3×3 Project – Leeds, London, Manchester – 2019
The 3×3 Project was in effect a celebration of the work DLA Design does behind the scenes, away from the completed shiny new architecture, these panels endeavour to show how these new buildings sit in a place, embrace a community, its’ history and how that influences the buildings design and development, which in turn, once complete, becomes part of a communal future.
The London panel consists of Borough Market, The Bullion Rooms and The Coronet projects.
The Leeds Panels shows elements of The Majestic, Riverside Park and The Castle Buildings in Hull.
The Manchester panel refers to The Shot Tower in Chester, the Beacon Centre in Blackburn and the Halo project in Manchester.
I have included many social references in the piece, many are historic, some from maps or old sketches that wouldn’t normally be included within the glossy marketing literature associated with a new building project. The history of a place is so relevant to the introduction of a new building, they are part of each other, I like to portray these side by side, to me they have equal merit.
Some of the imagery researched during the creation of the panels is deliberately hidden, I’ve read about local characters, drawn and painted them from written accounts and then placed them within the relevant section of the panel, within a building or an area but hidden from view. Their story although small, is a valid contribution to the bigger picture.
I have deliberately merged and over-layered projects into each other, this refers to the working practice at DLA, it’s a continuous process, I like how things alter, recall and modify with many projects happening at the same time, it reminds me of my working practice when painting, it is far more enjoyable to have two or three paintings happening at once.
I hope you enjoy the 3×3 Panels and the mini films that accompany them.
