The Installation

1. Initial Sketches

Group sketch showing initial concept ideas for the installation: a cocoon where one steps into reality and experiences the journey.

2. Prototype

Prototype model of the cocoon frame made out of wooden sticks. This model is useful to understand how to build installation by joining and curving the sticks to shape.

3. Building the Installation


4. The Installation

The installation explained on the day can be view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2grOMjs2b8c

5. The Explanation

The installation is a cocoon. A 'real' cocoon which is made of real organic materials. It expresses its structure and therefore it is honest and is not trying to be anything it isn't. It is real.

Entering the cocoon, you enter reality, and you experience the journey through a series of blocks which, joined together, recreate the route.

Each block has a piece of the journey we had to analyse and pictures of that specific part of the city. The pictures are mondane; nothing fancy, nothing fake, nothing tweaked on photoshop to get rid of the negative elements... they are real pictures of real places evoking real feeling which we experienced as we walked the route and studied it.

Journey Analysis (Dip 1 Research Work)

1. Introduction

Above is the journey through Portsmouth we are set to analyse.

2. Morphological Dimension

This inverted figure ground plan shows the morphological nature of our route. You can clearly understand the density and the mass of the buildings. It is interesting to observe the density and scale of the buildings that increase towards the public buildings and commercial honey-pots (like Gunwarf Quays) and then decrease substantially when you reach the residential areas of the city, such as the second part of the route. They then increase again as we reach the end of the journey when we find University buildings (Eldon Building and halls of residence, Trafalgar Hall) as the density of population also increases and the road they overlook becomes a major artery of Portsmouth (Winston Churchill Avenue).

3. Social Economic Status and Regeneration

This particular topic is always interesting, and in this journey, it is particularly so. The figure ground shows the areas of the route which are more socially and economically wealthy (highlighted in green) in contrast to the poorer areas (highlighted in red). If we leave Somers Town out of the equation for a moment, and we focus on the area around Gunwarf Quay, we see an interesting social/economic condition occurring. We see two opposing situations side by side: Gunwarf Quay, one of the wealthiest parts of the town surrounded by the dockland area, one of the poorest parts of the city. Gunwarf is a new addition to the city, and brings an increase of social/economical status to the area. However, its exclusive nature and particular master plan design turns it’s back on the surrounding dockland areas, the very same areas which need a social/economical boost. Gunwarf Quay adapts itself particularly well to the notion of ‘polis’; a walled city state which could be independent from anything else around it. Luxury apartments, offices, and hotels overlook affluent public spaces adorned by equally well-heeled shops, restaurants, and leisure buildings. A wonderful new area of the town in terms of its activities, but, in my opinion, a relatively unsuccessful project in terms of boosting the social wealth of the surrounding area, as it seems to be like an oasis in the desert. Its walls surrounding the site also seem to stress this fact. Its design could be placed anywhere, and it doesn’t seem to want to blend with the neighbouring docklands and spread the wealth within these areas particularly well, wealth which the surrounding communities would benefit from and which would provide the means to lift themselves up from their current condition and regenerate the area.

In contrast, the University seems to be a good solution for regeneration. Placing university buildings in areas which lack social/economical strength and blending them in seem to be bringing regeneration to the area. The university attracts a large number of students, which all need to live. Eating, drinking, buying clothes, buying materials, rent…. All this brings a huge amount of money to the area and with that comes social/economical growth and regeneration. Also, there aren’t only the students, but there’s the staff which also brings wealth and ultimately, as the university grows, more and more staff is required (both professors but also auxiliary staff, such as cleaners, technicians, office workers …) and therefore more work becomes available for the local community, which further increases their personal social/economical status. This social economical wealth is present around the University campus and the immediate surroundings, and it is also visible year after year, when more and more building sites appear and the city seems to regenerate itself and grow in wealth. Old shops are replaced by new ones and rundown buildings are restored or demolished to make space for new accommodation or office buildings of a higher quality than the previous.

Tourism also increases social/economical welfare and increases regeneration, and in this particular time in the history of Portsmouth, when the navy is slowly moving out and as a result the dockyard area is slowly imploding, tourism seems to be a good solution to saving the area. The navy provides the answer, in fact, the extensive naval history of this city is being harvested to bring regeneration and wealth to the area. The Historic Dockyard is a gem of regeneration as it attracts hundreds of tourists from all over the nation and the world each month. Its blend of historic naval vessels (such as Lord Nelson’s famous H.M.S Victory) and modern attractions (like the Action Station) provides attractions for all, as the extensive naval history of Portsmouth can be lived and witnessed. It brings tourists to the area, and with tourism comes money, and with money comes regeneration. This regeneration can be witnessed in the amount of new buildings which are being built around this once decadent and very navy-orientated area of Portsmouth.

4. Historical Mapping

Dockyard 1220 – William of Wrotham (Archdeacon of Taunton and Keeper of the Kings Ships) started construction of the first docks in Portsmouth
Dockyard 1490 – Henry VII began construction on the dry dock, which is still in use today. It is the oldest used dock in the world

1380 – Following five attacks from the French over 50 years, the first fortifications were built – a ditch, earth rampart and wooden stockades
1490 – 1527 – Henry VII provided further fortification to the city walls, lengthening the fortifications to include [Old] Portsmouth
1667 – 1685 – The earth bank and fortification were slowly replaced. New walls were built with stone ravelins and bastions. Two moats were dug outside the walls, separated by a thin strip of land
1860 – 1868 – The now obsolete city walls were demolished. The only records of their existence are in historical maps

Southsea 1809 – Southsea suburb started to be built to house the skilled workers
1818-1822 – Construction of the canal across the island to Milton, to ease the transportation of trade in the area
1831 – Horse drawn tram started services in 1831

1922 – Portsmouth’s first council housing built on Curzon Howe Road

Somerstown 1820 – 1880 – Housing in Somerstown began to be built in 1820. By 1880 it had spread as far as Fawcett Road and Laurence Road

1955 – parts of Old Portsmouth were rebuilt after World War II as part of the city slum clearance scheme

Somerstown - 1960 – 1970 – A large section of housing in the north of Somerstown was rebuilt between 1960 – 1970, as part of the city slum clearance scheme

5. Building Typologies and Recreational Areas

Above you can see the diversity in building typologies one encounters along the journey. It is interesting to observe that the building typologies appear in clusters and don't seem to blend with one another. There are clearly defined residential areas which are kept clearly seperated from the leasure centres and the Naval sections of the town.

Below, a map of the green areas/recreational areas which the route touches upon.