I have begun looking at ways that we can cover the building without using a cladding system. Camouflage was discussed yesterday, in particular the Dazzle Camouflaged HMS Belfast on The Thames. I remember a little while back when I was researching into Gestalt I came across Dazzle Camouflage (a.k.a Razzle Dazzle or Dazzle Painting) which was used mostly in WWI and WWII. Dazzle does not disguise the ship but makes it hard for the enemy to calculate the size, speed and heading by using contrasting colours which intersect each other. As naval technology became more advance, and with the introduction of the radar, Dazzle painting started to become redundant.
The architect/artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was mentioned in relation to 'painting a building'. I visited one of his building 'Hundertwasserhaus' on a trip to Vienna in 2007 and found a colourful apartment block that looks a bit like pieces of fabric sewed together or the irregularity of a papier-mache model craft house. The style is similar to Gaudi but not as serious in texture, colour and form. Lively colours patterned in mosaic and concrete walls inserted with glass.
We then discussed the gable and street artwork of Belfast and how they communicate something about the building. Perhaps the Academy could reflect their specialism in sport on this wall. In terms of community involvement the brick could have a paint by numbers strategy allowing a professional looking large graphic to be applied using unskilled labour. Perhaps only one bit of the building has this effect applied. We spoke about a Lego wall being executed in this numbers/colours way by children at school but I am having trouble finding that on the internet. I did however find some Lego stuff that is interesting.
Dhiren mention a school that put translucent fins on the windows to pull more light into a building. Putting window boxes on the building was also mentioned (makes me wish I actually turned up to that Edouard Francois lecture I was supposed to go to the other week). The conversation moved more on to the execuation of the project rather than a particular design so I have to look into National School Curriculum, whether people would treasure something that they do not have a financial or emotional link to, resurfacing the entrance to the school in conjunction with the current contractor.
There were a couple of things that I have yet to find such as Hasen Hahn (Spelling?? Didn't stop to ask what this was) and also the Richard Wentworth addition to the Walsall Art Gallery.