Architectural Association (AA) – Summer Exhibition 2009 Review – 08.07.09

I began my final exhibition review by looking around the amazing sculpture that has been erected in Bedford Square. Almost every house around the square features a blue plaque – in dedication to the famous person who once lived there, students casually walk around, carrying large black portfolios, I wonder what secrets these cases hold?

The timber pavilion is a sort of curvaceous shaped blob that created shadows and places to stand or sit.  The timber fins look impressive under the mid day sun and the smell of wood is intoxicating – this is a pleasurable space.  I wonder if a floor or base may have made a welcome addition because people who chose to sit in or around the structure have to sit on the gravel.  Maybe if a floor was not designed some sort of seating could have been incorporated into the structure?  Click here for the AJ review.

Inside the galleries begin immediately.  The first room I enter looks like a converted sitting room, with high ceilings and good quality timber floor boards; I wonder what it must be like to study in these rooms.  If only the walls could speak – I bet they could tell a few tales.

Diploma 10 captures my imagination, it is some sort of project to do with underground drainage and materials but the overly complex language confuses me.  Words aside the models are really interesting, made of welded steel, plywood and concrete they are all at a large scale, most at 1:50, some even at 1:5.  Large scale models impress me because it shows that the student has not tried to ignore or cover up the real issues.  The large scale models show a thorough understanding of materials, how things go together and a comprehensive knowledge of the design.  This is not what I expected from the AA – I am pleasantly surprised.

Unit 2 is the opposite of Diploma 10 – at a glance it would seem there are very few models bigger than 1:500 and most are made using the 3D printer.  Small scale drawings and flashy renderings sit along side the tiny models.  I admit the drawings and models are impressive and maybe the nature of the project requires a smaller scale project.  The projects are impressive – some sort of harbour or warehouse with fun conversions of previously industrial buildings.  This looks like a dream project with no budget!  Expensive yachts and cruise ships sit along side previously rough looking industrial buildings, these creations of the students’ mind would make a perfect photo shoot if they were ever realised.  The other project is an equally impressive urban farm; I am pleased to see this work because it highlights the need for a focus on sustainability and self sufficiency.  This unit has a good understanding of the limitations of modern model making techniques and how they can be used to their maximum.

Diploma 12 features a series of huge train station projects, some which completely dwarf the town they are serving.  That said the proposals are very majestic in their design, creating truly magnificent spaces.

A project title “Magnus – corner – the birth and death of locally iconic space” really impresses me, the work is extremely sensitive to its site and the renderings produced are amazing.  Rather than being over the top “wow factor” glossy images these are refined and mature, they show a gentle understanding of the site and an impressive appreciation of light and photography.

Diploma unit 7 had a great site somewhere in a desert.  Andrew Tam had built a cool model with good connection with the site and a genuine love and care for his work.  The model was made of ply with the grain exposed which gave a nice textural quality to his sandy yellowed images.  His laser etched map made me feel like an explorer from the past and his perspective really captured my imagination.

One of the largest scale projects was by Unit 3; concentrating on masterplanning this group seemed to really understand how to work with the grain of an existing town or city.  The projects were “meta-urbanism, suburban culture, and new housing typologies”.  The later interested me because my final year project also focused on housing prototypes and creating a new contemporary home that could be repeated across any site.  The “self help city” model used a mirror for the lake and river that really made it stand out from the crowd.  The community centre and self build housing was an clever and innovative project.

I concentrated less on the intermediate work that I saw upstairs, but one project in particular caught my eye.  It was called “Where wild things are”.

To summarise I would have to say that I was extremely impressed with the AA exhibition.  The week before I had visited the Bartlett show and I was worried that the AA would be a similar experience, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Only using parametrics where necessary the AA feels grown up, mature and refined.  Most of the work I saw was extremely well executed and the project briefs were very exciting.  The range of work I saw was good too – there is something for everyone, no matter what your architectural position is.  The AA has a good mix of “building” and “art”, providing a balanced and fair understanding of architecture.  If I was lucky enough to have had the chance to study at the AA I know I would have enjoyed my time there and had an amazing learning experience with some of the best architects in the world.  My hat comes off to the AA…

Follow up links:

Facebook gallery

Tomorrow’s thoughts today

Liquid factory

Magnus Larsson

AA bookshop

AA projects review