programme
JAN — MAR 2011
exhibitions | 1
welcome These are exciting times for PLACE. Our Creativity and Innovation Conference Series is culminating with two early spring events. We welcome Owen Luder, past president of the RIBA, to the Ulster Museum on the 20th Jan for a film screening and discussion. And we partner with the Landscape Institute of Northern Ireland to bring you some special events through the spring.
We are also pleased to announce that PLACE has been appointed as the Northern Ireland Regional Coordinator for a UK-wide project for 16-25 year olds called somewhereto. Meanwhile the Wordscape project, in which PLACE explores the connections between architecture and the written word with the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry, continues to gather momentum. michael hegarty Director PLACE, 40 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EE | www.placeni.org
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2 | exhibitions
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aai awards 2010 New Irish Architecture Continues until 29th January at PLACE A staple of our annual exhibitions calendar, the AAI Awards allow you to look in detail at the architecture judged the best of the year by the Architectural Association of Ireland. Projects include An Gaelåras by O’Donnell and Tuomey (nominated for the World Building of the Year, to be announced at the World Architecture Festival in November), social housing in Dublin, parks, school buildings and offices, from Kilkenny to the Shankill Road in Belfast.
exhibitions | 3
behind closed doors 17 February - 30 April | PLACE In early 2010, 20 young people came together to explore 5 religious buildings in Belfast. They learned about the architecture of the buildings and how it related to the religions practised inside them. This exhibition charts their journey and the discoveries they made. For special events around this project, check out the website at www.placeni.org behind closed doors is a university of ulster project with support from the arts and humanities research council.
4 | exhibitions
weePLACE January: Unpacking Design For Dementia by Pamela Topping The aim of this design concept is to build a happy place, a holistic societal place for people with an early diagnosis of dementia. A health care system that offers a solution through design and that turns a traumatic experience into a soothing experience creates a positive user experience. February: Concrete, Cloakroom, Ceiling Artist Geraldine Cooper and pupils of Edmund Rice Primary School, Belfast have been exploring their school building by looking at the words that describe the materials, rooms and architectural elements that make up their school. This exhibition is the result of their workshops together.
exhibitions | 5
carryduff code 5 competition Tuesday 1st - Saturday 12th February | PLACE Autumn 2010 saw the culmination of an International Competition to design an exemplary sustainable housing project, run by RSUA with Oaklee Homes Group. The winning firm was selected by an expert panel including Patrick Bellew and Dickon Robinson. This exhibition - with an accompanying lecture to be confirmed provides a unique opportunity to learn about innovative the responses to the challenges involved.
riba bookshop The RIBA Bookshop at PLACE has a select collection of titles designed to entertain, engage and inspire not just architects but also the general public of Northern Ireland, by stocking a diverse range of items relating to Irish, UK and international practice and theory. From monographs on individual architects to wider studies of townscape, design histories to participatory practices, urban policy to visions of the future, our selection aims to demonstrate how design affects us all, every day.
6 | exhibitions
place conference series: creativity and innovation in construction Our series culminates with two conferences in February and March Construction Material Innovation Wed 9th February, 9am - 4pm | Venue to be confirmed Discover the material solutions which might lessen our environmental impact and foster economic development in Northern Ireland. With input from manufacturers and architects at the cutting edge of new material manufacture and use, this conference is a must for practitioners, builders, and students. Creative Industry Innovation Wed 2nd March, 9am - 4pm | Venue to be confirmed Our final conference in the series looks at the broader picture of the creative industries in Northern Ireland, and their impact on the wider stage. We explore the imaginative work and businesses active in NI, the crossovers between the different creative industries, the knock-on effects for other industries, and what can be done to foster a culture of creative work in Northern Ireland. pricing per conference: ÂŁ25.00 (ÂŁ15.00 student rate). visit placeni.org or phone us on 028 9023 2524 for full programmes and to book your place.
conferences | 7
wordscape Wordscape is a joint initiative between PLACE and the Verbal Arts Centre. The buildings,landscapes, townscapes and byways of Ulster have helped define and inform literature, poetry and spoken language. This collaboration will examine the context for the creation of written work and the design of towns, landscape and architecture. The project will develop towards the compilation of a high quality exhibition and publication on the language and architecture of Ulster. Coming soon: An interactive Wordscape website, exploring the relationship between Ulster’s language and literature in the context of its landscape and built environment. It will feature relevant excerpts from many of Ulster’s established and emerging writers. It will also include multimedia content such as images and sound files, as well as topical articles by experts and enthusiasts.
8 | new projects
somewhereto PLACE was recently chosen as the Northern Ireland Regional Coordinator for ‘somewhereto’ - a campaign to help 16-25 year olds across the UK find the spaces they need to do the things they love. We are currently building a bank of possible spaces that have the potential to be used by young people for one-off and longer term projects, and we need your help. If you have a space that you’d like to add, please get in touch. email place@somewhereto.com or phone us on 028 9023 2524.
new projects | 9
tours Belfast Art Deco This one-hour walking tour explores the icons and hidden gems in Belfast City Centre from this elegant and stylish period of architecture. The Work of Sir Charles Lanyon Lanyon is described by Charles Brett as “certainly the greatest single name in the development of Belfast.” Over his prolific career he designed numerous churches, a dozen country houses, many miles of roads and railways and some of Belfast’s best loved buildings. Churches of Belfast This 1.5 hour Saturday morning walking tour uncovers the history & architecture of the numerous churches in Belfast City Centre, from the grandeur St. Anne’s Cathedral to the more modest examples, hidden away in the city’s backstreets.
10 | tours
Donegall Square Donegall Square is a bustling and vibrant part of Belfast, and the first experience of the city for many, due to the transport links surrounding all sides of the square. This tour will discuss the rich architectural and cultural heritage attached to these buildings that provide a beautiful backdrop for our daily lives. Victorian Banks of Belfast Belfast was founded as a city of trade and industry and in the 19th century this was reflected in the excellent, and often opulent, buildings that housed the wealthy banks. This tour explores several exceptional surviving examples, some still used for banking as well as those which have found a new lease of life. for the latest tour programme, visit our website at www.placeni.org or phone us on 028 9023 2524. we can also facilitate private tours.
tours | 11
green infrastructure with the Landscape Institiute NI The Landscape Institute Northern Ireland is coordinating a series of events in Spring 2011, culminating the successful 2010 SCALE lectures. An exhibition of landscape architectural practice will take place in the foyer of the University of Ulster in February and March. Events include: 26th February, 9.30 (students), 11am (general public) | PLACE Landscape architect guided site visits of the Belfast Streets Ahead project. 10th March, 6.30pm | University of Ulster, Belfast Campus Charles Jencks’ presentation of ‘Landscape direction and cosmic speculation’. 24th March, 2-6pm | University of Ulster, Belfast Campus Seminar and workshop on Green Infrastructure in Belfast. 30th March, 12-2pm | PLACE Lunchtime panel discussion on Green Infrastructure. for uu events, book with donal mccambridge, lini, at mail.northernireland@landscapeinstitute.org or phone 028 9080 6055.for place events, book online at placeni.org or phone 028 9023 2524.
12 | green infrastructure
get luder: film screening & discussion with owen luder Thursday 20 January, 5.30pm | Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre Get Luder follows Owen Luder as his most famous building, the Get Carter car park in Gateshead, is scheduled for demolition. This is nothing new for the once acclaimed 81- year-old Brutalist pioneer. His concrete giant, the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth, is already down, and his other iconic Gateshead structure, the Dunston Rocket, faces a similar fate. Get Luder charts his last-ditch bid to force a reappraisal and reinvention of the car park made famous by the Michael Caine gangster film as demolition day looms, and views a man struggling to retain his pride and dignity as he watches his work destroyed in his own lifetime. This one-off event brings the architect and film-makers to Belfast to discuss the issues of demolition, redevelopment and membership of the “Rubble Club”. £9/£7 admission book online at www.placeni.org or phone 028 9023 2524.
film | 13
at a glance 1 - 29 jan
Exhibition: aai awards
3
20 jan
get luder: screening and discussion
13
jan
Exhibition: unpacking design for dementia
5
1 - 12 feb
Exhibition: carryduff code 5 competition
6
9 feb
construction material innovation
7
26 feb
belfast streets ahead tour
12
feb
Exhibition: concrete, cloakroom, ceiling
5
feb - apr
Exhibition: behind closed doors
4
2 mar
creative industry innovation
7
10 mar
charles jencks presentation
12
24 mar
green infrastructure seminar
12
30 mar
green infrastructure discussion
12
info@placeni.org 14 | exhibitions
@placeni
search ‘place northern ireland’
notes
place: the architecture and built environment centre for northern ireland 40 fountain street, belfast bt1 5ee 028 9023 2524 | info@placeni.org