GRAIN TOWER
A CATALOGUE OF METAMORPHOSIS
GRAIN FORT TOWER BATTERY
Location: Isle of Grain, Kent, UK Built: 1855 Purpose: Millitary tower - Protect River Medway and East coast Current state: Privately owned - Derelict since 1956 1.
Metamorphosis: A marked change in appearance, Character, condition or function, derives from Greek: Transform/change shape. This catalogue represents Grain Tower and the journey it has undergone during the years of its existence, on a structural and functional basis. After studying the building for several months and completing a site visit, on 01/11/14, A collection of artefacts and photographs were taken from the site. The findings from the visit, alongside research, has concluded with a story of Metamorphosis, to represent the extensive change this building has endured over the past 160years. The catalogue begins with the man-made transformations, onto Environmental transformations. It then goes on to display the outcomes of taking particular representative artefacts from the site, and iterating them using a metamorphic process, Just as the building itself has sustained. With the intention to maintain the essence of the site throughout the creative exercise.
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1855 Grain Tower is created as a show of strength following the defeat of Napoleon. Built at the mouth of the River Medway and close by to the River Thames. Its structure is based on that of a Martello tower, however this structure is boldly clad in granite as opposed to red brick. With no active war the building sit’s dormant for decades.
1910 With world War One looming the tower became significant towards protecting the East coast of the UK. Due to military and technological advancements the design of the tower was no longer sufficient and had to be extensively remodelled to house men and new artillery. This was the beginning of the buildings Metamorphic journey. The Great War continued until 1918 and then the building lay empty again for years. 3.
1939 Another decade passed and another war threatened and the Grain Tower would become of importance once again. This war, like the last, would see another step in the metamorphose of this building. Again the structure lacked, it would now house more men and the addition of a contrasting red brick and concrete, rectangular barrack block would be attached. Additionally an observatory tower onto the South East of the site was competed in this time. The building saw through another war and consequentially a new aesthetic, however with the threat of war gone, so was the function and life from Grain Tower. It would now sit dormant until present day. The next step of its Metamorphosis would be in the hands of nature.
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With Grain Tower abandoned and functionally void nature and its surrounding environment would take hold of the building and the next chapter of its Metamorphosis. Prevailing winds, harsh sea and sunlight would rust, crumble and fade the existing structure. Sat alone on the mud flats of Grain, it would see very little interaction and life besides the occasional trespasser or wildlife. 6.
Artifacts from the site visit - A jar of sea water. After a week of settling, beautiful sea life was found in the sample. Unexpected life. 7.
Barnacle clad wood from the external tower, various rusted metals and worn nautical rope from the entrance. 8.
Samples of wall renders, plasters and concrete from inside Grain Tower. 9.
A structural piece of metal found at the sea bed on the exterior of the tower, covered in years of growth. 10.
The structural metal is steel, it was cut in half to create a section. This gives a clear indication of the morphosis that this artefact has undergone. A juxtaposition of man made and nature. A clear representation of the change Grain Tower has withstood. 11.
Taken from the sea bed, the beach is made up of shells. 12.
The form and tones in the shells are an interesting part of the site. Provoking gentleness and calm in their appearance. Moving forward with the Metamorphic process the shells were challenged aesthetically, taking the DNA and iterating the appearance of them.
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This process was to take the outline of the shell and morph it together with its abstract self to recreate the appearance of the shell, however keeping the same shapes and tones.
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In this process the outline of the shell was Pixilated and combined with an abstract version of itself to further challenge the appearance of the shell, however maintaining the original DNA.
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To further explore the metamorphic possibilities of the artefact, the outline from the shell was morphed in Photoshop using polar Co-ordinates, rectangular to polar.
The next step was creating a formation from the adapted shell form.
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Iterating the process, this time using polar co-ordinates, polar to rectangular.
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Futher abstract iteration of the shell in various forms.
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The next step of the Metamorphosis of the abstract shell was to continue to experiment with its form. The outcome resulted in shapes that resembled liquid, almost wave like.
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The next point of interest fell upon the Oyster shell taken from the base of the tower. Oyster shells were found scattered over the sea bed and at extremes welded to the structure itself. A sign of the environment forcing itself upon this building over the years. The intrigue of this artefact lays in the formation of it, the number of patterns and tones is fascinating, what are the possibilities of taking the structure, and like Grain Tower, applying a number of changes to it. Then pushing the Metamorphosis process to transfigure the oyster, not only to represent the journey of Grain Tower at present, but also the possibilities of it’s future.
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Challenging the appearance of the oyster shell using Photoshop filters 25.
Study of the oyster shell was continued by mapping contours and studying Re-occurring patterns. Then tracing the shell and transferring onto computer.
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PANTONE COLOUR CODES 4625
7519
4705
464
155
729
7751
385
4625
7519
4659
470
155
729
7555
7747
7553
7596
697
7571
467
728
7751
619
7553
7596
7623
7525
464
7403
465
7751
The next step of the Metamorphosis was to take the colour codes and the outline from the artefact, then to combine them into Rhino 3D modelling program. 27.
A grid was created with editable points, these points were then manipulated using the Pantone colour data. This began an iterative design exercise for morphing the oyster shell on a 3D basis.
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Conclusion: Created from the DNA of the Oyster Shell. A story of Metamorphosis. Inspired by the essence of Grain Tower and the journey it has embarked on over 160 years. Like Grain Tower, the shell has been forced upon a vigorous path of structural and functional change. The transformation of the Oyster shell represents the buildings past but also suggests that its story is not yet finished. If you were to look at this 3D model for the first time would you know it had derived from an Oyster Shell? The past is within its DNA and the future lies within the potential of what it could be. Grain Tower is no longer a military post, nor a functional building, however each layer is part of this buildings narrative. The metamorphosis, a continual process in it’s development.
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