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| (Reception area) |
(Ground Floor) |
(First Floor) |
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| The International Research and Graduate Centre came into operation in 1997 as a major new asset to the Westlakes Science Park. The concept of the centre was to build on the existing areas of scientific and technological activity at Westlakes. Creating, for the first time in West Cumbria, a powerful high level Research Institute utilising postgraduate links to key universities specialising in the activities in which Westlakes is strongest. The centre plays a pivotal role in the academic focus of Westlakes Research Institute, not only in attracting young talent to the area with regard to its postgraduate teaching programme and its commitment to continuing professional development but also through its community outreach programme. |
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| The centre provides various facilities that support these activities through internal lectures, seminars and public lectures. These facilities are available for use by external organisations and groups. |
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| Panoramic Images |
| Note: To view the following panormaic images, the Apple QuickTime plug-in is required. |
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| Artistic Vision |
| Introduction by Artist |
| Stone Dust Images |
| Central Sculpture |
| Paving |
| Seating Area |
| Planting Scheme |
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| Introduction by Artist |
| In responding to this commission I have sought to work within the parameters of the brief. In particular my work will complement the architecture of the building; complement the purpose of the building; create striking artworks that will enhance their surroundings; engage the users of the building and provide them with long-term interest and enjoyment; create durable, low-maintenance artworks; create works of artistic integrity with a high standard of construction. |
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| I envisage a series of inter-related works both outside and inside the building. There will be a unifying theme running throughout the scheme - the touch of a human hand bringing a material to life. My ideas have been inspired by connecting strands of thought: evolution, geology, the natural world, human activity, scientific research, culture and healing processes. |
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| The purpose of the building is to examine the inter-action of humankind and nature, and this is the starting point for the scheme of artworks. Although some works are quite abstract, they nonetheless have a feeling of being connected to the natural world and to the human act of making. I have chosen to use Westmorland green slate throughout not only because it is such a distinctive local material, but also because of the rich colours and variety offered by this very workable stone. |
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| Stone Dust Images |
| Within the building four large vertical wall panels made from the graded dust of four local rocks and minerals - coal, slate, haemetite and limestone. |
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| The four panels work as a series throughout the general circulation area,each frame revealing the variety to be found within one rock or mineral. The colour of each panel is strikingly different: white limestone, green slate, red haemetite and black coal, with ash frames to match the internal woodwork of the building. They were made by dribbling varying grades of crushed material into a glass-fronted frame secured to the wall. Having the appearance of samples taken to analyse the earth's layers, these stone dust drawings complement the research and scientific processes taking place within the building. |
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| Like the large slate triangle in the courtyard, these wall panels make associations with geological strata and bedding planes. |
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| There is also a less dispassionate, cultural dimension to these pieces. The peaked form of the stone dust image recalls the waste tips that form one area of the research institute's area of study, and serve as a reminder of the generations of toil that have created such landscapes of waste. It is quite fitting that the pourings of dust also resemble the human vascular system, since it is the dust from the coal and slate maines that has so blighted the mining communities. |
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| Central Sculpture |
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| At the centre of the courtyard and at the heart of the sculptural scheme is a three-metre high striking triangular form, made from hundreds of individually shaped pieces of green Westmorland slate stacked and cemented one on top of the other in perfect horizontal layers. The design takes as its starting point the form and nature of the building that surrounds it on three sides, responding to the building's geometry, clean lines and uncluttered use of modern materials. |
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| The precise control of the horizontal layerings of Westmorland slates and the mathematical and geometric rigour of the 45 degree triangle results in a dynamic form that cuts through space yet remains grounded and stable. Visually, the sloping front edge of the sculpture continues up out of the triangular form, to meet and challenge the overhanging upper floor and eaves detailing, and echo the pitched roofs of grey, artificial slates. |
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| The building is one of strong shadows with its own energy and direction, lifting the enclosed space and giving a lighter feel when walking through the courtyard. The simple and elegant grey-green is repeated in the reflections of the regularly spaced, rectangular panels of dark grey glass that surround the courtyard. Furthermore, the colour of the Westmorland slate proves an ideal complement to the pinky-red of the artificial sandstone used on the building. |
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| The sculpture was conceived as a contemporary work of art that at the same time has an elemental quality, having the presence of an ancient standing stone. This primeval aspect fits well with the surrounding paving design that features a slate labyrinth documenting the evolution of life on our planet. The sculpture complements the activities within the building too, in that it refers to the interaction of humankind and nature. |
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| The sculpture is very much about process: the laying down of slate upon slate is a metaphor for geological bedding planes as well as the touch of a human hand shaping nature and bringing it to life. The stacking of one form on top of another in order to build up from the earth is a fundamental aspiration of most societies, be the structures Stonehenge, the Pyramids, Durham Cathedral or a child's building bricks. |
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| The sculpture is also an ordering of the environment, reminiscent of the Lakeland stone walls that criss-cross the hills; defining, enclosing and marking the land - of the earth yet dividing it. The sculpture is designed to hold the viewer's interest by the very different shapes revealed from different aspects, including the upper floor levels, and by the different readings of the surface from a distance and close-up. From the side, the sculpture allows some light to pass through at the joints of the slates, creating small pin-pricks of light. |
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| Someone walking behind the sculpture is discernible, as if they were walking past a screen of slate that had no visible means of support. |
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| From the front, the dynamic nature of the form is most apparent, looking as if the slate is cutting forwards and upwards through space. From the rear, a more contemplative aspect is revealed, with a previously unseen entry in the form, a dark niche drawing the viewer deep into the very material of the sculpture, hinting at inner spaces and an altogether more sensual aspect than the geometric form at first suggests. |
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| At the deepest point of this niche a thin copper strip runs from the top of the sculpture to the base and out on to the slate 'shadow' motif - rich in associations of alchemy and mineral lodes hidden within the earth. |
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| The sculpture is designed to respond to the weather - to changes of light as the sun passes over textured surfaces, and to the play of light and shade and colour change affected by rain and sunshine. The surface texture and joints between the slates draw the viewer closer, inviting close examination of methods of construction and the work of a hand upon the surface of the stone. |
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| Paving |
| The paving design provides a dramatic frame for the central sculpture, complementing its 45 degree geometry and radiating out to reach each side of the courtyard, thereby uniting the sculpture with its surroundings and giving structure to the courtyard. The paving design was conceived as a labyrinth, taking the visitor on a journey starting from the front of the courtyard, leading around the central sculpture to the main entrance. |
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| The pathway is made using 30cm squares of Kirkstone Silver Crag green slate, flame textured to provide a non-slip surface. Along the length of the path, exploring Charles Darwin's notions of how short a time humankind has been on the earth compared to the history of the planet itself, are carved and engraved images of the evolution of our planet, from 4,600 million years ago to the arrival of humans in just the last three million years. |
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| The path starts at the point where the two access pathways leading to the building converge. It is marked by a circular mosaic of slate. The dramatic banding and markings of Kirkstone Silver Crag are an effective metaphor for the huge geological forces at work over millions of years as the path leads around the courtyard, until the first images appear on the slates: |
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| records of geological time and fossil forms. Gradually the imagery progresses through the evolution of fishes and mammals to the final step in the labyrinth: a human handprint at the entrance to the building. |
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| Seating Area |
| Around the perimeter of the courtyard, and providing resting places adjacent to planting beds, are benches built of Westmorland green slate. Sculptural details, such as carvings and relief work that echo the themes of fossils, the living world and healing processes, are included at paving level. These seating areas are intriguing in themselves, helping to frame the central sculpture as well as providing attractive spaces in which to sit and contemplate. |
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| Ancient labyrinths often had meditational purposes, and this contemplative aspect is enhanced by the planting scheme. |
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| Planting Scheme |
| The scheme uses a small number of strategically placed trees surrounded by generous bedding and ground cover featuring herbs. Colour and foliage are utilised to complement the grey-green of the Westmorland slate sculpture and herbs in particular are used for their association with healing and remedy. Scientific research within the building is directed at healing the wounds we have inflicted upon our environment: the planting outside features a wide variety of some of Nature's own healing agents. |
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| Herbs are also usually low maintenance, hardy and tolerant of some shade - an important consideration within the confines of the courtyard. Herbs also help to create a beneficial atmosphere because of their scent as well as their healing properties. Lavender, a natural antiseptic, is well known for its characteristic scent. |
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| The planting scheme seeks to utilise this aspect to the full: herbs planted in proximity to paths and around seating areas. The intention is to create an environment within the courtyard that encourages enjoyment of the quieter aspects of nature - for contemplation, discussion and relaxation. |
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| At the rear of the courtyard is a Whitebeam tree, framing the sculpture and providing a complementary background of colour with its strikingly pale grey-green leaves. |
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| Towards the front of the courtyard, and integral to the sculpture scheme, are two Rowan trees. Rowan is ideal in such proximity to buildings; like the Whitebeam it is a comparatively small tree with an open crown that gives light shade. The Rowan's white blossom in the spring and red berries of autumn provide variety and colour. It also has a wealth of myth and folk-lore associations, perhaps more so than any other native tree. It is associated with magic and the creation of life - it is the tree traditionally planted in Britain to celebrate the birth of a child, and its bird-carried seed means that it is quick to colonise and is nowadays associated with the regeneration of wasteland. |
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