Global Patterns - Rochdale Town Hall

FABRIC FROM FIVE CONTINENTS

CORE IDEA

Once Rochdale sent textiles out across the world; today they come from across the world to Rochdale. An echo of the past and a nod to Rochdale’s multi-cultural present.

On site at Rochdale Town Hall. Adrian Wright and Stephen Broadbent installed the ceramic units for the seats. The landscape is coming together - a full transformation for what was a carpark.

CONTEXT

The refurbishing of Rochdale Town Hall and its surrounding area. This included the planting of five trees, to be encircled by themed seating. According to Pevsner, Rochdale Town Hall is the premier example of Gothic Revival civic architecture in the country. It stands very proud and was built with the proceeds of Rochdale’s flourishing 19th-century textile business, which at that time exported its wares across the world. But that was long ago. The time had come for a facelift and the Council were keen to inject new life into the building and its surroundings. An artwork outside such an important building, however, would have to say something about the town, then and now.

VISITING THE SEATS

We have enjoyed some sunshine as the seasons change - and we took this opportunity for a good afternoon of people watching alongside a cold beer from The Olde Courtyard.

The dappled shade from the trees, and the tactile, colourful seats offered a playground to explore. Even in the heat wave the seats were comfortable to sit on and the patterns sparked conversations.

ROCHDALE REGENERATION

We are a small part of a much wider regeneration, so many exciting projects being realised surrounding the restoration of the Town Hall - capturing story-telling, history and engaging communities. These interventions celebrate the area - and the notion of placemaking.

“Gillespies designed the new town square, which is being transformed to complement the lottery-supported restoration of the Grade I listed Rochdale Town Hall.

The area has been transformed from a car park into a high-quality public plaza, with beautiful benches designed by Broadbent Studio and created by Darwen Terracotta, offering visitors a chance to meet and relax under the new trees.”
— Gillespies

DETAILS

Not all the colours representing the continents are accessible yet - they are hiding behing the hoardings. We have - Pink for Africa, Sky blue for Europe, Greeny brown / browny green for Oceania, Purply midnight blue for Asia and Sandy gold for Americas. Stories for all the patterns to follow soon.

The making of Global Patterns - Rochdale Town Hall

FABRIC FROM FIVE CONTINENTS

CORE IDEA

Once Rochdale sent textiles out across the world; today they come from across the world to Rochdale. An echo of the past and a nod to Rochdale’s multi-cultural present.

Ceramic sections in the workshop at Darwen - the pink glaze representing Asia.

Each circular bench is made up of nine individual seats, all bearing textile patterns from a particular continent. In total, there are 45 individual patterns. We have rendered these as arrangements of lines and dots pressed into wet clay. When the clay is fired, titanium glaze collects in the recesses and the patterns become two-tone, iridescent faience.

The patterns themselves are of several different kinds. Some are drawn from designs simply painted or printed onto fabric, others from designs created in the weave. Some describe a certain technique such as tie-dye, appliqué or embroidery. Still others show in close-up the structure of a particular type of fabric itself. All represent textiles that have come to be identified, whether over thousands of years or just a few decades, with a certain part of the world.

A continent contains many countries located in a fewer number of zones. So for each bench we have chosen patterns from as wide a spread of cultures as possible, but composed them into three groups. Our hope is to build up a mosaic of patterns which is at once diverse and harmonious - recognisable as the cultural mosaic of a continent.

CONCEPT IMAGES

MAKING

Our small team enjoyed working at Darwen Terracotta’s workshops - being present for the full process of making and especially enjoying the light from the large windows.

A NEW TECHNIQUE

We worked with the wet clay before it was fired - creating new tools in order to press the different forms and shapes into the clay, changing the amount of pressure or depth needed. There was definitely a state of flow as we worked steadily and slowly to recreate the patterns.

UNDERSTANDING THE GLAZE

Working with Tamzin from Darwen on testing and comparing the different glaze combinations.

DETAILS IN THE GLAZE

More details and stories from each pattern to come.

“Warren Chapman, associate partner at landscape architecture Gillespies, said: “We are delighted to see the progress on bringing new life into the heart of Rochdale town centre.

“The completed project will transform a sea of car parking into a people-friendly civic space for generations of Rochdale residents to enjoy and cherish.”

Darwen Terracotta owner Jon Wilson said: “While we work worldwide, it is always heart-warming to be involved with work on our doorstep.

“We were delighted to collaborate with Broadbent on this project, and look forward to seeing the final installation of the benches. We hope the people of Rochdale greatly enjoy this exciting new town square.”

The town hall and square are expected to be reopened to the public later this year.”
— Rochdale online


Highlighting stone sculptural markers installed Manor Royal

Manor Royal Heritage Trail - Carved limestone sculpture

Yesterday

YESTERDAY

The idea behind this artwork was to create a sense of looking into the past.

It takes its starting point from the image of tree rings. Everybody knows a tree ring represents one year, but this must mean each ring could in theory be pulled out like a napkin ring - the year 1936, for example, could become an object in itself. "What would happen," we asked ourselves, "if we cut a section of an oak trunk, set it on its side and were able to push the rings back with our hand?"

What happens is that a shape is produced that looks from the outside a bit like an old bellows camera. From the inside, a tunnel is created that becomes deeper towards the centre - deeper the further back in time one goes, as though one is literally looking 'into the past.' If we remove the central few rings we get an aperture. Now the eye is drawn down into the tree rings and through into what lies beyond.

This stone-carved sculpture sits just to the south of Metcalf Way. Orientated with the narrow aperture pointing down the bridle way towards Langley Green, where the view through would be one that has changed little since well before the coming of Manor Royal and the development of County Oak. Carved into the sculpture is the word 'Yesterday.' 

TOMORROW

The concept combines the idea of a spiral, suggestive of dynamic growth, with the idea of future potential contained within the seed. The acorn is thought to speculate about a future time rather than actually showing it, thereby inviting similar questions for all of us.

The frame imagery relates to an architect's drawing board on which ideas and possibilities are being sketched. The blasted code revealed on the acorn’s surface, holds a mystery with in it that will shape the seed’s future. Carved along the edge of the sculpture in futuristic font, is the word ‘Tomorrow’.

Both the Yesterday and Tomorrow pieces express the act of trying to look backwards and forwards from the standpoint of today, not actual time travel.

MAKING PROCESS

Our friend and creative partner, Adrian Wright, the renowned Stone Mason, enjoyed the challenge of the complex form and layers of imagery.

Revisiting the installation of Chatham Water Seats

We installed Chatham Waters seats last June - it was part of a wider vision document and Art & Place sourcebook we created for the re-development of the area.

CONCEPT DOCUMENT

Walking Together - Memorial

The #WalkingTogether memorial will be completed upon the installation of the remaining 13 figures representing the following men who lost their lives in the 1938 disaster.

https://markhamstorymine.org/?fbclid=IwAR3RL691oZQkCsiaRbOgOMiyA1gw_1i5ihxwcTJRojMX2tnhA5w8ZBN8ToQ

Over the past few months Derbyshire-based photographer David John King has been busy behind the scenes capturing photos and video of all the #WalkingTogether activity to create a short film about the project as it reaches the conclusion of a 10 year journey. David will also be capturing new oral histories for https://markhamstorymine.org Here's a few photos of the final figures being installed. Supported by @HeritageFundUK

Kate Watson

Walking Together mining memorial: Markham Vale Heritage Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/769870329844412/

WALKING TOGETHER EVENT - THURSDAY 13th OCTOBER AT 1 PM – 4:30 PM

Please drop in the Markham Vale Environment Centre between 1-4.30.
You will be able to view the work of schools and community members created as part of the ‘10 Years of Walking Together’ engagement project, have refreshments at the Centre and meet with others interested in the trail and Markham’s mining heritage. You will then be able to walk the trail at your leisure. You do not need to book for this event. Markham Vale Environment Centre, Markham Lane, Chesterfield, S44 5HY

In 2012 Broadbent studio was appointed to create a unique artwork to remember the 106 miners who died in the major disasters of 1937,38 & 73 at Markham Colliery.

Our aim was to create a living memorial to remember Markham Vale's three significant mining disasters, and to celebrate and acknowledge the Miners themselves. 

The memorial takes the form of 106 larger than life size steel figures, stretching between the village of Duckmanton and the former pit head of Markham Colliery.

This walking trail of figures symbolises a miner’s journey to the pit and back home again. The artwork will boldly cut through this dramatic industrial landscape creating a ‘desire line’ for visitors to re-imagine and remember the lives of all miners, in particular those who lost their lives for their work.

The 53 figures walking home after a shift underground will have a darker finish on the steel, compared to the 53 brighter figures walking to the pit to start a shift.

The people, supporters, sponsors have owned this project and allowed it to grow. As demonstrated by the active community and facebook group - it is an honour and privilege to have worked on this memorial for the past 10 years - and to see and experience the wider legacy for the project.