Scotland+ Venice

PAST + FUTURELAND WORKS

LAND WORKS is credited to the following contributors and guests:

Fergus Purdie RSA (Elect), Architect at Fergus Purdie Architects, Part-time Studio Tutor School of the Environment, University of Dundee

Rowan Mackinnon-PrydeArchitect at Reiach and Hall Architects, Associate AE Foundation Associate, Editor of Matzine

Ashley ToshScott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon University

William PurdieUniversity of Strathclyde

Jamie BellGraphic Designer, Jamie Bell Design

Rory CavanaghPhotographer

Seán McAlisterDirector, Seán & Stephen ltd, Editor of Matzine

Stephen MackieDirector, Seán & Stephen ltd, Editor of Matzine

Past + FuturePast + Future

The f ie ldwork studies are mapping works in progress; on-going development a long var ious l ines of enquiry into the adapted modernism of inf rastructure and archi tecture as a v isual language used in the Scott ish Highlands dur ing the 1950s. The projects selected provide comparat ive case studies in the use of form, scale, mater ia ls, space and passage of t ime.

In paral le l wi th our f ie ldwork studies the ideas and inf luences of the progressive Scott ish general is t t radi t ion, advocated by Patr ick Geddes (1854 - 1932), are acknowledged as a preamble to the evolv ing modernism of the 1950s.

A ser ies of reconnaissance exerc ises undertaken to observe three s i te-speci f ic concrete st ructures of the Scott ish landscape wi th in a t r iptych f ramework of :

ABOVE - ON - BELOW

RECONNAISSANCE 1ABOVE Water Tower, Nybster

RECONNAISSANCE 2ON Dam, Loch Galscarnnoch

RECONNAISSANCE 3BELOW Hydro Stat ion, Ceannacroc

RECONNAISSANCE 4A Col laborat ion

RECONNAISSANCE 5Out look - Enquiry

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4 Case Study 0.1 - Fleming House44 LAND WORKS

Embedded Modernism 5

L A N D W O R K S

“ W e s u p p o s e t h e d e m a n d s o f u t i l i t y a r e a l r e a d y s a t i s f i e d : a c h o i c e s t i l l r e m a i n s t o b e m a d e a m o n g i n d e f i n i t e f o r m s . ”

R o g e r S c r u t o n , T h e A e s t h e t i c s o f A r c h i t e c t u r e

The ‘Fundamentals ’ examined here are not indiv idual components of the bui ld ing fabr ic: wal l , f loor, window.

Instead accumulated notat ions: drawings, photography and text , acknowledge essent ia l considerat ions in re lat ion to the ar t iculat ion and composi t ion of object and space. We cal l th is archi tecture.

The three st ructures selected share a common mater ia l : concrete. As objects of the land they share a common purpose, engaged in the containment, d ist r ibut ion and col lect ion of a natura l resource: water.

When v iewed in the landscape, these are incongruous objects, anomal ies; but at the same t ime they seem oddly fami l iar, possessing a sense of belonging to th is p lace.

Al l three or ig inate f rom a per iod in which both bui ld ing type [ faci l i ta t ing new industry] and bui ld ing mater ia l [concrete] were st i l l to establ ish recognised t radi t ions and aesthet ics.

Whi le they are indeed bui ld ings of ut i l i ty, these st ructures i l lust rate a marr iage of form and funct ion, in a conscious development of an archi tectura l language.

Now, these Modern bui ld ings present

to us a k ind of industr ia l archaeology. Those which are redundant appear as industr ia l fo l l ies.

In examining the modern we discover and reveal our t radi t ions. Can we use th is understanding to contr ibute towards a meaningful and re levant Scott ish archi tecture?

E l e v a t i o n

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10 Case Study 0.2 - College of Commerce10 LAND WORKS

Embedded Modernism 11PAST + FUTURE 11

Interview - Frank Walker12 LAND WORKS

FOLK + PLACE

“ . . . ‘ b u i l d i n g ’ i s a n e l e m e n t a r y a c t i v i t y o f m a n i n t i m a t e l y l i n k e d w i t h e v o l u t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f h u m a n l i f e . ”

E x t r a c t f r o m t h e C I A M : L a S a r r a z D e c l a r a t i o n

There is a long-standing re lat ionship between the part icular landscape of Scot land and those who dwel l in i t .

The posi t ioning of objects in th is ground has been a means of understanding one’s envi ronment and an expression of belonging to the land. On s i tes where fo lk have erected stones or bui l t cai rns they have connected the present to the past , the l iv ing to thei r ancestors and the dead wi th the soi l .

In ancient t imes, p laces and elements in and ‘of ’ a p lace, were of ten considered as gateways to other wor lds. Through myths and legends, ‘p lace’ and protagonist were connected and so connected past wi th present .

This t radi t ion st i l l ex ists, a l though now i t is general ly considered an ‘ar t is t ic ’ gesture as opposed to one which is essent ia l ly to do wi th being.

Placing the object in the ‘ f ie ld’ creates another reading of the landscape; v iewing the scene gives an under ly ing sense of cont inui ty and common purpose.

“ I th ink a l l o f these th ings are to do wi th composing. What you compose wi th is nei ther here nor there, you compose wi th words, or you compose wi th stone plants and t rees, or you compose wi th events; [ . . . ] , or whatever. I t is a l l a mat ter of composing and ‘order ’ . ”

Ian Hami l ton Fin lay

P l a n

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Interview 0.2 - Andrew MacMillan20 LAND WORKS

“ I s c o n c r e t e a h i s t o r i c a l m e d i u m - o r i s a b s e n c e o f h i s t o r y p a r t o f i t s a p p e a l ? ”

A d r i a n Fo r t yC o n c r e t e a n d C u l t u r e : A M a t e r i a l H i s t o r y

C O N C R E T E

Concrete is an emotive thing. Its deep-rooted associations are undeniable: mass industry; warfare; the unforgiving language of brutalism and the ‘failed’ urban experiments of the mid-20th century. To consider this material as independent from such affi l iations can be challenging.

Concrete is a contradictory material. It bears resemblance to stone - solid, resil ient - yet, conversely, it is f luid; plastic. Stone seems reliable - concrete unpredictable.

It is a material ‘of the ground’; the principal ingredient is stone quarried from the earth. Nevertheless, it is considered an artif icial substance. Ground to a powder and combined with water and gravel - along with a certain alchemy - this new creation imitates its original stone-like state.

When compared with more traditional building materials: stone or timber; concrete lacks a ‘past’. This was a most desirable characteristic in a post-war era where the past was better forgotten. Concrete lent itself to the emerging building styles of the time, which rejected the conventions of the past and promised a new, ‘modern’ way of l iving.

Whilst having been used widely over the last century in all sectors of construction, there remains a sense that, beyond industrial use, concrete has no established tradition or accepted language.

In Scotland, concrete as an aesthetic has never really been absorbed. Left in its naked state, it is sti l l seen as an unfriendly surface.

Meanwhile, the architectural community sees concrete as the ‘marble of the 20th century’.

“the reasons why architects l ike concrete - material honesty, minimalism, abstraction, asceticism, etc. - are terms taken from discourse among the already init iated”

Falk Jaeger, ‘The Trouble with Concrete ’

S e c t i o n

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“Archi tecture as wi th a l l ar t is t ic work, is essent ia l ly the product of col laborat ion. Col laborat ion occurs in the obvious and pract ical sense of the word, such as in the interact ion wi th numerous professionals, workmen and craf tsmen, but col laborat ion occurs as wel l wi th other ar t is ts, archi tects and landscape archi tects, not only one’s contemporar ies and the l iv ing, but perhaps more important ly wi th predecessors who have been dead for decades or centur ies. Any authent ic work is set into the t imeless t radi t ion of ar t is t ic works and is meaningful only i f i t presents i tse l f humbly to th is t radi t ion and becomes part of that cont inuum.”

Pal lasmaa, J. in Landscape Archi tecture Si te/Non-Si te

Archi tectura l Design, London, Apr i l 2007, Vol . 77 No 2, New

Archi tectura l Hor izons,Michael Spens, Guest Edi tor

COLLABORATION

Patrick Geddes

André Schimmerling

Michael Spens

Fergus Purdie

Rowan Mackinnon-Pryde

Ashley Tosh

William Purdie

Jamie Bell

Rory Cavanagh

Seán McAlister

Stephen Mackie

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List of Illustrations

Water Tower, Nybster

Dam,Loch Glascarnoch

Hydro Station, Ceannacroc

p. 1Land Works2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 2 – 3 Above2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 4 – 5 Water Tower, Nybster2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 4 – 5 Water Tower, Nybster2014Elevation© Fergus Purdie

pp. 6 – 9 Water Tower, Nybster, Details2014Photo Study© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 10 – 11 On2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh pp. 12 – 13 Dam, Loch Glascarnoch2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 12 – 13 Dam, Loch Glascarnoch2014Plan© Fergus Purdie

pp. 14 – 17 Dam, Loch Glascarnoch, Details2014Photo Study© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 18 – 19 Below2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 20 – 21 Hydro Station, Caennacroc2014Photograph© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 20 – 21 Hydro Station, Caennacroc2014Section© Fergus Purdie

pp. 22 – 25 Hydro Station, Caennacroc, Details2014Photo Study© Rory Cavanagh

pp. 26 – 27 2014Illustration© Seán & Stephen Ltd.

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Credits

First published in 2014 for

‘A residency at The British Pavilion as part of The 14th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia’ 26th September - 24th October 2014

Scotland + Venice is a partnership between:

Scotland + Venice was curated by:

Reiach and Hall Architects

Neil Gillespie OBELaura KinnairdLewis Thomson

The Research Groups

Past + Future - An Introduction

Neil Gillespie OBE

Laura KinnairdLewis Thomson

Group 01: ‘Being There, The Fierce and Beautiful World’

James Grimley

Chris Lowry

Fergus David

Sophie Crocker

Group 02: ‘Embedded Modernism’

Alan Hooper

David Page

Andrew FrameChristopher DoveFraser MaitlandJamie Whelan

Group 03: ‘Land Works’

Fergus Purdie

Rowan Mackinnon-Pryde

Ashley Tosh

William Purdie

Group 04: ‘Outsiders’

Samuel Penn

Cameron McEwan

Penny Lewis

Hugh Lawson

Volha Druhakova

RSA (Elect) FRIAS RIBA, Design Director, Reiach and Hall Architects, Visiting Professor, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon UniversityAssociate, Reiach and Hall ArchitectsAssistant, Reiach and Hall Architects

Director, Reiach and Hall Architects, Part-time Studio Tutor at The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)Lecturer in Architecture, The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

Architect, Programme Leader, Department of Architecture, The Glasgow School of ArtArchitect at Page/Park Architects, Visiting Professor, University of StrathclydeUniversity of StrathclydeThe Glasgow School of ArtUniversity of StrathclydeThe Glasgow School of Art

RSA (Elect), Architect at Fergus Purdie Architects, Part-time Studio Tutor School of the Environment, University of DundeeArchitect at Reiach and Hall Architects, Associate AE Foundation Associate, Editor of MatzineScott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon UniversityUniversity of Strathclyde

Lecturer in Architecture, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon University, AE Foundation Co-founder and DirectorLecturer in History and Theory of the City, Architectural Design Tutor, AE Foundation AssociateLecturer in Architectural History, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon University, AE Foundation Co-founder and DirectorScott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon UniversityScott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon University

Partners

© Scotland + Venice 2014All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission by Reiach and Hall Architects.

Reiach and Hall Architects6 Darnaway StreetEdinburghEH3 6BG

Printed by Sharman & Company Ltd.

Note: Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright. The publishers apologise for any omissions that may have inadvertently been made.

with additional support from:

Chief Architect, Planning & Architecture Division Scottish GovernmentPrincipal Architect, Planning & Architecture Division Scottish GovernmentPortfolio Manager - Visual ArtsCreative ScotlandVisual Arts AdvisorBritish Council Scotland

Further to those listed Scotland + Venice 2014 would also like to thank additional members of the partner organisations Les Scott_ The Scottish Government, Esther Hutcheson_The Scottish Government, Alistair Donald_British Council, Gwendoline Webber_British Council, Camile Mateos_British Council.

For their assistance in communications and when we return from Venice: Morag Bain_Architecture + Design Scotland, Anja Ekelof_Architecture + Design Scotland

For reference and use of Building Scotland, Past + Future, A Cautionary Guide by Alan Reiach and Robert Hurd in 1944, we thank Jim Tough and The Saltire Society, Edinburgh

We also thank our partners in Venice: M+B Studio SRL, Endar, Francesco Raccanelli_The British Pavilion

Finally we thank all those who have either contributed or assisted in the publications and events: Reiach and Hall Architects, Miles Glendinning_ESALA, Margaret Richards, Chris Rankin_rankinfraser landscape architects, Angus Farquhar_NVA, Dr Jonathan Charley_University of Strathclyde, Ellis Woodman_ Architects Journal, Murray Grigor, Toby Paterson, Irvine Welsh, Rebecca Wober_Studio DuB, Katherine Ross_Timeline Films, John Barr, Mark Baines, Professor Andy MacMillan OBE, Frank Walker, Seán McAlister_Matzine, Stephen Mackie_Matzine, Jamie Bell_Jamie Bell Design, Rory Cavanagh, Emanuel Petit, Sven-Olov Wallenstein, Dirk van den Heuvel, Fergus Denoon, Michael Wolchover_A Slight Shift, Norma Shewan, Derry Menzies Robertson and John Barber.

Ian Gilzean

Sandy Robinson

Amanda Catto

Juliet Dean

Advisory Panel

Anderson Bell Christie Architects and Architecture + Design ScotlandCity Design Adviser, Glasgow City CouncilLecturer in Architectural History, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment, Robert Gordon University, AE Foundation Co-founder and DirectorHead of the Mackintosh School of ArtHistoric ScotlandDo Architecture

Karen Anderson (Chair)

Gerry Grams

Penny Lewis

Professor Christopher PlattRanald MacInnesAdrian Stewart

Past + Future

Scotland + Venice

PAST + FUTURE 29

Reconnaissance 5 Outlook + Enquiry. In 1915

Patrick Geddes’s seminal work - Cities in

Evolution - was first published. As its centenary

approaches the opportunity to begin revisiting and

reinterpreting this study of cities within the theme

of ‘fundamentals’ is timely. Land Works will begin

this pilgrimage in a gathering place where ideas and

aspirations are explored and exchanged through an

interdisciplinary and international forum of open

dialogue - as Lewis Mumford said ....‘(Geddes’)

Scotland embraced Europe and his Europe

embraced the world.’ Team 03 Fieldwork will be

continued in Venice under the following : Seeking

Anonymity - there is? is there? - The Betrayal of

Geddes