In this project, I attempted to translate Blackhorse Lane Ateliers Factory into graphic and printed matters.
I did not choose an exact site to observe; rather, the site gradually became more defined through the process of observation. Cars and motorcycles passing by, people crossing the road, someone smoking, trees under the sunlight, students waiting for the bus, and construction sites in progress—by objectively recording these ordinary street scenes “until the scene becomes improbable” (Perec, 1997, pp. 46–56), the familiar gradually turned into unfamiliar symbols.
As Perec discovered the regularity of the buses (Perec, 1997, pp. 46–56), the predominance of students and young pedestrians, together with the newly built and under-construction modern apartments, all became evidence of the gentrification that Blackhorse Lane is experiencing. This process eventually led me to the Blackhorse Lane Ateliers Factory as a focal point for observation and investigation.
When observing the factory, it was inevitable to also notice other buildings along the street. Although the spaces within these buildings serve different functions—factories, apartments, bars converted from industrial sites, or the Blackhorse Ateliers Factory itself—their rooftop designs show a striking similarity. Without the billboards, it is difficult to tell whether a building is a bar or a factory. The design of the billboards has become the main communicative device conveying the identity of each building, just as described in “Symbol in space before form in space” (Venturi & Scott Brown, 2007, pp. 3–19).
However, Blackhorse Ateliers Factory gave me insights into the relationship between architecture and symbol, through its way of translating the outline of the building itself into a logo and a billboard. Following Perec’s method—“set about it more slowly, almost stupidly. Force yourself to write down what is of no interest, what is most obvious, most common, most colourless” (Perec, 1997, pp. 46–56)—helped me better understand how to translate a physical site and architectural form into graphic and printed matters, combining not only symbol and architecture but also the meanings embodied within the architecture itself.
Perec, G. (1997) Species of Spaces and Other Pieces. London: Penguin Books Ltd, pp. 46–56.
Venturi, R. and Scott Brown, D., edited by Rattenbury, K. and Hardingham, S. (2007) Learning from Las Vegas: New Edition. London: Architectural Press, pp. 3–19.
Feedback:Your written response is clear, but mostly describes your process rather than using two readings to expand on the ideas you came across during the brief. Try to use the readings to develop a deeper analysis around the semiotics of the symbol, logo and billboard you are observing.