Cedric Price: RE CLAIMING PUBLIC SPACE think the un thinkable Cedric Price Cedric Price Reclaiming Public Space Reclaiming Public Space Intro Two Weeks 148 Students Cedric Price demanded new ways of looking at the world Schools: This publication is part of the exhibition and challenged the architectural establishment by favouring Cedric Price – Think the Unthinkable. radical cross-disciplinary models of collaboration. He advocated The exhibition ran at The Lighthouse, democratisation, mobility, temporality, criticality, play and Glasgow from March to September 2011. risk-taking as essential qualities and values necessary to Glasgow School of Art/ Fine Art/ Sculpture challenge conventional ‘solutions’. & Environmental Art The exhibition was delivered by Tutor: Justin Carter Architecture + Design Scotland’s (A+DS) 19 Groups ‘Public space’ is a commonly used phrase, but one whose ACCESS to Architecture programme. meaning has shifted, historically speaking, from spaces of open Glasgow School of Art/ Fine Art/ A+DS is Scotland’s champion for social exchange and interaction to more complex and regulated Fine Art Photography excellence in placemaking, architecture spaces of consumption and control. Tutor: Christina McBride and planning. A+DS runs six programmes with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. This cross-school project between the Glasgow School of Art and Mackintosh School of Architecture, the University of Strathclyde and instigated by Architecture + Design Undergraduate Programme The Scottish Government is the principal Scotland, brought together 148 students from architecture, fine art, Tutors: Robert Mantho, Tilo Einert, sponsor of Architecture + Design Scotland’s photography and sculpture. Over two weeks in October 2010 they Reiner Nowak, Adrian Stewart, Nick Walker programme of architecture and outreach collaborated in 19 groups on a project investigating ‘public space’ activities based at The Lighthouse. in the current cultural context. University of Strathclyde/ Department of Architecture Design: Graphical House + NORD 19 Projects Using a map that sliced Glasgow into sections radiating from the Tutors: Ulrike Enslein, Ewan Imrie centre, each group embarked on a journey within their given slice to rediscover ‘public space’ within Glasgow’s inner-city. Crossing the city With thanks to from the periphery to the centre, the groups discovered, defined and David Hasson recorded public spaces along their routes. After the initial fieldwork Ian Appleton the students analysed their observations, recorded their findings, Dele Adeyemo (PidginPerfect) discussed strategies, and designed and created interventions on particular locations. Central to this project was the need to re-examine the fabric and forces that constitute the urban environment, physical and otherwise. The students’ task was to work collaboratively within their groups, and to actively and critically engage with the city and its population using methods of their own invention. Key questions were those of access and ownership and rights and responsibilities. Key aims were opportunities to identify, democratise and activate public space. On the 14th October 2010, all groups presented their findings and interventions in a final presentation in studios at Strathclyde University. Within this publication are a selection of works from these presentations. PG 2 PG 3 Cedric Price Cedric Price Reclaiming Public Space Reclaiming Public Space Glasgow City Centre Index Project Areas: Group 01_ Bus Watching PG 07 Group 02_ Steps and Stage PG 08 Group 03_ Alter the Way People Walk PG 09 Group 04_ P is for Public PG 10 16 01&17 Group 05_ Pedestrian Motorway PG 16 15 02&18 Group 06_ Paddy’s Market PG 19 14 03&19 Group 07_ River as Public Space PG 20 Group 08_ Dust and Demolition PG 21 Group 09_ Under the Bridge PG 25 13 04 Group 10_ Transition and Temporary Space PG 26 Group 11_ Activities on Tradeston Bridge PG 28 12 05 Group 12_ Funny Diverson PG 29 Group 13_ Public Pavements PG 32 Group 14_ Spotlight on Lightwells PG 33 11 06 Group 15_ Late, Night Action PG 34 10 07 Group 16_ Symphony of Glasgow PG 36 09 08 Group 17_ Don’t Look Now PG 38 Group 18_ Public Playtime PG 40 Group 19_ Ideas and Interventions PG 41 PG 4 PG 5 Cedric Price Cedric Price Reclaiming Public Space Reclaiming Public Space Bus Watching Group 1: Siti Muniratussa Adah Ahmad Mustaffa Kelsy Alexander Stanley Allen-Pickard Karina Baillie Victoria Hughes Susanne Kassner Caitlin Thomson Ri Jin Yoo Our group was interested in Cedric Price’s idea of ‘anticipatory architecture’ and his belief that architecture should not be permanent and allow for continual change. We immersed ourselves in our site by exploring several routes along Hope Street and West Nile Street. We noted the sights, smells and noise as well as the organisation of public space, in particular the bus stops. We felt that the streets’ bus stops gave us an opportunity that could be exploited. Price influenced our idea that we could enable our ‘audience’ at the bus BUS stop - to heighten their experience and interact with something. Audiences came and went with each bus departure thus creating and ever-changing venue. WATCHING Through a series of tests we questioned what could enhance a person’s experience at the bus stop. Our tests revealed that bus stops are a well designed public space and we discussed whether it was appropriate to force change on a space that fulfils its function effectively. Therefore, we decided to play with and emphasise the time people spent waiting for a bus. We introduced the term ‘bus-watching’ to encourage both play and reflection while looking for a bus. We also made a cut out of a commuter to stand and hail the bus enabling people to use their time more freely and providing a humorous talking point. PG 6 PG 7 Cedric Price Cedric Price Reclaiming Public Space Reclaiming Public Space We looked at two main sites within our Our design was inspired by Cedric Price’s urge Our group wanted to explore the reasons a number of activities, whereby people could Steps and segment of the city; the seating area outside to integrate an element of fun into the everyday. Alter why people choose the routes they do and how choose to stop and interact with them, such as a Buchanan Bus Station and the steps in front The project was an experiment and the process we could alter their journey and enhance their wishing tree. We found that in addition to people of the Concert Hall at the top of Buchanan could be repeated several times, encouraging walking experience. We felt that people hurry interacting with the activities many people now Stage Street. We studied how people occupied these interaction in the public realm, something Price the Way when walking to their destination rather than chose to use this area as a gathering point. It spaces. Both were busy, but the bus station was promoted. It allowed us to discover more about taking the time to enjoy their surroundings was now an inhabited and a functional space. somewhere where people passed through and the public and how they behave. Our experiment and overall experience. didn’t stop whereas the Concert Hall was more demonstrated that embarrassment and a belief People Walk Not only was this experiment a huge success of a meeting point for social interaction where of how one should behave in a public space We focused on one particular secluded area but in relation to Cedric Price’s work it plays people would stop and have lunch, etc. We then comes with age, as children are happy to ‘play’ on a busy crossroads on Cathedral Street that with the idea of creating something temporary focused on the steps and decided to exploit this in public whereas adults are far more cautious. people were avoiding, despite it being central within a public space; that although the amphitheatre to the street, which was almost Creating a spectacle for a short period of time to the area and sheltered by trees. We tried a diversions may not remain today, they will Group 2: a stage, where people could watch the everyday. throughout the day also related to Price’s ideas Group 3: number of experiments using a variety of props remain a powerful memory for individuals We wanted to insert something that was of temporality. to alter public routes and direct people. In order who chose to take part. slightly away from the norm and would attract that our results be reflective of the person’s some attention but not too unusual, creating a choice of route it was important that people Antonios Antoniou performance within the public everyday world. Rosalind Josephine Blake were offered the option to be diverted or not. Hans Peter Auken Beck The balloons brought fun and colour to the area Gemma Campbell How people reacted was observed throughout Kirsten Buchanan yet were objects people were familiar with. Brigid Daily the day. Ming Chen Eva Katja Sofia Larsson Stewart Craven Chai Wei Lee Eventually we took our ideas a little bit further. Emma Dragovic Kris Rutherford We wanted to encourage people to use this area Anne Broe Kristensen Iona Stephen as a public space - to stop in this isolated spot. Lyndsay McMorran Dimitar Svilenov A two-day installation was set up that involved PG 8 PG 9 Cedric Price Cedric Price Reclaiming Public Space Reclaiming Public Space P is for Public Group 4: Esme Brooker Scott Brotherton Scott Johnson Stephen Grainger Diana Lindbjerg Jorgensen Maeve Magennis Adam Wright Cameron Young Transition, mobility, temporary inhabitation and underused unsocial spaces: these were the topics of most resonance to our group after our initial site visit. Radiating from the transport hub of Central Station to High Street, our site incorporated small areas of Buchanan Street and George Square, and included all of Ingram Street.