Re-designing the Thorney Island Archive by BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design, University of the Arts London

Re-designing the Thorney Island Society Archive

First Year BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design

Foreword

Any amenity society with an architectural and educational brief welcomes contact with local design students. The Thorney Island Society is delighted to have collaborated with students on the BA(Hons) Interior and Spatial Design degree over the 2018/19 academic year and put on an exhibition and associated publication. The Society takes its name from the island of brambles formed by the River Tyburn meeting the River Thames and the area now extends along the Thames to Vauxhall

Bridge and includes Tate Britain and Chelsea College of Arts. Our archives in Old Pye Street Westminster are housed in an old corner sweet shop in an area once known as Devils Acre, steeped in history and the lives of colourful characters. The archives are Thorney Island Society’s most precious resource and the collaboration with Chelsea has opened up the space and its unique collection of books, artefacts, manuscripts, paintings, prints and postcards to a new and 03

questioning young audience.

The Society is run by volunteers and does not have enough people power to make the most of what is on offer.The collaboration with Chelsea has directed over 80 students to explore how to exhibit selected artefacts in a new way and how to rethink the design of the space.The results of their project work is a stimulus to the Society and the ways in which we educate and encourage interest in the heritage of the ‘old Westminster village’. We have been challenged to examine

and change how we use our ‘old sweet shop’ and present our archives to our members and a wider public. Sue Ball Chair of Thorney Island Society

Introduction

Over the past few of years, interior and spatial design students at Chelsea College of Arts have taken their neighbourhood as a site of enquiry and activity, collaborating with stakeholders to invigorate a local, creative and resilient ecosystem in the area. Engaging with artefacts from the archive enabled students to explore how a sense of community as something socially produced is presented or embodied through its artefacts. Emphasising the importance of understanding

the past to better connect with the present and the role we can play in producing the future. During the 2018-19 academic year, first-year students responded to two interlinked briefs. Cabinet of Curiosities, asked students to reflect on protocols of display and design a cabinet for selected archive artefacts. Re-designing the Archive, asked students to rethink the design of the Thorney Island Society Archive whilst considering wider questions on the cultural role and spatial form of archives in 07

the 21st Century. This publication celebrates student responses. It is divided into four sections based on emerging themes: Why? Why do we need archives and the Thorney Island Society Archive, in particular? What? What should the Thorney Island Society Archive contain? What narratives should it progress?

Who? Who are the archive audiences and how can we

design to engage them? Who should design the archive and decide its contents? How? How can the space be organised to allow users to better engage with the archive artefacts? Shibboleth Shechter Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design

Content

12 Why

16 What

48 Who

60 How

Why

Alicja Arciszewska When thinking about redesigning the archive, many would want to get rid of stuff or digitise the archive to make more space. I believe every object has a story to tell and the experience of touching an old book is different than seeing it on a screen. Steffan Davies A Christo inspired new urban landscape on the footprint of Thorney Island. Buildings are covered in scaffolding and wrapped in hand woven monoflex, colour coded to indicate income and social class in 1898, yet representing construction and regeneration.The project questions whether a society to protect the heritage of an island that no longer exists should be located in an unsightly extension to the 1960’s Abbey Orchard estate.

What

Ayoung Cho A new rocky landscape snakes in and out of the archive. The landscape is made of materials inspired by objects found whilst mud lurking where Thorney Island meets the shore of theThames.

Emilion Sannie Enter the room and you will first notice a living wall of ivy.Through the holes in the wall you can perceive another space.You follow the path and pass shelves with artefacts, books and paintings distorted by shadows of branches and leafs.You enter a quiet room, lit through a roof light from above. At the centre is a table under a tree, equipped with a small lamp and two chairs. A space for research.

Bongani Dube The archive is transformed into a making space where bricks are manufactured from discarded local documents and newspapers.The paper bricks gradually cover and replace the space of the archive. Yuqi Wang People’s requirements of archives are changing. Archives should be more open and accessible through the use of digital technology. I have introduced in my proposal a range of new technologies, such as, touch screen and audiovisual, creating a more hands-on interactive experience.

Nidda Asim I was interested in visualising the lost Tyburn River that once surrounded Thorney Island. I added a basement level to the archive and designed the ground floor as a floating platform with a wave shelf connecting the two levels.

Rebbeca Adda I was interested in documents that tell tales of past residents. I designed a glass cabinet to make these stories more visible. My proposal aims to make the space a more inviting place to learn about local history. I opened up the floor plan and added roof and window openings to bring in natural light. Caitlyn Isaac A new green wall, and reorientated windows and doors bring local nature and light into the archive. Nerutcha Whitington The design is inspired by the map of Thorney Island.The shelves are like the river branches connected and flowing into the Thames.

Nikshay Auchoybur My principal idea is to recreate a riverside environment to highlight that the Tyburn is now hidden. I took inspiration from the seaside in my hometown in Sicily. The space contains a gravel floor to lie on and stone pillars mimicking boulders to sit on. Square cavities, dug in the wall contain ‘archaeological’ artefacts and books are stored in an earthen library.

Lok Hang Ho Westminster Abbey is the oldest existing structure on Thorney Island. I used the abbey form, atmosphere and materials as a reference for my design.

Arantza Regal Venegas A tree brings nature into the space and links the interior to the exterior, creating a relaxed space in which to undertake research.

Yiling Gao The inspiration comes from my breakfast – egg. Breaking the egg is like rebirth, an extension of life. The precious documents and heritage in the archive are just as fragile as an eggshell. Zichao Zhou ‘Under the Tree’ is inspired by the tale of Moriana, in Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. “When you have forded the river, when you have crossed the mountain pass, you suddenly find before you the city of Moriana, its alabaster gates transparent in the sunlight, its coral columns supporting pediments encrusted with serpentine, its villas all of glass like aquariums where the shadows of dancing girls with silvery scales swim beneath the Medusa shaped chandeliers”.

Calvino, I. (1972) Invisible Cities, Harcourt Publishing: NewYork, p.105

Zitong Zhou 1000 years ago Thorney Island sank to the bottom of the sea due to rising sea levels. After 1000 years, it developed from Westminster Palace to the current Westminster city. My proposal spatialises the changes that the area has undergone.

Hyunwoo An I was interested in visualising the geographical history of the local area. I designed a series of bookshelves and benches inspired by the shape of fish using traditional boat building techniques and materials. Xu Zhang A picture wall that opens to reveal hidden artefacts, stories and histories. Tengyu Zhau Humans have caused many natural environments to disappear. My redesign includes an indoor garden and waterfall, reminding people to protect artefacts but also the natural environment.

Luoyi Xu The concept of my archive is to make people feel part of a river. A basement floor and the ground floor are connected by a natural water–weathered stone stairway, textured to look worn by the water.

Chuqiao Zhang A flying cabinet inspired by the stories of Harry Potter, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Curiosities.

Wenqing Cao The layers of knowledge contained in the archive are reinterpreted in a space designed as a landscape. Each contour contains a specific type of artefact – postcards, books, paintings. Built-in seats and tables provide space for research. The ’contours’ can be wheeled in and out of the space, creating new relationships and layers of meaning.

Marah El Saleh I was inspired by the Lullaby Factory, designed by Studio Weave. I created an installation that adds sounds of water from the local area to the archives – the river, the rain, or even flushing the toilet.

Leeza Potanah My design takes inspiration from the landscape of an Island. The new interior is constructed using locally sourced clay; the contours depict layers of landscape and of history.The artefacts are organised according to age and size, as if they were found in an archaeological dig.

Yuwei Zhang I used irregular continuous polygons to form furniture representing rebirth and continuity. Each polygon has a complete part and a broken part. The broken part signifies that the island has slowly changed. I used metal bars and light to fill the gaps representing the new energy, injecting new vitality into the area.

Nicholas Han Through my local research I discovered the Jewel Tower that received it’s name because it housed the crown jewels for a short time in history. Intrigued by the idea of jewels, I wanted to explore their dazzling beauty and create a design as amazing as these precious stones. I wanted to design something that would draw attention to the archive and bring natural light into the interior.

Who

Pablo Raventos The archive is an in–between space, the mediator in the dialogue between past and present, a bridge between cultures and people.The design proposal aims to create a space that facilitates an inter-cultural stance, by allowing the user to create specific areas and structures where information can be organised and regarded in a more personal way.

Jiyul Kwon I asked people my age what they do in their free time? Many responded that they watched movies. By day, my redesigned archive retains its current use. By night it turns into a cinema showing local historical and contemporary films.

Shenxiao Qi My archive is designed for curious people. Curious people like irregular spaces, curious people like to explore. The concept is based on a Russian doll – layered with hidden spaces and objects. Zhijin Zhang A space inspired by arcades and video games, designed to attract younger audiences to visit and use the archives. Chenjie Zhang A grid structure and bold colours are applied to both the interior and exterior, inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian.The new look and programmes – a bookshop and a small art gallery – are designed to attract younger audiences. Melaine Martinez My research revealed that in many archives’ objects are displayed in glass cases. I took that idea and enlarged it. I created a large glass cabinet that visitors can enter and become part of the display.

Peng Chen I redesigned the archive to be used by children from the three local schools. A tatami surface welcomes groups to sit on the floor. Storage inspired by Chinese medicine cabinets contains cylinders that can be played with to form a variety surfaces.

Jiarui Liu Pipes of different sizes and diameters contain different types of information – films, pictures and more.The pipes offer a playful way to study the local history and connect between the spaces and people.

Xinyu Ma I used five cabinets to create the archive, with one main entrance and one exit.To raise users’ curiosity, I used mirrors to create reflections between the cabinets and the walls of the room. Ya Mo An archive is not only a space to record the past, but a place to create the future.Young people are the future of the country and the future of the world. My archive is designed for young people – it is green to suggest growth, dark, polished and ‘cool.’ Yizhou Li To attract younger audiences, the focus of my redesign are two interactive digital walls. One in the interior, where visitors can learn about local history. The other on the exterior wall of the archive, the first impression for most people, where the activities of the society can be showcased and advertised.

Shape

How

Kyurim Kim Referring toThe Thorney Island Society’s aim of informing people of local history, the archive should be opened up, welcoming visitors to enter. During the day, the façade opens and people can enter freely. At night the space becomes a private space for the society.

Chun-ting Chiang I termed my proposal ‘Photosynthesis’ as I replaced the facades with glass to enlarge the space and bring in light. Beverly Forest Green glass, water and light. Bowen Pan Archives are used to store data – knowledge and wisdom. The façade resembles a drawing of a brain, letting light in and attracting new audiences.

Kamile Revate I was inspired by the concept of connectivity and how everything is related. I took inspiration from natural forms to create maximum storage space. I extended the archive to the street narrowing the pedestrian walkway. People are forced to walk near the façade of the building. To make use of this interaction I installed a window into the side of the building to allow people passing to take notice of the archive and what the space has to offer. Stefan Vilcu Minimal changes to the furniture and layout, create a more ordered, attractive and contemporary looking space. Vilma Caldas Missi I decided to add space by creating a sunken floor where people can sit, read and study the artefacts. The rest of the space is designed to be immersive – a space where people can listen to audios and watch films narrating local stories.

Ghazal Kalai The archive is contained in one multipurpose cabinet on wheels, that can be moved and reconfigured to allow a variety of spatial formations for different audiences and uses.

Sara Hamza The main concept of my design was to create multi–purpose display units to maximise the space within. A shelving system of wood carved fragments to hold valuable documents, a geometric bookshelf and transparent glass cabinets to hold artefacts.

Crystal Cagnaslova My proposal creates new links between existing interior spaces and between interior and exterior. Openings bring light into the space and new wooden shelves create space for storage and learning. Changming Ling I decided to change some parts to bring the archives to life. A glass brick façade draws in natural light to create a brighter space. Inside, I divided the space into two levels, a storage level visible to the public and ‘secret’ study area. Isabella Fontana The space of the archive is going to be designed such that people can enjoy their time reading and sipping a warm cup of tea in a traditional yet modernised space, very similar to an English Cottage.

Hajer Elsheikh First impressions matter, you want to be able to feel comfortable in a space. The entrance area will be redesigned with slate and porcelain floor, a few chosen artefacts and large glass windows to attract the public. A new basement will contain the bulk of the archive artefacts and a self–service borrowing system to take objects home for further study. Paulina Karbowniczek To address the limited space of the archive, I designed a storage system in the floor. Hydraulic lifts allow objects to be lifted and viewed, glass floor panels reveal selected objects. Lina Kassab Researching the Bauhaus archive, I liked the concept of having all white interiors to create the illusion of a bigger space. To design an ‘empty room,‘ I decided to create in-built wall storage.

Chessie Fry The archive consists mostly of books. I designed a bookshelf, sitting and reading area as the key feature of the archive.

Philippa Roe The main feature of my proposal is a large cabinet extending down two floors with integrated steps making it a staircase. The viewer is immersed in the archive and can explore things easily as they travel around.

Zhongyan Ye The redesigned archive is comprised of a series of modular elements that can be configured in a variety of ways, providing multiple options for organising and using the space. Tania Raizada I wanted to create a bespoke design that fits into the archive and offered generous amount of space. I found that they had a shortage of space for documents, therefore I used the height of the archive in accommodating more space.

Sharon Sanchez I created a cabinet room. A room within a room. I designed the cabinet to be flexible, adaptable and easy to transport. It is lightweight, contains parts which are removable, appropriate for all weathers and can be taken down and then rebuilt when wanted.

Sebastien Chase My approach entailed a focus on how to incorporate more light into the space. Considering that too much direct light is a potential hazard to artefacts, my proposal alluded to solve this issue by incorporating a façade that would incrementally break the light entering the space while also allowing in a controlled dose. Dominic Campbell– Crossfield A glass and metal cabinet to house the archive artefacts creates a central island. Documents are stored in metal drawers, objects are displayed in the transparent case. A ribbon window brings a continuous stream of light to the research desks located along the perimeter. Ananya Agarwalla My concept of redesigning the archive was to make it clutter free. I designed geometric wall tiles that extend out from the walls, creating triangular shelves and seating areas.

Mengyi Li I was inspired by the waterfall in Heatherwick’s Longchamp store design. Similarly, strips come down from the ceiling and transform into storage areas, tables and chairs. Xiaonan Li The main spatial element is an island cabinet, where chosen artefacts currently hidden in drawers and boxes are organised and displayed. Mariam Fakhouri Based on extensive archive research, I redesigned the archive to include a basement storage area and a ground floor study area that also includes digital content.

Diana Bazhaeva I wanted to create an impression that it’s not really an archive but more like a library. A place where you can find something unique and interesting, meet new people and enjoy your time.

Keqin Zhang The archive contains permanent files and temporary files. I wanted to separate the two over two levels.The room where the permanent files are kept is like a brain, connecting many nerves to various places. I designed five staircases leading to this room.To save space, the stairs are also used as cabinets. Qinyu Tian The traditional way to expand spaces is to add more floors or take up more space. But don’t we have a better solution? Why can people move around buildings but buildings cannot move around people? I designed a moving space. It is made of seven moving machines. Every machine has its own function. Users can recombine the space as needed.

Else Elizalde I came across a quote which impacted the direction of my project. The quote describes archives as being a space waiting to be rescued and reanimated by users. This sparked my interest in creating mobile furniture that would enable both the volunteers and visitors to have more interaction with the space.

Erona Aliu I think that the archive should be used and perceived as an exhibition. My design is inspired by a study visit to the Roca Gallery designed by Zaha Hadid. Similarly, I designed an exhibition space formed of curves, creating a contrast between interior and exterior.

Chinelo Chizea I renamed the archive ‘A Delightful Place’ referencing the rich history of the local area. I redesigned the archive as a white gallery space, with inbuilt shelves allowing only a few objects at a time to be displayed and celebrated.

Yitong Miao I designed a wall cabinet with various functions, including storage of documents, exhibiting photographs, models, original drawings and postcards. Visitors can enjoy all the details of the archive visually when they travel up and down the stairway. Zirui Guo I found the archives very crowded. In order to maximise the use of space, I added a level and used the area under the stairs for storage. I used materials that convey space and nature – wood for cabinets, marble for the staircase and a grey ‘pool’ carpet for the floor. Will Pursglove – Dixon The introduction of angled walls, both vertical and horizontal in brick and new materials create an unnatural juxtaposition of traditional and modern, interior and exterior.

Shunyu Rao The design is inspired by a hypsographic map. It has many areas on two levels, all accessible from the entrance.The layers are separated with acrylic panels allowing different perspectives of seeing the displayed artefacts. Yanxi Pan My idea was inspired by foldable furniture, and through experiments, I chose a rotating staircase structure. I found that designers use stairs to change the movement of people in the interior, creating a sense of larger space. Yeji Son After visiting the archive, I felt the most important thing was to redesign the storage in the small space in a smart way. I decided to use moving cabinets. I wanted to make the archive more comfortable, but also fun and playful.

Credits

In collaboration with The Thorney Island Society, London, United Kingdom. Editor Shibboleth Shechter Work First Year, BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design, 2018-19 Design Aastha Mehta Cover Chuqiao Zhang Special thanks to: BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design Course Leader , Colin Priest. First Year teaching team: Joy Flanagan, Nicholas Green, Harriet Lee and Cyril Shing. ArtsTemps 20:20 Design for funding.