Sunday, 7 November 2010

Cranes behind the Royal Festival Hall,1957

















http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/25/arts/20091126_FRANK_SLIDESHOW_8.html

Tower cranes on the construction site of The Shell Building,South Bank, 1958























http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/25/arts/20091126_FRANK_SLIDESHOW_3.html

Saturday, 6 November 2010

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

"The area occupied by the exhibition site had been marshy land and only developed after the Second World War. This redevelopment comprised three major impacts-improvements to Waterloo railway station, a new Waterloo Bridge and the construction of the LCC County Hall-creating a triangle into which the South Bank Exhibition was slotted.

The Dome of Discovery and the Skylon were two notable attractions, but the one building to remain is the Royal Festival Hall.

The earliest photograph taken in 1958, shows the river frontage between the Royal Festival Hall on the left and the County Hall on the right. The huge gap between these two buildings was the site of the Southbank Exhibition. This gap came to be filled by the Shell Building and other offices. It was completed by 1963 and was one of the first tall office blocks to be built in London with a height of 350ft.

The London Eye is much higher than the Shell Building and, at 450 feet tall, it was the third highest structure in London when it was opened.

The Shot Tower, 120 ft tall, had been a London landmark since its construction in 1826. Its purpose was the production of shot from lead.

During the Festival of Britain it was converted into a lighthouse that flashed from sunset until the Exhibition closing time. The Shot Tower was demolished to provide room for the new buildings when the South Bank Arts centre was extended in the early 1960s."

Thurman, Chris. (2003) London´s River:Westminster to Woolwich. London:Tempus Publishing

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

idea: people walking on different levels...making them aware of different levels of the buildings; usually ust walking past, without seeing what is further back;

Tuesday, 2 November 2010

Monday, 1 November 2010

INTERACTION between pedestrians and the "sites furniture"

How do people interact in my chosen part of the site?
How many people walk up/down the shown staircases?
How many people walk offside the walkway?
How is the space used?
How do they use the sites "furniture", such as benches, stairs, attractions...