As the awards are being held in Limerick this year I think we were all trying to include some sort of reference to the city in our projects. I began with an idea to somehow chart the growth of the city by using maps. The idea being to start with the earliest map of the city I could find and, through animation, show the gradual growth of the city according to how the maps changed over the centuries. I began with a visit to the city tourist information centre, which is just round the corner at Arthurs quay. Though there was an abundance of up to date maps of the city there, were no old ones. Luckily for me the lady behind the reception desk suggested the City Library, it hadn't crossed my mind to go there. If I'm honest I never even knew there was a city library. And to think that it's so close to George's quay. Images sourced from the City Library, Grannery building and the interweb.
I found the map above really interesting. If you can see in the foreground centre there is a creature swimming in the river. Judging by its long pointed snout I'm guessing it's a dolphin, and that they must have been a common sight long ago. It's not unusual to see dolphins in the Shannon these days as they often accompany the ferry that crosses between Tarbert and Kilimer. So it's possible that they followed ships up the river in times past.
A view of Limerick with old Thomond bridge and King Johns castle
I couldn't figure out where exactly this drawing was made. I think that might be Baal's bridge. The women were hardy back then weren't they? washing clothes in the cold river. You wouldn't see that these days. Sure they're spoilt now with their electric washing machines and such.
While researching craft products I had to include these handmade wooden canoes. I was thinking that they could somehow tie in with the history/maps of Limerick as they remind me of Viking long ships, obviously much smaller but the same basic shape. They are built locally to an exceedingly high standard - check them out on Facebook under 'Cronin crafts'. Needless to say the guys sister is an ex pupil of LSAD, very talented people.
I also researched interior architecture/design as I was trying to incorporate all the categories. Though the next few images are exterior views I wanted to include them as they are so unusual.
Hunderwasser Haus, Vienna. Designed by Friedensreich Hunderwassen 1983. A municipal apartment block, Hunderwasser designed the complete building with no straight lines, except for doors and windows. The deliberate patchwork exterior is to give the impression of gingerbread houses from childhood fairytales. The internal floor comprise of undulating rough brickwork to give a feel of natural pathways. There is also a roof garden containing over 900 tonnes of earth to provide a wooded terrace for the inhabitants.
House of mirrors, Woodstock, New York state, built by Clarence Schmidt between 1948 - 1968. Schmidt started off with a one room cabin and continually added on to the structure which eventually consisted of thirty five rooms over seven storeys. Continuous pressure from local planning authorities did not deter Schmidt, but the property burnt down in 1968. Presumably he would have continued to add rooms indefinitely.
Mosaic courtyard with shrine, Maison Picasiette, france by Raymond Isadore.
Country postman Ferdinand Cheval built the Palais Ideal betweem 1879 - 1912.
Solomon R. Guggenheim museum. New York. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943.
Einstein tower, Potsdam 1920-1922. designed by Erich Mendelson in conjunction with Albert Einsein in 1917
Chilehaus, Hamburg 1922-1923. Designed by Fritz Johann Friederich Hoger it consisted of a brick slip façade over a cast concrete skeleton.
Casa Batlo, Barcelona 1904-1906. Designed by Antoni Gaudi
Sagrada Familia 1883, interior - unfinished. Antoni Guudi
Hall of mirrors, Palace at Versailles 1679. Designed by Jules Hardouin Mansart
Augustburg Palace, bruhl stairwell 1741-1744. Designed by Johann Balthasar Newmann
Wurzburg Residence stairwell 1735-1753, Johann Baltasar Newmann. Baroque style
Cologne cathederal 1248-1322. gothic style
Borgund stove church, Norway c.1150
Interior of Borgund stove church
Sergius and Bacchus church, Istanbul c.527
San Giovanni Evangelista, Ravena, Italy. 1st half of 5th century
Researching Irish interior design I collected the following images from the book "In an Irish house", Sybil Connolly
Ballynacourty house
Hand made pine dresser
Guest bedroom
Drawing room
The long hall
Barons court, Co. Tyrone 1790 - south façade
The front hall
The Rotunda has a coffered dome supported by Ionic columns, attributed to 18th century Italian craftsmen
The Gallery measures 91 feet long
The staircase hall
The Provosts house, Trinity college, Dublin 1759. The house is a direct copy of the house Lord Burlington designed in 1727 for General Wade in London, which was itself derived from an original Palladio drawing owned by Burlington
The intricate wrought-iron balustrade and lavish plasterwork embellishing the oval light in the ceiling above the Salon
The Salon, above and below, with its coffered ceiling, Corinthian columns, pediments and arches is a prime example of the architectural precepts of ancient Greece and Rome that were adopted and embellished in the great classical revival of the18th century.
The dining room
The staircase hall
The following images were collected from the book "suburban style - the British home 1848-1960", Helena Barrett & John Philips 1987
The pottery of Clarisse Cliffe epitomises the art deco style
The art deco style incorporated many influences including a taste for the exotic, for surrealism and for classicism
The traditional long case grandfather clock has been treated with a typical lack of reverence by being used as the basis for a concealed cocktail cabinet. The stepped base is a common feature of the style, as are built in mirrors and concealed lights.
The most famous Victorian house designer William de Morgan also designed many tile patterns. His work, being hand made, was expensive, but inspired patterns on mass produced tiles
'Art furniture' with a Japanese flavour. E. W. Goodwins sideboard in ebonised wood has silver-plated fittings and inset panels of embossed Japanese leather paper
The daffodil chintz 1892, William Morris - fabric pattern
Crocus 1886, G. C. Haite - fabric pattern
Advert for Jacobethan oak dining suite of the 1920's
Utility kitchen furniture 1947
Stripe pattern wallpaper design
Adverts for 'gadgets' gas & electrical
Typical kitchen from 1951
The following images were collected from 'Landmarks of twentieth century design' 1993, Kathryn Hiesinger & George Marcus
Desk 1898, Hector Guimard. Abstract idiom of art nouveau style
Chair 1904, Frank Lloyd Wright
Kettles 1909, Peter Behrens, based on standardised elements for AEG
Poster for Bosch spark plugs, Lucien Bernhard 1914
Teapot, Marianne Brandt 1924
Transat armchair, Eileen Grey 1927, based on a deck chair
Cubic coffee service, Erik Magnussen 1927
Teague radio, Walter Dorwin 1934
Chryslers Airflow Imperial 1934, followed Le Corbusier's idea of 'deserving a new aesthetic of geometry and economy from machines'
Encofon tetephone, L. M. Ericsson 1954. Hailed as 'a technical sculpture which depicts the art of our age'.
Marshmallow sofa 1956, Gearge Nelson. Nelson sought unconventional solutions for low cost furniture production. He incorporated mass produced bar-stool seats onto a tubular steel frame which could be made-to-measure at reasonable price.
Poster for Nikon 1957, Yusaku Kamekura. Suggestive of the brilliant clarity achieved with a Nikon lens
Stacking chair 1967, Verner Panton. The first 'single - piece' design to go into large scale production
Poster for IBM 1982, Paul Rand. By working with humour - one of Rands favourite graphic devices - he added an aura of user-friendliness to a conservative company that dealt in high technology
Images taken from 'The eco design handbook', 2002 Alister Fuad-Luke.
'Hey' brings nature indoors. High pressure intrusion containers generate benches from dried grass. Jurgen Bey, Droog designs, Netherlands
Favela chair. Handmade from hundreds of pieces of recycled wood. Campana bros. Edra, Italy
'Stokke peel', recliner, chaise longue, armchair & footstool. Olav Elday, Stokke Grupen, Norway
Baley. Neil Barron, Gusto design, U.K. Bringing the countryside to urban living while reminding us of our separation from the land
Pedal powered washing machine. Dr Luiz Guimardes, GDDS, Federal university of Campina Grande, Brazil. Appropriate levels of technology are important when local communities are faced with limited resources, manufacturing equipment and cash.
The compostable keyboard. Jason Iverson, University of Washington, Industrial design dept. U.S.A.
'Stolz wikliny' (table of wicker). Powel Grunert, Poland. A desk, a table, a sculpture, or all three? Grunert confronts us with the beauty in ordinary materials by juxtaposing them in unexpected ways. "In our love affair for expensive technological objects we have forgotten the pleasures of everyday materials"
Before anyone point it out to me, I know some of the images are rotated. I can assure you our technical team are working flat out to address this problem.
The next post will be an update of production research.
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