NLA SkyWalk London, Property, Development, Location, Architecture, Owner
NLA SkyWalk : Montague Place Building
London Installation in Montague Place, England, UK
12 Jun 2008
NLA SkyWalk Montague Place
NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE / LONDON FESTIVAL OF ARCHITECTURE
Street to Stage: New installation transforms central London street
Montague Place, WC1: 4-6 Jul 2008
Londoners will be taken to another level this summer when an anonymous central London street is transformed into an exciting cultural space by a two-storey high ramped walkway.
The NLA SkyWalk, commissioned by New London Architecture, will launch the Bloomsbury Hub of the London Festival of Architecture on 4 July. The 160m long installation will zigzag across Montague Place, WC1, creating a series of new public spaces directly behind the British Museum, staging performances, exhibitions and events over three days including: open-air theatre by students from RADA (Much Ado About Nothing and Gargantua), a continuous picnic of locally produced food and music from University of London School of Oriental and African Studies world orchestras.
The installation aims to give Londoners a different view of the street, revealing Montague Place’s potential to become one of the capital’s great public spaces.
Designed by one of the UK’s most exciting young architecture practices, Carmody Groarke, the NLA SkyWalk breaks down the accepted notion of the street merely as a means of getting from A to B. The street is reinterpreted as a series of places formed by the changing height, shape and profile of the temporary promenade. The NLA SkyWalk rises up to four metres at its peak and knits into the existing landscape – plane trees puncture the stage and landmarks such as the British Museum and Senate House are used as focal points.
The meandering form will take pedestrians on a journey allowing them to explore the architectural detail of the surrounding buildings and providing never-before experienced views of two of London’s finest examples of landscaping and green public space – Bedford and Russell Square.
Farrell and Partners vision to guide future development in Bloomsbury and the projected plans for the north-west side of the British Museum by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners will give this overlooked area of the capital a new significance. For the 100,000 visitors who use St. Pancras International every day, it forms part of the journey between the station, the museum and into the West End.
The London Borough of Camden has plans to transform Montague Place into a usable space and a destination in its own right. Urban designers Burns + Nice have developed proposals to radically alter and improve the local streetscape in Bloomsbury. In addition to Montague Place, new schemes are also proposed for Great Russell Street, Malet Street and for a vibrant public square at Byng Place. Camden has worked closely with local stakeholders and is consulting on the scheme in July 2008. There will be an exhibition of Camden’s proposals on the NLA SkyWalk.
Peter Murray, director of the London Festival of Architecture 2008 comments: “The NLA SkyWalk is designed to help us see – to understand the space in a different way and to inspire ideas for its future use. When people taste its potential they will no longer be satisfied that such a dull and second-rate place sits within the network of wonderful Georgian Squares of Bloomsbury. It reinforces one of the fundamental concepts of the Festival of Architecture – that by understanding the city, we can see its potential and change it for the better.”
Bob West, Head of Urban Design and Renewal, The London Borough of Camden, said: “The NLA SkyWalk will allow both new visitors to Bloomsbury and people who are familiar with the area to take a fresh look. It’s exciting way to change how people think of and use such opportunities in the townscape.”
Kevin Carmody, director, Carmody Groarke comments: “Designing the NLA SkyWalk has given us a chance to generate focus and debate on the changing area. Above all, the short life of this installation will present an opportunity to heighten awareness of the architecture, landscape and details within an urban environment that are otherwise passively disregarded day-to-day in Montague Place and hopefully leave a memory of its impact with the space when it is gone.“?
The NLA SkyWalk will be built over three days, constructed of a portable staging system chosen not just for speed but also so that the materials can be reused. It is covered in a translucent black mesh, which gives the ramped walkway a sculptural quality.
NLA SkyWalk – Design Team
Architect: Carmody Groarke
Structural Engineer: Arup Structures
Structure: Steeldeck
Client: New London Architecture
Hub Sponsors: CABE; London Borough of Camden; Derwent London
Co-sponsors: Ramboll Whitbybird; The Building Centre; Price & Myers; University College London; The Wellcome Trust; Capita, Corus; The Bedford Estates.
Partner Organisations: The British Museum, Somerset House and Targetfollow.
Street to Stage installation image / information from Caro 100608
NLA SkyWalk Architect : Carmody Groarke
Location: Montague Place, London, England, UK
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