'Drumlins', Peter Fink (FoRM), 2011. Image courtesy of the artist and Form Associates.
Synopsis
Bristol City Council is currently in the process of completing a number of new developments on the Hengrove Park site in South Bristol. Included in the development masterplan is the new Hengrove Leisure Centre. As part of the development artist Peter Fink / FoRM Associates was commissioned to develop a new artwork for the Plaza space adjoining the building, and as part of a wider landscape scheme also designed by FoRM.
Finks sculptures, entitled the ‘Drumlins’, have been designed with a central thesis; to merge Hengrove Park with the plaza and in doing so, create a spatial hierarchy that fulfils a number of key ambitions. These include creating a symbolic entry point into Hengrove Park and forming a distinctive landform structure as the back bone to spatial enclosure both intimate and expansive.
The ‘Drumlins’ will provide a contoured embankments allowing DDA compliant access between the Leisure Centre and the Hospital without the use of retaining walls or steps, presenting green aspects to the both the Leisure Centre and Hospital. From the central boulevard the artworks will provide a soft focal point and backdrop, to the termination of this main arterial route, acting as catalyst to further the ‘sense of place’ and characteristic of the public realm domains.
The overall form of the Plaza follows an allegorical representation of ancient wooded upland spurs meeting lowland flood plains spilling into the space between buildings; in effect drawing the park through the plaza. A series of folds provide sanctuary and intimacy culminating in a broad expanse of paving sufficient to facilitate minor local events.
The ‘Drumlin’ forms echo the spatial and landscape philosophy of the Plaza in addition to providing a memorable intervention as well as informal seating.
Peter Fink
Peter Fink is a founding partner of FoRM Associates with responsibility for urban and art focused regeneration projects. Peter has a leading role in strategic projects focusing on green urbanism and he brings to the practice an unusual background and combination of skills with degrees in Engineering, Philosophy and Visual Arts.
His long-standing interest in architecture and urbanism has also extended into academia through teaching at the Architectural Association as a Unit Master and as a dissertation Tutor at the Bartlett school of Architecture. In addition he has also acted as an enabler for CABE since 2003.
Prior to co-founding FoRM, Peter worked for over 20 years as an artist on a range of public art projects worldwide. In 1996 he co-founded Art2Architecture with Igor Marko focusing on collaborative projects between artists and architects. During this period he established his architectural presence and interests through a wide range of distinct projects combining art, lighting, architecture, urbanism and ecology.
FoRM Associates is a London-based design practice that looks holistically at the ‘liveability’ of 21st century cities, creating places that are better to live in, work in and enjoy.
We are urbanists in the widest sense, working collaboratively to fuse urban design and landscape architecture with ecology, environmental design, master-planning, architecture, branding, lighting, arts, media and engineering. FoRM delivers aspirational and cohesive responses to complex urban situations by bringing together a range of professional disciplines in effective collaboration.
Our approach to place making is focused on developing visions for clients and cities that are distinctive, sustainable and functional. Form produces innovative and contemporary design solutions that avoid preconceived styles and instead respond directly to their social and environmental context.
Whether at the scale of urban masterplans or intimate sanctuaries, our design process takes the specific social, cultural and economic factors at play and combines them with sustainable environmental practice. By inviting people to join the process we form new places that embody the values of their inhabitants and users, contribute positively to their urban setting and inject vitality into their city’s economy.
The ultimate success of creating new places depends upon delivering the vision with clarity. FoRM’s hallmark lies in its ability to design functional and people orientated public realms that are inspiring both in their design and in reality.
