Group Y ALBERT'S CONNECTION
‘Albert’s connection’ is a collaborative project that will bring together students from Manchester University and from Coburg University, in Germany, in order to use their creativity into a fun and engaging design competition.
The project consists of developing urban spatial interventions around the former Schlachthof (Slaughterhouse), which will be used for events held there as well as for the Creapolis at the Campus Design Open - Festival (parallel to the Coburg Design Tage). // Download Poster
RESEARCH //
Queen Victoria's consort, Albert died in December of 1861. Following his death there was a great deal of discussion in Manchester about an appropriate memorial. There were those who thought that a practical memorial like a hospital or a School of Art might be the best choice but in the end Thomas Goadsby, the Mayor of Manchester, offered to donate £500 to finance the creation of a statue of the prince on the condition that it be housed in a "proper temple" somewhere in the city.
Grade I listed Albert Memorial, features a marble statue of Albert standing on a plinth and facing west, designed by Matthew Noble (1862–1867). The figure is placed within a large Medieval-style ciborium which was designed by the architect Thomas Worthington. Noble was commissioned by the then mayor, Thomas Goadsby, to sculpt the Prince's likeness, and the designs were personally approved by Queen Victoria.
The memorial is topped with an ornate spire, and on each side a crocketed gable with canopied pinnacles on colonettes. Within the canopies stand symbolic figures representing art, commerce, science and agriculture. Below these stand secondary figures representing particular disciplines:
The Four Arts: painting, architecture, music, sculpture
Commerce: the Four Continents
The Four Sciences: chemistry, astronomy, mechanics, mathematics
Agriculture: the Four Seasons
The coloured sett paving which was laid around the memorial in 1987 depicts floral representations of the Four Home Nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Posted 11 Feb 2019 11:19
READING LIST //
In preparation for our trip to Coburg we compiled a list of books to dive into before we fly there. This reading list is meant to prepare us for applying wider knowledge to the work we will be producing during the competition stage of the project. It includes some books that are intended to help us think more conceptually when coming up with initial design ideas and some others that will help us at a later stage when thinking about how the proposed spatial interventions can be constructed.
-Atmospheres: Architectural Environments ;surrounding objects by Peter Zumthor, Published Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006
-Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor, Published Boston: Birkhäuser, 2015
-Vacancy Studies - Experiments and Strategic Interventions in Architecture by Erik Rietveld, Ronald Rietveld, Published Rotterdam: nai010 publishers, 2014
-Constructing Architecture: Materials, Processes, Structures by Andrea Deplazes Published Basel: Birkhäuser, 2013
-Curating Architecture and the City by Sarah Chaplin & Alexandra Stara, Published Florence: Taylor and Francis, 2009
-How to like everything: a utopia by Paul Shepheard, Published Winchester: Zero Books, 2013
Posted 11 Feb 2019 08:48
PRINCE ALBERT'S 200TH BIRTHDAY //
This year we are celebrating the 200th birthday of Prince Albert. Prince Albert was born on Prince 26 August 1819 in Coburg. He later moved to the United Kingdom where he married his first cousin Queen Victoria. He is connected to Manchester as the people of Manchester decided to build a statue in his remembrance as he was a proponent of public education in the arts.
This important birthday falls as we begin the collaboration of projects between Manchester and Coburg. We hope for this event to become a celebration point as we begin this project and having it as a marker point for future collaborations.
Posted 5 Feb 2019 11:41
RESEARCH //
'The Prince Albert Society, founded on 7 March 1981 by the University of Bayreuth and the town of Coburg, aims to promote research into the academic, cultural and political
aspects of the German-British relationship, and with its name highlights the common heritage which is connected to the life and work of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1819-1861), Prince Consort to Queen Victoria. The Prince Albert Society is based in the town of Coburg, the former seat of the dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the home town of Prince Albert; nearby lies his birthplace, Schloss Rosenau. The Honorary President of the Society is His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh' (Prince Albert Society, 2006).
'Albert, who was interested in many aspects of art, designed alongside the architect Thomas Cubitt a new royal summer residence on the Isle of Wight, Osborne House. At the same time the summer palace at Balmoral was purchased and rebuilt. As a patron of the sciences and arts, Albert participated in the planning and organisation of the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Place in London in 1851'. (Prince Albert Society, 2006).
We have been in touch with the Prince Albert Society via our collaborators Karsten and Anja and they are excited about the 'Albert's Connection ' event we are developing and look forward to seeing all of the work produced during the events period.
The Prince Albert Society Webpage:
https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/geschichte/eg/pag/gesellschaft_en.html
The Prince Albert Society Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Prinz.Albert.Gesellschaft/
Animated video showing Albert's dream for the Royal Albert Hall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS7eKZgRauM&fbclid=IwAR1jMgZdn1gh0tjNMbQa6yHzxiJJO8salRNBUI5BUfZPiXHa5dq6YeSTcY8
Posted 4 Feb 2019 16:48
AGENDA //
'The revitalisation (even if temporary) of abandoned places balances on the borderline between planning and implementation. This is not necessarily the wish to alter something existing but rather the aspiration to highlight spatial relationships that have hitherto remained concealed' (Vaikla, 2017).
As part of the brief you will be expected to design a conceptual spatial intervention that can be built and exhibited at the Campus Design Open - Festival (Creapolis). We encourage you to analyze and re-imagine what a 'spatial intervention' could be. You may investigate the activation of space and forms of spatial intervention tactics that could focus on physical, mental and social strata of space.
Questions that could be interrogated:
- How to revitalize an anonymous space?
- How is it possible to direct people's behavior through physical space and how does space affect the human atmosphere?
- How could the fragile be transformed into the resilient?
Ultimately the brief is an open one, we want to see how your concepts are fabricated and brought into the reality of space and form. This is an exciting opportunity to push design boundaries and work together to create something innovative and fresh.
Posted 29 Jan 2019 11:32
PRODUCTION //
A trademark for Coburg, almost a brand, are the Coburg Designtage, which took place in 2018 for the 30th time and this year will be the 31st annual festival. The creative
as well as innovative from regional economy took this event to present their ideas and products.
For visitors from the region and beyond, it is an annual highlight that attracted more than 6,000 people last year despite the inclement weather. And for creatives from near and now also from far away, it is the event in which ideas are presented vividly, in a special ambience.
Exhibition, presentation, demonstration and seduction at the same time, the designtage are a creative mix that invites you to actively participate. Nobody can resist the aesthetic demands of designtage. You can shape everything: things, processes, companies, regions, life. Everything that takes shape can be designed.
http://www.c-d-o.de/coburger-designtage.html
Posted 29 Jan 2019 10:36
CRAFT //
Through Alberts Connection we aim to develop key skills that will make you a more accomplished designer.
Collaboration
Collaboration is key when realising projects in the built environment. Working with other people gives you an opportunity to know your skill set, how to share it with your team and implement your teammates abilities to create more proficient designs.
Conceptual Design
We will assist you in giving your projects a strong historical, contextual and theoretical basis so that the final Design will be grounded in facts that you can communicate.
Competition Design
You will present your designs to a jury led by Karsten Huneck, Anja Ohliger and Mario Tvrtkovic who will decide on the wining team or teams. This will give you a chance to build on your presentation skills both verbal and no verbal communication (Sketches, scale drawings, physical Models, etc).
Construction
You will all assist in building the winning design or designs for the Coburg design festival and communicate the ideas behind them to festival attendees. This will give you a unique opportunity to experience building something one to one and allow you to add something you have constructed to your design portfolios.
Posted 29 Jan 2019 10:27
COLLABORATION //
Whilst in Germany, students from both Manchester and Coburg will be asked to work on a design competition in groups. There are many benefits of working as part of a team. It is an effective and valuable way to learn and is also extremely significant to the workplace. Working together will allow you to analyse your ideas in more depth and also to combine a range of skills that will help you to define a better design solution, than if you were working individually. In addition, teamwork can make study more efficient and fun and you will get to make new friends in another country.
Teamworking can provide a great chance for you to develop skills such as:
• Organisation
• Delegation
• Effective communication
• Co-operation
• Leadership
• Following
Posted 29 Jan 2019 10:15
COBURG COLLABORATORS //
Anja Ohliger is a Professor in Design in Principle in the BA 1&2. As partner of OSA: Office for Subversive Architecture she was involved in many projects dealing with the question of perception of public spaces.
Mario Tvrtkovic is a Professor in Urbanism and Urban Design. He is one of the main initiators of Creaopolis, the experimental space close to the University of Coburg, which is the main subject of our workshop. In past experiences, he has already launched interventions with his students to make the potential of the space visible. Mario is hoping to ultimately design and install a "laboratory“ for social change and engagement in participation with the population of Coburg.
Please find some works (Sülzer Findlinge, Eintritt Frei, Frankfurter Garten, Kölnisch Wasser, etc) on their website.
Posted 28 Jan 2019 21:04
MANCHESTER COLLABORATOR //
Karsten carried out his studies in Germany at the Technische Universität in Darmstadt. Throughout his education, he attained the assistant role of Ottmar Horerl, an artist whose work focused on public spaces. After graduating with a Diploma in Architecture, Karsten has had involvement with the OSA (Office for Subversive Architecture) where he continued to explore spatial conditions regarding agendas concerning art and architecture, at both local and global scales.
Posted 26 Jan 2019 13:07
CO-ORDINATORS //
Introducing our Events Co-Ordinators.
Florence - LuLu
Tom - InfraSpace
Lauren - InfraSpace
Asher - USE
Iuliana - USE
Paul - CIA
Posted 24 Jan 2019 14:02
PRODUCTION //
This exciting collaboration between Manchester and Coburg gives you the opportunity to travel to the city of Coburg in Germany.
We will fly to Coburg for two weeks to participate in a collaborative design competition which aims to see your proposals realised in a prestigious design competition.
We are fortunate enough to be given funding for your travel and accommodation. This will cover our trip to Coburg in March as well as in May, when we revisit the city to build our proposal.
Posted 24 Jan 2019 13:47
THE BASICS //
Before you choose to come and be a part of the Albert's Connection event we need to let you know about some key things..
1. A Passport
Make sure that it is in date and not about to run out during the dates we plan to be away.
2. A Visa
If you're an international student it may be likely that you need a visa to travel to Germany. Make sure you check that there is enough time to get the appropriate visa. This will also have to be funded by yourselves.
3. Full Availability
You need to make sure your calendar is clear for the dates March 24th - April 5th. Make sure your Granny's cousins sisters uncles big birthday bash isn't on the weekend that those dates cover. We also need your availability for the second week of May to fly back to Germany and build your proposal, so please pencil this into your calendars. (Don't worry, this does not coincide with your deadlines)
4. Toothbrush... come prepared you will be designing, so you will also need your full architecture school kit.
Posted 24 Jan 2019 13:43
AGENDA //
Albert's connection is a project which aims to bring together students from the Manchester School of Architecture and the University of Coburg to collaborate on a design competition proposal for a prestigious design festival held in the city.
The site for the project is the former 'Schlachthof' (Slaughterhouse) where the design festival is held each year. Our students will work alongside the Coburg students to each propose an exciting and conceptual design proposal for the site.
Ideas will be driven by the connection between the two cities, Prince Albert, whose statue sits at the heart of both Manchester and Coburg. You will also be asked to observe the site of the Schlachthof in depth, to use and appropriate the space in an innovative way. Above are the plans and sections for the Schlachthof, showing the history and found state of the building.
The project will end by all cumulating at the Schlachthof for presentations in front of a design jury. The winning proposals will then be realised and built in Coburg for the design festival in May.
Posted 24 Jan 2019 13:15
Introducing 'Albert's Connection'.
‘Albert’s connection’ is a collaborative project that will bring together students from Manchester University and from Coburg University, in Germany, in order to use their creativity into a fun and engaging design competition.
The project consists of developing urban spatial interventions around the former Schlachthof (Slaughterhouse), which will be used for events held there as well as for the Creapolis at the Campus Design Open - Festival (parallel to the Coburger Design Tage).
Posted 9 Jan 2019 14:18
