csmtime7 - kings cross special

8/9/2019 CSMTime7 - Kings Cross Special

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2/15

+ Our new hOme (4)

+ Kings CrOss gallery(6)

+ One year and COunting (8)

+ Kings CrOss PrOjeCts (11)

+ Kings CrOss news (12)

+ PerfOrmanCe at Kings CrOss (14)

+ Private COlleCtiOn (16)

+ meet the neighbOurs (18)

+ OPen fOr business (20)

+ Kings CrOss student PrOjeCts (22)

+ widening PartiCiPatiOn at KX(24)+ Kings CrOss faQ (26)

+ COming sOOn (27)

baCK tO thefutureNext summer 2011 we move to our new homein Kings Cross, London. In this specialedition of our termly newspaper CSM Time, weinvite students, staff and friends ofthe College to look ahead with us as the nalcountdown begins.

At Kings Cross, Central Saint Martins willcarry the best of our history and values into anew era of arts education. The design of ournew campus allows us to re-imagine how weteach the art, design and performancestudents of the future.

On 1 August 2011, following completion ofour t-out schedule, the new building willbe handed over to us and our move pressesahead in the run-up to autumn term 2011.For our students these are exciting momentson an exciting journey. For our staff well,keep calm and remember we wont be doingthis again for at least another 100 years or so!

In this special issue ofCSM Time we take youon a voyage in time and space. Resident

features editor Drusilla Beyfus opens awindow on the design and build of our newhome (see p4). As well as introducing youto our future neighbours (see p18), weshowcase student projects set in and aroundour Kings Cross site (see p22). We alsoanswer your FAQs about our historic move(see p26).

Throughout the coming year well keep youabreast of news, events and developmentsrelating to Kings Cross both in the pages ofCSM Time and online at our KX blog.

Heres to our future!

CSM Time is produced by Marketing [email protected] association with Rhombus Writers,and designed by Paulus M Dreibholz(alumnus and associate lecturer) andEmma Williams. With thanks to DrusillaBeyfus, Seamus Mirodan and Rena Valeh.

2010 Central Saint Martins Collegeof Art and Design unless otherwiseindicated. We have made all efforts tocredit images correctly. Please contactus if we have omitted to credit ormiscredited an image amendmentswill be made in subsequent issues.

d v e r t i s e m e n t

Kings PlaceFestival 2010

sePtember 912100 concerts in 4 days

music, sPoKen Word & visual artMedieval hip hop, sculptures by David Bailey, artwork from the Antarctic,and the Junk Band with their instruments made of rubbish, are just some

of the surprises in store.

Celebrating the second anniversary of the Kings Place opening, thisweekend-long event showcases the wealth of cultural and socialopportunity that the space offers year-round. The Third Kings PlaceFestival features: Behind the Scenes at the Guardian; comedy from TomBasden; Jenny clair; Rob Deering; the best in new poetry from Poet inthe City, and the chance to sample emerging talent from Manchester

and Bristol, from Arctic Circle and much, much more!

all ticKets only 4.50 online + loads oF Free eventsWWW.KingsPlace.co.uK

find Out mOre abOut Kings CrOssvisit the KX blOgs: www.Csm.arts.aC.uK/snaPshOt/CategOry/

Kings-CrOss and www.Csm.arts.aC.uK/KingsCrOss


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C s m t i me fO r K i ng s C r Os s

Our new hOmeDrusilla Beyfus takes a guided tour and reportson progress on the ground

My recent visit to the Central Saint Martinsampus at Kings Cross was a greatpportunity to see how the vision glimpsedn scale models and plans was shaping up onhe ground. My guide was one of the masterlanners, architect Paul Williams of Stanton

Williams, the practice that in 2001, won thenternational competition to design theampus. I had interviewed him previously atheir HQ in Islington. Williams characterisedhe architecture of the campus. Its notndeavouring to be an ofce building, nor ist a city building. It needs to have an edgend a rawness.

he approach has been to meld a richndustrial heritage with 21st centuryoncepts in architecture and design. Three

main structural components tell the story:he Grade 2 listed Granary building inrick, cast iron and timber built in 1852 byewis Cubitt (younger brother of Thomas

Cubitt); the 19th century Eastern Transithed, also built by Cubitt, and a brand newonstruction in exposed concrete, steel andlass. Two-thirds of the total constructions rebuilt, one-third is original. The overallost of the fabric of t he build and the t-outs in the region of 120 million.

Some interesting facts emerged aboutthe background to the scheme. If thedevelopment at Holborn had gone aheadfollowing the winning solution at theinternational competition in 2001, thedeveloped building would have been a

vertical structure some 10/11 storeys high,in other words a mini skyscraper. Heexplained the listed industrial structuresdene the parameters for the height of thenew development, and these were of ascope to allow the architects to put up thepresent building, whose main body isonly four storeys high. In Williams view,a vertical building for an art college

would be far less practical and functionalfor the college to have inhabited.

We looked at some of the facilities: anadaptable lecture theatre for 400 people;seminar spaces; exible performance,rehearsal and exhibition areas; a maintheatre that accommodates over 300people; a 100-seat studio theatre; a library;a museum and gallery. He singled out theglazing on the cantilevered elevation ofthe new performance studios that wouldbe absolutely gorgeous, stunning.Being translucent, it reects the shadowyforms of the dancers and actors that can beglimpsed from outside.

I was keen to hear from him how the campuswould work in practice. He said, We havehad to ask ourselves, is this a studentexperience or a staff experience? In an artcollege, surely it has to be the students.

Communication between people had beena mantra. Studios, workshops and ITdepartments were located to encouragefusion between the disciplines fashion wasadjacent to graphics for example. They hadbuilt in many social spaces where peoplecan chill out and connect, he said, includinga canteen, cafes, and a foyer bar. Publicaccess to the southern end of the Granarybuilding complex was the policy of theCollege as well as that of Argent, the KingsCross property developer which is engagedin regenerating the whole area.

A top-lit main street divides the heart ofthe construction, running from northto south. Covered in ETFE, a material knownfor its light transmission properties,the exible design means the Street couldfunction as a meeting place and anexhibition area. Over-arched by ve-metre

wide bridges that connect the various levelswith the art studios and other amenities,the whole layout has an open feel, theantithesis of a system of corridors, closeddoors and shut-off small spaces.

Yet a sense of history has been retained.The way we have refurbished the oldbuildings is to keep as many of the pulleysystems, harnesses, and winches as we could.

When you walk through the building, youwill be able to understand how it was usedin 1851, he said.

I wondered how the projected numbers ostudents and staff would be tted in? Hereplied there will be far less wasted spaceno more duplication of studios and servicThe system would depend on bookablerooms, an efcient method adopted by lascale clients they had worked for wherespace was at a premium. And they areretaining Byam Shaws Archway campus.

We have tried to keep the space as uidas possible and to allow staff to understanhow their working methods and t eachingpractices could be changed by thepossibilities offered by this new space.

The building is effectively a warehouse with oors and high ceilings, that allowsthe College to develop over time, he saidHe recalled that Jane Rapley, Head ofCollege, had hoped that the building woumorph into forms that could be adaptedtomorrows needs. She had said early on ithe planning, this is an experiment thallows us to reinvent ourselves in the way

work. He added, that reinvention meathere has to be an understanding amongthe staff from day one to accept change ato wait to see what has to be done in ordeallow the morphing to take place.

Few doubts hover over the likely impactof the College on the neighbourhood.

Williams says that it stands to inject avibrant cultural force. Similarly, RichardMeier, Argents Project Director, told me,Argent believes it (CSM ) is an anchor in toverall rejuvenation of Kings Cross.Not only because it is slap bang in the miof the most important and historic fabricof the site, but more importantly, CentraSaint Martins will help to revitalise anarea that previously had been neglected agone quiet.

Last word from Paul Williams. There wanowhere else of this ambitious scale left icentral London that could be developed inthis way.

Stop press. Stanton Williams has won the

international competition to design Kings Cros

Square at Kings Cross. At 7,000 square metres

its one of largest of its kind in London.

tist impression of Granary Square,Kin gs Cross. Courtesy of Anderson-Terzic Granary and Eastern office building front view of our campus

Original feature from The Granary buildingOld meets new. The East Transit Shed meets the East studio Glazing on cantilevered elevation of the performance studios


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C s m t i m e f O r K i n g s C r O s s

John Sturrock, ofcial photographer at Kings Cross,has been documenting our site as it develops. Here s Johnssnapshot of life on planet KX. To view more of his imagesvisit: www.kingscrosscentral.com/gallery


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Flexible Thinking

oday our focus is on gaining a thoroughnderstanding of our xtures and ttings,

which machines were moving from theworkshops, how many power points and

ata points we need, where to mount ourigital screens, and the kind of audio-visualnstallations we want for our teachingpaces. Then theres the whole issue of what

we can and cant afford!

My job is to make sure everyones voices heard. As to how we make a difference,t comes down to understanding what ourourses are trying to achieve. The College

made an early decision to retain or expandworkshop facilities because its important we

ffer students what they cant get elsewhere.hat decision required challenging solutions.

he open plan design offers the greatestexibility, yet a fundamental concern amongtaff is the issue of acoustics and how toeparate one group from another. In design-ased areas, where we need to pull groupsf students together several times each day,

we needed a form of movable wall orartition that could be recongured quicklynd easily. That requirement has led uso a conceptual design for a standard unithat can be stacked and moved. For art,n the other hand, the movable wall means

something more solid that might stay inposition for weeks. So the walls are anexample of how we need a exible approach.

We already have many disciplines underone roof, but the reality of cross-fertilisationat Kings Cross isnt just about the studio its about what happens on the stairs andbridges, and in the canteen and bar. And it

will happen much more readily at our newhome because were creating bigger socialspaces. The reduction in course owned studiospace will be offset by increased accessto the new project and studio spaces and theadvantages of working more closely withother students. This is where the excitementof the building will come from.

I know some colleagues are worried aboutmoving into a brand new building withconcrete oors and walls, essentially anindustrial space without those nooks andcrannies just waiting to be lled with aninstallation. Im sure that within three

weeks of moving in our new site will lookthoroughly lived in and everyone will feelat home!

For me, the project is an excitingopportunity to inuence technologies that

will shape the future of the College.Our Kings Cross home isnt just a physicalentity with power and ventilation. In

addition to this highly mechanised space wewill have an online Interface to the buildingand its resources which will provide greatservices for students and staff alike.

Its about booking facilities and resourcesonline; about the security aspects of the rightstudents accessing the right things; aboutcashless payment, and a host of other issuesto do with living in the virtual space withinour building, the university and the wider

world. Its a different conceptual model. Andwe want to introduce staff and students aliketo the fantastic opportunities it opens up.

Malcolm Johnston, Head of Academic Environment

a lighT Touch

The creative nature of what colleagues dohere means things can sometimes be lastminute. Although we have to put processesin place in order to deliver the project, wealso have to have a light touch and to keepour nerve.

Doing things at the last minute is howcreative people operate. It keeps youroptions open until you have to close themdown. For us, it means managing the projectin a systematic but not dogmatic way.Being able to be opportunistic is animportant part of how the college works.

Would you start from here? Would youbuild a new landmark campus andreorganise the College and change workpractices against the backdrop of the worstdownturn in memory? Right! So exibilityis our watchword. Although the challengelooms larger under these circumstances,the excitement is greater. Hopefully, theachievements will seem greater too.

What are my hopes for Kings Cross? I wantto come back in ten years and see that staffand students have settled down in a buildingthat works for them.

Matthew Barrett, Kings Cross Project Co-ordinator

With just one year to go, CSM Time spoke to the KX Project Ofceteam about nooks, crannies, movable walls and wow factors

The teams favourite images of our new home

Shared Space

Currently, most courses have their ownspace so they can decide on their owntimetable without worrying about whatothers are up to. But with more shared spaceat Kings Cross, well have t o collaboratemore effectively.

At the moment, everyone designs their owntimetable in their own way using Word,Excel or Google. Sharing space means auniform approach to timetabling. Therefore,

were introducing dedicated timetablingsoftware Celcat Timetabler and trainingeveryone to use it.

Its a shift, but it will remind colleagues wehave to do things differently in the spaces

were creating. The new software cangenerate an individual timetable for eachstudent. Students can nd out what theyredoing, where theyll be, at what t ime and

with which tutor all online.

This addresses concerns our students havevoiced. While meeting the imperatives of thenew space, its about improving the studentexperience, and our colleagues welcome that.

Jenny Chittenden, College Infrastructure

Co-ordinator

Its importantwe have a structure

in place to underpinthe uid way

people thinkand work here

negoTiaTing SkillS

I support Matt and Malcolm in managingthe design process and in planning anddelivering our move, as well as co-ordinaseveral related projects including the ICTstrategy and KX graphic identity project.

Negotiating skills are essential. On one siwere working closely with the universitycontrol the budget and make sure thebuilding opens on time. On the other wegot colleagues who really want to make tnew spaces the best they can possibly be.Managing those expectations and ndingcompromises can be quite a challenge!

For me, the project is a great opportunityto work in a highly creative environmentTaking people to the point where they feecomfortable at Kings Cross and are ableto work with systems that support theirsuccess will be the real achievement.

I wish we were able to get more colleaguon site more quickly because I think it

would go a long way towards allaying somof the doubts and misconceptions aboutthe new building. I think theres going tobe a big wow on day one when we move

Ed Corbett, Kings Cross Project Administrator


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hiSToric Move

m working on the huge database ofquipment, existing and new, for the

new building at Kings Cross. Thousandsf items have been revisited and recorded,rom tables and chairs to massive piecesf technical kit.

Right now, were looking at calculatingosts for what new items need to be bought,lthough much can be cleaned up orefurbished and then installed at the newite. Then theres the stuff that is just soncient I dont know if you could possibly

move it!

he database will see us into the newuilding and help with the transfer ofquipment once were there. So its anngoing and hopefully very benecial tool.

m not sure people have quite graspedhe scale of this project yet. The size andcale of both the building and the project iss breathtaking and Im very proud to benvolved in this historic move.

mily Evison, Asset Administrator

did You knoW?

The Street space within our new buildings about two-thirds the height, width andength of the Turbine Hall at TateModern.

The building was once home to over 150horses stabled under the transit shed. Atts height, the site employed more than,500 workhorses.

The Granary Square fountains have 1120water jets that use recycled rainwaterand are powered by solar energy.

nergy consumption and carbonmissions have been addressed duringoth design and construction phases to

meet modern standards of energyfciency including: lighting systems with

movement detectors and dimmingechnologies; FSC certied timber whereossible; energy efcient ventilationystems which use the natural buoyancyf the warm air; rainwater harvesting foroilets, irrigation and the Granary Squareountains; Photovoltaic solar panels; low

water consumption toilets; taps withautomatic leak detection and ample biketorage for staff and students.

A six-strong student team drawn from fourCSM courses has won our Kings Cross

building graphic identity competition.

The winning team, Group 4+14, is made upof Jack Cardno (BAASO), Lourina Botha andLena Kramer (MACPNE), Ivo Federspiel andRicardo Toledo (MACD), and Jess Morgan(BAGD ). Ed Cornish, from Group 10, has beeninvited to join the winning team because the

judging panel was impressed by his stronggraphic concepts and excellent typography.

For the second and nal stage of thecompetition, shortlisted teams made a half-hour presentation to judges, including a15-minute Q&Asession with the advisorypanel.

Waynding isnt just about nding thefastest route to where you want to go, saythe winners, but also about embarking ona journey of discovery.

The incredible diversity of disciplines andtalents coming together at our new site isexciting and challenging. Its important tocreate a space that motivates people to mix

while maintaining their own identity.

Functional signage within the winningproposal includes hanging symbols,landmark objects, directional signs anddepartmental signs. Technical details includeseating in the form of giant extrudedlettering, assemblages of reclaimed furniture,an ice cream van with data screens, andmovable screens with peepholes for meetingareas.

Judges congratulated entrants on the calibreof their proposals and thanked them fortheir hard work and enthusiasm. Architects,Pringle Brandon, will now begin to developthe winning proposal for implementation

within our t-out schedule.

Judges: Simon Bone (Associate Interior Designer, PringleBrandon), Morag Myerscough (Designer, Studio Myerscough),Jane Rapley (Head of College, CSM), Lee Widdows (Director ofMarketing & Communication, CSM), Paul Williams (Director,Stanton Williams Architects), Millie Findlay and Lizzie Rose(Students Union VPs, CSM)

Advisory panel: Tricia Austin (Course Director, MA CreativePractice for Narrative Environments), Phil Baines (Professorof Typography), Lynda Brockbank (Designer, Crescent Lodge),Phil Crew (Head of Projects, UAL), Malcolm Johnston (Headof Academic Environment, CSM), Alex Lumley (AssociateDean, School of Art), Geoff Makstutis (Course Director,BA Architecture: Spaces and Objects), Benjamin Reichen(Designer, bke), Rebecca Ross (Senior Lecturer, School ofGraphic and Industrial Design), Dani Salvadori, (DirectorEnterprise and Innovation, CSM), Dee Searle (Interim Directorof Communication and Development), Patrick Swindell(Designer)

For more KX student projects see p22

kxkeY daTeS 2011

FebruarY: baSebuild coMpleTed

March: FiT-ouT beginSapril: School oF perForMance creaTed

MaY: SoFT launch To keY parTnerSand aluMni

JulY: FiT-ouT coMpleTedauguST: Move-in beginS

SepTeMber: neW acadeMic YearnoveMber: kx oFFicial launch FeSTival


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C s m t i me fO r K i ng s C r Os s

Now, with the inclusion of the abbeys claybrick in our new home, the story comes fullcircle.

Lauras idea engages directly with thetraditions and rituals associated with majornew buildings, from their beginnings infoundation-laying, to the celebration of theirtopping out with the last brick or block.

CSM s Kings Cross development invigoratesa site of notable architectural heritage,recycling its industrial connections whileupholding its aesthetic and historical value.

Against this background, Lauras projectcelebrates the ongoing role and functionof the humble brick, creating an iconicfootnote to a grand architectural endeavour.

on Track WiTh JarviS

Six Central Saint Martins students joinedalumnus Jarvis Cocker for a culturalhappening at St Pancras station, home toEurostar rail services, in April. The formePulp frontman is ambassador at large forthe Eurostar initiative Culture Connect.

Equipped with easels and canvases, thestudents were invited to create an imageof Eurostar destinations London, Paris oBrussels. As the cameras rolled, Jarvis talkup the value of Europes distinctive artheritage and chatted to our students.

The story featured onBBC,ITVand ChannNews, and popped up on the blogs.

Taking part were graphics student Rebecc

Hendjin, who discussed a commission toillustrate EurostarsMetropolitan magazinne art students Elle Barreau, Michael Chand Yinjie Sun, and foundation studentsMia Faithfull and Jil Madenga.

kx arT regeneraTion

As the developers of Kings Cross Central,67 acre mixed-use development of whichCSM/UAL will be part, Argent are committo supporting high quality creativity, artsand culture. The aim is to create a destinafor the arts by supporting artists andorganisations working across a range ofmediums. Argent have already started byhosting ArtAngel; Sadler's Wells; LondonSinfonietta; Richard Sharples; Minnie Weand others in buildings and spaces at KingCross Central, as well as commissioning

works and developing an artist-in-residenprogramme. Under the direction of their advisory panel, Argent are just about tocommission a curator for a three year perto build on work t o date, and create a bigmore ambitious programme.

Top oF The World

2 April 2010. In bright, spring sunshine,main contractor BAM Construct UK held anfcial topping out ceremony on the rooff our new building.

he event, attended byUAL Rector NigelCarrington, staff, friends of the College, keyartners, contractors and sub-contractors,

marked the completion of the buildingsoncrete frame.

anoTher brickin The Wall

CSM alumnas ne art project will buildrchaeological bridges across time and space.

SM ne art graduate Laura Wilson, haschieved the aim of her project. An originallay brick from a 17th century Benedictinebbey in Belgium has been incorporated intohe fabric of our landmark building at Kings

Cross.

he Belgian brick is part of a brickxchange, a project devised by Laura as annquiry into the status of buildings andheir materials over time. Construction,emolition and re-use of building elementsan create a cyclical pattern across centuries,he says.

On the site of the dismantled abbey, Lauraworked with a Belgian archaeologicalmuseum and local craftsmen, using original

ricks to create a site-specic sculpturalwork on the old abbey foundations. Theculpture uses historical mortars andricklaying techniques, and incorporatesn original 19th century brick taken fromSM s Charing Cross Road building.

Alumnus Jarvis Cocker chats with graphics and fine art students

Artist Ellie Reid

The 17th Century Benedictine Monastery Brick embedded at CSM

New CSM topped out by Nigel Carrington

With the inclusion of the abbeysclay brick in our new home, the story

comes full circle


8/15

C s m t i me fO r Ki n g s Cr O ss

Our move to a single campus at Kings Crosswill coincide with the creation of a new

chool of Performance.

he change will bring our long-establishederformance Design and Practice courses,

Drama Centre London, the London StudioCentre, the BA/MA in Criticism, Curationnd Communication, and the MA in

Character Animation together for the rstime.

he advent of a School of Performance offersn unprecedented, formal recognition thaterformance, as a discipline distinct from artnd design, is a legitimate constituent part ofhe provision of both College and University.t also brings important benets.

ays Course Director, BA (Honours)erformance Design and Practice, Michaelpencer: Siting all College disciplines under

one roof is enormously benecial to thediscipline of performance, which in thepast two decades has expanded its remit toencompass contexts way beyond thetraditional theatre base. Close proximityto ne artists, fashion designers, graphicdesigners and others will place students andstaff in a unique position to explore newdirections and parameters for theatre andperformance.

With everyone now working out of theKings Cross site, courses will be able to usespaces appropriate to their particular needs,

wherever these are situated in the building.

The School of Performance will also meanthat tutors from different courses willsee each other more often. There will be acommon leadership which will encouragenew developments, in particular atpostgraduate and research levels.

The new structure offers exciting oppor-tunities for cross-disciplinary developmentas a result of the free ow of ideas andinitiatives among members of staff andstudents. They will now be part of a singleacademic unit, led by a new Dean ofPerformance.

The new School of Performance will alsohave responsibility for the managementof the two new theatres at Kings Cross.

Its a real opportunity to understand theinteractive benets of collaborationand to nd a greater integrity in the work,says Course Director, MA Screen: Acting,Directing, Writing (DCL), Alan Dunnett.

chitects visual for 350 seat theatre Flytower in the main theatre

Close proximity to ne artists,fashion designers, graphic

designers and others will place

students and staff in aunique position to explore new

directions and parametersfor theatre and performance

Seamus Mirodan looks forward to a new era


9/15


In an intimate aside to our historic move, College InfrastructureCo-ordinator Jenny Chittenden turns her lens on assets andapparatus, and nds beauty in unlikely places

hidden Charmshe brief to myself for this project is to photograph andatalogue every movable asset in every existing CSMorkshop, from lathes to looms and tables to trolleys.

he project has a practical basis. Im recording many details,ncluding size and manufacturer, so the removal men cane certain theyre moving the correct item. A photographill be worth a thousand words.

ve thoroughly enjoyed myself, poking around in the hiddenorners of the College, and discovering pieces of equipmenthat are beautiful works of art in their own right.

My favourite item has to be the blocking-out stump inwellery, which is a large cross-section of tree trunk.

Much of this equipment has served generations of CSMstudents. Every paint splash has its own story, and asphotographing pattern and detail is a personal passion,Ive captured some of these splashes on my travels.

The photographs will form part of the online Kings CrossAsset and Space database. You can view a further selectionvia the photos link on our Kings Cross blog.

As a collection in a wider sense, the pictures offer a snapshotof the College as it is now, poised between one world andanother.

Jenny Chittenden is a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society.

www.csm.arts.ac.uk/kingscross/project-overview/photo-gallery

To share your private collection aboutour current buildings or

to post work on our CSM blog, please

contact Colin Buttimer

[email protected].

Wood workshop

Wood workshop

Wood workshop

Paint mixing pot

ocking out stump Screen-printing bench

Jewelry workshop

Back Hill white space

Knit workshop

Relief press


10/15


Todays Kings Cross is rmly on the cultural and creative map.Heres an introduction of some of our neighbours andwhat were doing with them

kingS place

Housed in an award-winning building in Kings Cross,Kings Place is a hub for live music, dialogue, art andfood. Since opening to the public in October 2008,a diverse and critically acclaimed open-mindedprogramme has established Kings Place as one ofLondons leading cultural landmarks. Check out this

years Kings Place Festival 100 performances in fourdays, from 9 12 September 2010. Central Saint Martinsteams up with Kings Place to create a programmeof events within the 'Words on Monday' season. Speakersto date include contemporary art curator, critic andauthor Hans Ulrich Obrist, the writer and artist TomMcCarthy, and the Director of the Hayward GalleryRalph Rugoff (see p2).

The guardian

In 2008 the Guardian and its Sunday sibling The Observerrelocated to Kings Place from Farringdon Road, wherethey had lived since 1976. Some say the papers presencein Clerkenwell helped to make it the creative hotspot itis today, and it looks as if the same process is underwayat Kings Cross. Central Saint Martins is already indiscussion with the Guardian, and we hopefully look

forward to exciting things happening after our move.We'll keep you posted.

WellcoMe TruST

A global charity without political or commercial

afliation, the Wellcome Trust works to engage thepublic with science, and to apply research to improvinghuman health. In our latest collaboration with the

Wellcome, students from MACPNE and MAID at CentralSaint Martins developed concepts for interactive exercisebooths to coincide with the 2012 Olympics. (see p22).

briTiSh librarY

he much-loved home of the worlds knowledge washost to the Magnicent Map of Kings Cross project,o which student illustrators at Central Saint Martinsontributed (see p23). The venerable institutionlso features in our Rough Guide to KX as an idealreakfast choice after a Tuesday night on the vodka-onics. (see p23).

neW horiZon YouTh cenTre

Somers Town in Kings Cross is home to New HorizonYouth Centre, a day centre working with over 3,000local young people every year. Through our wideningparticipation programme, Central Saint Martins supportsthe Centres aim of helping to turn young lives around.(see p24).

houSe oF illuSTraTion

In 2012 theUK s rst centre dedicated to the art ofillustration will open for business next door to our newKings Cross home. Central Saint Martins is alreadyexploring ways of working with the House of Illustrationto inspire local young people by carrying our illustrationpractice into neighbourhood classrooms (see p27 fordetails of an exciting illustration competition).

Central saint martins COllegeOf art and design new hOme

creaTe kx/reveal

The local visual arts extravaganza links communities,artists, performers and venues within our newneighbourhood through an eclectic mix of creativeinitiatives designed to reveal Kings Cross. Collegecollaborations include the Magnicent Maps project(see p23) and Is This All There Is?, a group exhibitionbyCSM ne artists exploring themes of transience andmutability.


11/15

Cs m t i m e f O r K i n g s Cr O s s

S We counT doWn To kingS croSS, hoW

nTegral iS innovaTion To cSM?

Very! CSM Innovation is all about makinghings happen which are of economic beneto the College, its students, graduates, andtaff. The department takes in Artscom, sot includes all our short courses. It includesponsored student projects, which 45 perent of our postgraduates and 25 per centf undergraduates undertake in any year.

We also provide up to 40 paid internshipswithin CSM Innovation in any givenear. We help our graduates to run moreffective businesses. And we work

with other universities to make a range ofrojects happen. So were absolutely

not doing our own thing. Were doinghings with everyone else.

WhaT Will our neW building oFFer The

buSineSSeS We Work WiTh?

At the moment were a College that canteven t one cohort from one of our bigcourses into any one room. When we get toKings Cross well have a whole street thatcan accommodate the entire College. That

will make a profound difference not justto how people think about each other, butto how people think about us. As well as theStreet weve got the Terrace its the perfectplace for live gigs, for example. I think wecan make ourselves one of the great public-private spaces in London. The Street willhave a stature equivalent to the Turbine Hallat Tate Modern or the Great Court at theBritish Museum. And when businesses seethat, theyll want to engage with ourstudents all the more.

WhaT Will iT Mean For clienTS To have all

our diSciplineS under one rooF?

It will mean that the College can do moreeasily what clients already want. Clientsoften come to us wanting to work withpeople from more than one discipline. Butoutside certain strong pairings betweencourses, it can be quite difcult. I hope thatby being under one roof well get more ofa sense, in academic terms, that this is acollective endeavour. Its a demand comingfrom students, too. So Im keen to see usshift our culture so that our coursestructures can be more exible.

WhaT converSaTionS have You had abouT

innovaTion aT kingS croSS acroSS The

college?

I always nd the most effective conversationswe have are the ones with money attached!Jumping up and down saying we want thisor that has no effect. But if we can bringprojects to students or courses or researchers,thats a positive story. As a department wegenerate 7.5 million per annum, of whichabout 2.4 million is prot or surplus. Thatsa lot of income that allows the College to dothings that otherwise wouldnt be possible.

WhY Should brandS WanT To do buSineSS

WiTh uS?

Because they can see we have 4,500exceptional students dened by their talentand cool. These are trendsetters and earlyadopters precisely the constituency thatforward-looking brands want to connect

with. Were preparing the raw data that willinterest and excite these brands so we cansay work with us and explore thepossibilities, and lets see what will happen.

WhaT are We doing To capiTaliSe on The

2012 olYMpicS?

Were getting as involved as we can. Wevealready signed up to some exciting projects,

working closely with site developer Argent.Outside Stratford, the Kings Crossdevelopment has the best access to theOlympic Park. Its from here that the Javelintrains will run. So our new building will befour minutes walk from the shuttle serviceduring the Olympics. Given that the park atStratford lacks the space to welcome all thebrands that want to be associated with theGames, were ideally placed to helpbusinesses in areas like public engagement.

WhaT geTS You MoST exciTed abouT

our Move?

I dont think people have really clocked wa massive change this is going to be for ocity, let alone our College. The quality of Pancras station is so high and the qualitythe new Kings Cross is so high and thecalibre of our building is so high I think

were going to see a huge llip for this paof the capital, and I love that idea.

WhaT abouT The Financial road ahead?

Weve come through the downturn OK, buttheres still the chance that things will gettighter again. Of course we want to extendour reach and our targets. But we have to berealistic. After all, our Artscom programme

will change in the new space, and that mayhave an impact on our revenues. So were

working to adapt the Artscom modelcarefully in order to do more things off-siteusing online platforms and content.

Students visualise potential for branding in The Street Students visualise potential for branding in The Street


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C s m ti m e f O r K i ng s C r Os s

Over the past year, CSM students have been immersed in projectsaround KX. Heres a brief update on what theyve been doing

WellcoMe To Your bodYhe Wellcome Trust, our future Kings Cross neighbour, hasnvited CSM students from MA Creative Practice for Narrativenvironments and MA Industrial Design to create conceptsesigned to capitalise on public interest in health and scienceuring the 2012 Olympic Games.

or the project, CSM student concepts centred on creatingensory pods or structures to be sited in UK public spaces in012. They would feature interactive physical tests exploringrain, bone, brawn, blood and breath in areas such as

eaction time, heart rate, hand-eye coordination, and lungapacity.

Working solo or in groups, students were asked to focus onhe user experience of science, and to challenge or expand therief in terms of structure type and location. Awaiting theinning idea was a 400 cash prize. Shortlisted entries

eceived 200.

r Amy Sanders, Special Projects Manager at the Wellcomerust, said, Working with CSM has been a really useful partf our Olympic planning. Students brought a fresh perspectiveo how people might engage with the science of the humanody.

he aims of the Wellcome Trust, a global charity, includeublic engagement and education, and the application ofesearch to improving human health.

The Word on The STreeTThe Street the concourse at the heart of our Kings Crossbuilding was the focus of a Stage 2 BA (Honours)Architecture: Spaces and Objects student p roject. The briefwas to explore how objects inform and dene the use ofpublic space.

Approximately 180 metres long and four storeys tall, theStreet is an internal space with urban proportions andpossibilities. Its here that students will meet, share ideas, eat,drink, and nd out whats happening within the College.

Populating this space with objects poses challenges. Smallobjects nd themselves dwarfed by its scale. As people willuse the Street to move from place to place, there can be noobstructions. In a wider sense, this is the space that willdene the visitor experience most memorably.

In total, 66 students worked with site architect Paul Williamsand course tutors to develop individual approaches to the useof the Street. Solutions ranged from small interventions tolarge-scale architectural objects that transform the space. Inline with the brief, proposals had to balance individual andCollege needs.

SurFaceS oF The FuTurThe visual and cultural identity of our Kings Crossdevelopment was the inspiration for a BA (Honours) TextDesign project for second-year students. Weave, Print andKnit pathway students created group and individual fabricollections and innovative surfaces, with a brief to bringa new dimension to our Kings Cross home.

The project embraced current and future contexts for texdesign, and offered the chance to explore new, alternativvirtual and SMART concepts. Working with non-standardmaterials and processes, students responded to specic slocations, from corridors to catering areas, to deliver a raof outcomes.

Encouraging experiment, the brief invited participants toconsider creating their own yarns or fabrics and to explobonding, stiffening, heat transfer and plasticising procesMaterials sourced from recycling centres and elsewhereincluded cabling, electronic components, tarpaulin, artigrass, ooring laminates and bre optics.

tricia Austin, Course Director MCPfNE has her hand/eye co-ordination testedWellcome images

udent Anastasia Masadi Wellcome images

Visualisation of corridor at new building at Kings CrossThe street begins outside,Clio Capeille

Ecology meets comfort in woven will ow seating.A modular system to provide seating andtables throughout the street.Ricardo Cirriani

From enclosure to display system,this geometric struc ture provides multiple usesthrough different orientations. Sybil Christ The magnificent maps of the Kings Cross project British Library

Visualisation of corridor at new building at Kings Cross

Mapping our inTenTionStudent illustrators at Central Saint Martins have madea colourful contribution to the Magnicent Map of KingsCross, showing throughout June at the British Library.

The 16-segment local map was commissioned to mark the

librarys Magnicent Maps exhibition and to celebrateReveal, the festival of visual arts in Kings Cross.

CSM students designed two segments of the Kings Cross map Euston and the site of our new building exploring themesof arrival (students reaching London from all over the world)and convergence (forming a creative community at our newhome).

Andrew Hall, subject leader for illustration (BA (Honours)Graphic Design), said The project maps our intention to bringcolour and life to this part of the capital and to invigorate itwith our creative spirit.

For other Kings Cross studentprojects, including The Rough

Guide to the best cafs, pubs andrestaurants, please visit www.cs

arts.ac.uk/docs/csmtime5_1.PD.pdf


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C s m ti m e f O r K i ng s C r Os s

HYC staff and student workshop

neW horiZonS

taff from Central Saint Martins, togetherwith Jackie McManus, Head of Widening

articipation Programmes forUAL, areworking with New Horizon Youth CentreNHYC) to develop partnership programmesoryoung people at the Centre.

n the coming year CSM staff will beworking on Career Wear, a fashion project,helping young peope with clothes to wearor interviews, and training NHYC staffo make lm equipment accessible to youngeople. There are also plans for drawing,hotography and dance sessions at the

Centre.

ased in Somers Town, Kings Cross, NewHorizon Youth Centre works with 3,000homeless and vulnerable young people everyear. Many have poor self-esteem, a historyf rejection, harm or abuse, and profoundly

negative experiences of agencies.

he Centre offers advice aboutccommodation, education and trainingrogrammes, job search and placement,rugs advice and assessment, as well asractical help with food, laundry, showersnd second-hand clothes.

In April, NHYC staff picked up theprestigious GlaxoSmithKline Impact Award2010. Judges commended the Centre for its

work with marginalised members of societyand praised its ability to bring about lastingchange in their lives.

Sheelagh OConnor, NHYC director, says,We are very excited about the opportunitiesthat working in partnership with CSM couldoffer our young people. Art and Design is areal hook that interests and stimulates manyof the young people we work with who see itas an opportunity to express their creativepotential. We are delighted that CSM hassuch a willingness to work in constructivepartnerships for the benet of all thecommunity in Kings Cross.

illuSTraTion MaTTerS

Central Saint Martins will join the House ofIllustration (theUK s rst centre dedicatedto the art of illustration in all its forms)to host workshops within secondary schoolsin Camden and Islington from 2011.

Selected illustrators will team up withstudent ambassadors from a variety ofcourses at CSM . The workshops willdemonstrate the scope, reach and potentialof illustration within the College, and the

wider creative sector.

The arT FacTor

CSM sInsights collaboration with CamdenArts Centre and youth organisations inCamden, Islington and Brent will present itsrst exhibition of works in progress by

young participants in June.

Insights offers young people aged 1419, witha passion for the visual arts, an opportunityto work with artists Michelle WilliamsGamaker and Jessie Brennan at Camden ArtsCentre, and with tutors and studentambassadors from Central Saint Martins.The project focuses on helping young peopleto make career choices within the arts.

Each term throughout 2009/10, Central SaintMartins and Camden Arts Centre hosted aseries of events for young participants, withdiscussions and practical workshops in areassuch as photography, graphics, andarchitecture and curation.

Insights will resume in September 2010 andcontinue until autumn 2012. Funded byCSMs Widening Participation departmentand the London councils, its current partnersinclude Granville Plus, Hampstead School,and City and Islington College.

Due to open next door to the new CentralSaint Martins building in 2012, the House ofIllustration has already embarked on its rsteducation project, placing professionalillustrators in primary schools in Camden.

House of Illustration Project Director FloraCraig says, We are delighted to be exploringcreative collaborations with Central SaintMartins, a college with a stunning trackrecord of training students to the higheststandards of illustration across a wide rangeof disciplines.

See p27 for an exciting illustration competition.

coMMunicaTinginSpiraTion

Islingtons Arts Ofcer, Islington HousingGroup, Islington Young Peoples Services andCreative Islington will partner Central SaintMartins to exhibit at the Youth OpportunitiesFair in London in July.

The College will host short experimentalworkshops allowing participants to get thefeel and avour of a particular creative eld.

Says Berni Yates, CSM sWP Co-ordinator,Young people interested in careers likefashion or media are often in the dark

when it comes to the sheer range of courses from performance design to fashioncommunication that might inspire them.

CSM s workshops at the Youth OpportunitiesFair represent an opportunity for youngpeople to start thinking early about careerpossibilities in the creative industries.

Sharing ourexperience

South Camden Community School is amothe schools and FE colleges in and aroundLondon beneting from CSMs WideningParticipation programme.

The SCCS tie-in broadens the horizons ofyoung people from different cultures andsocial backgrounds through a programmpresentations and master classes byCSM tutors and students. Building a portfolio aapplying for a foundation course are amotopics covered.

Says Berni Yates, We know these youngpeople nd it really useful talking tostudents from similar cultural and socialbackgrounds about their experience at CSand how it can open doors. Its about the

very idea they could even think aboutapplying when they believed it was only others.

Our WP team at CSM ensures that all young people accessopportunities at Central Saint Martins, and builds a more inclusivecollege in the process. For the past year, our work in and aroundKings Cross has strengthened relationships within the area andcreated links with our new community

The Insights project The Insights project

The Insights projectThe newly built barn space at NHYC

House of Illustrations project with primary school


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Cs m t i m e f O r K i n g s Cr O s s

Kings CrOss faQhoW Will We SupporT STudenTS?

he Student Centre on the ground oorwill be the single point of contact for all ourtudent-facing services: study support;ounselling; disability support; registration;

nance, and SU . Services will be deliveredn this space and elsewhere.

WhaT Will our opening hourS be?

Well have to shut for about four hours eachnight for cleaning and maintenance and inny case, its hard to justify the energy usemplications of 24/7 opening. Its likely thathe College will be open until 10pm, withhe library and SU bar staying open later.

ur bookable SpaceS are never looked

FTer. WhY Will iT be anY diFFerenT aTkingS croSS?

Our culture has to change! Well have aoncierge team to get rooms ready forhe next session, and to ensure brokenquipment is reported and replaced. Butf you use a room youll have to leave its youd expect to nd it and that means

no coffee cups all over the place and notudent work left behind in a corner.

ve heard Well all have To do criTS in The

TreeT area oF The building. YeS or no?

We already do a lot of things in ourorridors, and some tutors are excited about

holding crits in the Street and on the bridgesf appropriate. The Street is a large space. We

want to earmark zones that can be used (andooked) for a variety of activities. There aretudios and bookable rooms or zones thatffer more privacy.

o The WindoWS open?

No. The building is so broad that openingwindows wouldnt work the air wouldntravel far enough to make a difference. Freshir enters the building through grilles nearhe oor and as it warms up, its expelled ateiling height. A computerised building

management system will control airow andemperature.

ve heard There arenT anY proper WallS.

rue or noT?

Not true. Because the ventilation systemelies on air circulating at oor and ceiling

height, the more walled-off cells you create,he more fans you need. This uses morenergy and is less sustainable. But there areots of proper 4 metre-high walls. In biggertudio areas, were using movable walls sohat spaces can be recongured easily.

are our oFFiceS going To be aircraFT

hangarS Filled WiTh roWS oF deSkS?

Most clusters have opted for shared ofceswith quiet rooms nearby for private orcondential working. There are someindividual ofces too, usually for a staffmember to use for seeing students.Bookcases and ling cabinets will breakup the open plan spaces, but we dont

want to discourage the collaboration andjoint working that being together allows us.

Will all The rooMS aT kingS croSS be

locked?

As part of our security upgrade, staff andstudent ID cards can be programmed toallow access to some rooms but not all. For

obvious health & safety reasons, access toworkshops has to be controlled. When itcomes to other rooms seminar rooms, forexample the aim is to maximise access

when theyre not timetabled.

hoW SuSTainable iS our neW building?

Very. In addition to re-using an existingstructure, the new building meets thehighest sustainable construction standards.

Well be recycling rainwater, usingintelligent lights that go off when a roomisnt being used, and improving recyclingfacilities.

WhaT Will The STreeT be uSed For?

The canteen will spill out onto the Street. Wemight use it for certain degree shows,exhibitions, or screenings. We also want tosite temporary structures here shippingcontainer or tepee, anyone? to createprivate spaces for projects or promotions.

So We donT have anY ouTSide Space?

Not that we permanently own. We haveaccess to Granary Square (the TrafalgarSquare-size public space right outside ourfront door) for 20 days a year, and the WestHandyside Canopy (the covered space thatruns along the eastern side of the building)for 30 days. We also have a large roof terracethats about three times the size of TheGallery. Planning restrictions dont allow usto erect any permanent structures on theTerrace, but you can bet were working onhow best to use it.

hoW Much are We Spending on kingS

croSS?

About 200 million, including 172 millionon buying the land and building (leaseholdfor 999 years), 28 million for t-out,furniture and equipment. The project isbeing funded from a HEFCE grant, thesale of our existing buildings, and a 35 yearbank loan.

When can i geT on SiTe?

Main contractor BAM ConstructUK has toaccompany every group around the site forhealth & safety reasons, and we dont wantto slow down their work. Overbury, our t-out contractor, has just 22 weeks to get thebuilding ready for July 2011 so realistically,

we probably wont be able to get peopleon site until late August or September. Weaim to run induction and orientation toursfor staff at that time. We will be producingsome virtual tours for our Kings Crossblog throughout the coming year, so staffand students can see our new home virtually.

Stop press:we're hoping to open up the site on

a Saturday in early autumn for staff to visit. More

details to follow.

Will i be able To Take anY leave during The

SuMMer oF 2011?

Yes, but its going to be a busy summer, andsome key staff will be needed to helpcommission equipment and get everythingready. Well be looking at ways to enablesome staff members to take their holidaysearlier or later in 2011.

WhY have We loST Space relaTive To WhaT

We have?

The loss of useable space isnt as signicantas we rst thought down to about 15%. Wemade an early decision to maintain or extendthe facilities students cant access easilyout of the College and provide more sharedproject student/space that can be used byeveryone. The bottom line is that our spaceutilisation gure of 19.5% is poor, even forthe art and design sector. We have to makebetter use of our space, otherwise were indanger of spending too large a proportionof our income on infrastructure and notenough on teaching.

1517 September 2010

Mike FiggiS aT

kingS place Sound, MuSicand FilMFilm director Mike Figgis works on threeevenings of projects with Kings Place.Fascinated by the powerful psychologicaleffect of lm scores on the drama, hedemonstrates his ideas with a live mix of hislm Timecode, changing the score and the mixto illustrate the amazing potential of themusic. His second night features a selection ofsongs he wrote for three multimediaperformances in the early 80s, combininglm with live performance and live music.Finally a mesmerising performance thatcombines video and soundscapes.

For more information visit

www.kingsplace.co.uk

illuSTraTe abook, Win greaTpriZeS!The House of Illustration and The FolioSociety have launched an exciting bookillustration competition with great prize

Entrants are invited to submit threeillustrations and a binding design for abook to be chosen by The Folio Society.The deadline is December 2010.

The winning entry (judged by a panel ofexperts) will become a prestigiouscommission worth 4,000 to complete

a total of seven illustrations for the bookwhich will be published by The FolioSociety in summer 2011. Five runners-upwill each receive 500 cash.

Entrants must be over 18 and unpublisheby The Folio Society. Winners will beannounced in January 2011.

Details of the book and competitionterms and conditions will be released inSeptember 2010.

To nd out more, contact

[email protected]

Quentin Blake

Mike Figgis

16 September

30 October 2010

kingS croSSculTure STorieS, iMageSand SoundSFor more than 150 years, Kings Cross hasbeen a source of inspiration for visualartists, from Walter Sickert to WyndhamLewis and, more recently, Mike Leigh to IssacJulien and Shane Meadows. The area has beenthe centre for a rich and diverse plateau ofwork, often reecting moments of transitionin an artists life. KX Culture explores thestories, images and sounds from past topresent day and how the traces they leaveimpact upon current visual artists, lmmakers and musicians, within an area ofredevelopment.

In association with Argent, Create KX andKings Place.

Pathways Projectby D-FusekingS croSSTourS in ocToberFrom Panarmonion to JamA brief walk through Battlebridgewith Marc Atkins.

Times and dates will be available online

from 3 September www.csm.arts.ac.uk

Hardys Monument,photo Marc Atkins


15/15

weaimtOCreate the

highest Qualitylearning envirOnment a PlaCe COnneCted tO the

best in COntemPOraryCulture andindustry,where Creative

thinKing and PraCtiCeCan flOurish, and wherestaff and students aliKe

will COntinue tO PrOvOKe,Challenge, insPire and

taKe risKs.

csmtime7 - kings cross special

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