro otio of i i pride o Saturda , Ju e . This ear e fo us o the th A i ersar of the Ci i A e it A t 9 that esta lished the o ept of o ser atio areas.

Our e e t is ased at the histori Old Gra ar S hool, a d e te ds to Lad Her ert s Garde a d Hales Street, o part of a ide ed Burges Co ser atio Area.

We ill e spotlighti g the rege eratio pla s for the Burges as ell as the da lighti g of the Ri er Sher our e.

This ear our e e t is part of Co e tr s Positi e I ages Festi al as ell as the Year of the Sher our e a d e ill e usi g it to pro ote Co e tr s id to e Cit of Culture.

•Tours of the Old Gra ar S hool •Visit the hidde Ri er Sher our e a d see the pla s to da light part of it.

•A olouri g proje t for hildre / adults •A photograph displa of the histor of The Burges Co ser atio Area •A e hi itio o the rege eratio pla s for the Burges •Walki g tours of the histori Co ser atio Area •Take tea a d akes ith The Little Vi tage Tea Co pa •Co e tr Historia Peter Walters ill e sig i g his latest ook

•Quill aki g orkshop •Joi a tour of the Cit Walls ith the Deep Fat Fr er at . oo harges appl •Childre ’s a ti ities •Meet the Co e tr A assadors Our tha ks to our part ers for their assista e a d o tri utio , i ludi g Culture Co e tr , the Cit Cou il, War i kshire Wildlife Trust, a d to the I stitute of Histori Buildi g Co ser atio .

The pop-up galler a d art spa e i the for er Telegraph s offi e i Corporatio Street as de lared ope last o th the urre t editor Keith Perr ith a group of i ited guests i atte da e. The proje t a e a out after the e o er, Ia Harra i , allo ed the site to e used as a reati e spa e u til ork starts o the o ersio of the uildi g e t ear.

The pop-up gallery has won the financial backing of Historic England/Coventry Heritage Action Zone and has been created entirely by local volunteers, who have partly restored the front entrance, lobby and atrium garden.

To e a le the proje t to e lau hed, Co So e er Ala De er, olu teered to ork o getti g the uildi g read to ope to the pu li . O e of the first tasks as to ri g together photographs that help tell the stor of the CET a d orga ise guided tours of the i o i uildi g, Other highlights include work

by Coventry University architecture students, a Medieval Watchtower project by Luke Bryant, a display looking at the legacy of Coventry’s post-war re-building and a 3D computer montage of the city.

From the start CovSoc had seen this as a golden opportunity to use the Telegraph as a start-up ‘Urban Room’. And our chairman spent many hours bringing together illustrative material that showcases the post-war city centre in the form of four pull-ups put together on our behalf. These now form part of the display in the reception area of the former Telegraph.

Curre tl the pop-up is o l ope o Saturda s he - i ute guided tours of the uildi g take pla e, ut ith ore olu teers it is hoped to e te d the ope i g hours.

We u dersta d that as a Ur a Roo e are pro a l the first i Britai to e de lared ope for usi ess. Others are i the pro ess of ope i g i Hereford a d York.

Pi tured are t o of the pull-up prese tatio s produ ed our hair a . The prese tatio to the left tells the stor of Do ald Gi so s iso . To the right is the stor of our pio eer traffi -free shoppi g pre i t.

The lassi ie of the three spires as take fro a earl oloured post ard.