The newly renovated Theatre Royal played host to a packed presentation of the finished Turner Contemporary design yesterday evening. In the helm was David Chipperfield, the project architect and recent recipient of the Stirling Prize for Architecture.

We had an exclusive few minutes to speak to David before his presentation, and asked him to explain the progress he and his team made since the last presentation.

I think we’ve developed the project in a very positive way - the figure of the building now has much more character, its got an identity now, which I think was slightly lacking in the preliminary scheme.
To be fair, I think in early schemes we were consumed with the site issue, whereas in the last month we’ve been much more concerned with the working of the building and how we can give it character, and I think that’s gone very well and I think it will be a much more acceptable solution – I think its actually quite a friendly building.

Copyright David Chipperfield Architects Ltd

So what to make of the design? Throughout the entire process Chipperfield has rallied hard against a blind focus towards ‘iconic buildings’ - he is much more concerned with producing beautiful buildings that first of all suit their purpose and surroundings.

What is fundamental to this project is that the gallery must become an important public building – it must be a building that serves the community. So we are looking at what it will do for Margate and how it will regenerate the town (and I am convinced it will) - but first of all it must serve the community – and that’s not an easy thing to get right - we must confront the issues of how to make sure that this building is a popular place that people want to go to.

I could go on and on about the technical specs of the design, but really I should cut to the chase and get to the core of my post - Turner Contemporary is beautiful.

The six interlocking blocks that form the building will be clad in a remarkable opaque milky glass that will give the building an ‘almost magical’ appearance. The glass is totally recycled and about an inch thick, which means it will be durable enough to cope with it’s exposed position as well as giving the building the unique airy appearance.

What should we clad this building in? It was a struggle – there were a lot of considerations – the biggest was the durability of the building in such an exposed place – how does a building weather in our climate and how do we deal with it? We looked at lots of different materials, and finally we felt we should talk about light again and went full circle back to Turner’s paintings – if the building is trying to capture light inside shouldn’t it also be concerned with capturing it outside?
So we looked towards a solution which is a white recycled glass – thick glass, like slabs of marble – panels of white glass – and this starts to show the building on the one hand as real, but slightly magical – the milky whiteness will glow on the best days but also on the grey days.

Chipperfield described the design process as like making a ‘light cocktail’ - how could they make the most of the light that Margate is famous for? In the previous presentation he mentioned that they were considering giving more shape to the roofline of the building - and it is clear that they have. Each interlocking block now has a distinct silhouette:

The idea of light became more and more of our agenda – if we are to refer to Turner our responsibility is to make reference to him who more than any other artist tried to capture the qualities of light. We were interested in making the building bigger in form and stop it from being a simple box – and it is coincidence in a way if we can make the most of the views from the north and take this ‘friendly’ light (light is not friendly to museums) – this configuration allows us to bring light in but it also starts to give the building a character, a figure, a silhouette.

Copyright David Chipperfield Architects Ltd

Over the next few days I hope to give some more thought towards the design and post some of the finer details that we heard about on the evening - and as with the last presentation I will endeavour to make audio recordings of the presentation available.

I’m hugely impressed with the appearance of the building, and equally as impressed that David Chipperfield continues to take the time to take part in these consultations. Roger Gale didn’t go far wrong in describing them as a “master class in architecture”.

I could do no better than to end with Chipperfield’s closing sentences which serve as a fitting tribute to the project so far :

Building something like this is a test of the people – this isn’t something easy, otherwise the country would be full of interesting buildings – things conspire against projects like these – a building doesn’t just just land and show up one day – the delivery of the building is part of the thing itself. It needs inspiration, it needs a community that wants the building – you need to go against the grain, it needs the community to help and to want it.

The winner of the 2007 Stirling Prize for Architecture will be announced tonight, with David Chipperfield, the architect in charge of designs for Turner Contemporary, a strong favourite to win.

Indeed, Chipperfield is the only candidate with two buildings on the shortlist - the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar in Germany and the America’s Cup building in Valencia, Spain.

He says the English have a problem with modern buildings. “We either go for the bombastic or pastiche”.

Read more about the award on the BBC article Buildings at Risk (Of Being Different) and watch the award ceremony live on Channel 4, tonight at 8pm.

UPDATE: It’s fantastic to be able to tell you that David Chipperfield won the Stirling Prize for his Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar in Germany.

A survey by ‘Future Laboratory’ has named Margate as one of the ‘Top 20 Creative Towns and Cities’ in the UK.

Margate is ranked at number 19 in the list and also puts Margate in the ‘Top 10 Towns to Watch’ alongside towns such as Liverpool, Glasgow and Cardiff.

It describes Margate as:

“starting to reap the benefits of its most famous local artist; the ‘Tracey Emin effect’ is causing arts funding to flood into the town.”

It highlights the development of Turner Contemporary, the filming of Exodus and Arts Solutions, which was run in collaboration with Thanet District Council and aimed to regenerate the area and develop a creative economy, as reasons why Margate made it on to the list.

Councillor Roger Latchford said:

“Margate’s positioning amongst the top 20 creative towns and cities in the UK just shows how far the town has come over the last few years. We want to see Margate becoming a creative hub for Thanet and the whole of Kent and the development of Turner Contemporary will bring a major visual arts gallery to the town, attracting a whole new audience here.

This study also highlights the economic benefits that we know culture can bring to an area and that’s why we want to establish Margate at the heart of culture in this region. It talks about signs of regeneration being seen with house prices increasing and new shops and restaurants opening and, perhaps most importantly, how the government are now looking at cultural growth areas, which could lead to funding opportunities.”

It seems not a week goes by without one of the national papers covering Margate regeneration in one way or another - it’s The Guardian’s turn this week.

Mary O’Hara raises the perceived idea of seaside decline, and suggests, with particular focus on Margate, that it’s time to dispel the myth that coastal resorts are in a state of terminal decline.

“I suppose the popular press would say [seaside towns] are under threat, but the reality is that they are changing, and they have been for 300 years,” Brodie says. “Decline assumes that it’s all negative. Some are still on the way down, but in other places you are seeing upturns.”

He says Margate is a good example of how small-scale, targeted, locally-coordinated projects can help inspire a turnaround. Standing in a once rundown Victorian electricity substation that has been gutted, whitewashed and taken over by artists, Brodie says he is convinced that taking advantage of heritage in this way can be a visible step in the right direction. “I think [the building] was derelict for many years before it came into use, and it’s interesting to see new projects like this. I think from these small-scale projects you can start to build a momentum hopefully for development - in this case, for development in the Old Town area of Margate. It is an example of what’s possible.”

I’m often skeptical when Margate appears in the media - in many cases it appears the journalists regurgitate council spiel about regeneration, rather than visiting for themselves, but in my opinion today’s article gives a fair idea of where Margate stands.
We know Margate isn’t perfect, and so does the writer, but it acknowledges how good the opportunities for Margate are. There is alot of work to do - alot of Margate suffers from seaside shabbiness, but there is a real feeling that people are keen to make changes.

In Margate, physical signs of regeneration are everywhere. On one stretch of its long sandy beach, the grand Victorian Sea Bathing hospital, which was fast becoming a neglected eyesore, has been turned into luxury flats, in a development that has remained sympathetic to the building’s heritage. Meanwhile, the Margate Renewal Partnership, a collaboration between Thanet district council and other local bodies, is coordinating investment in a range of projects, from housing improvement to revamping civic spaces and the heritage of the Old Town.

As for the future, Margate has been capitalising on a burgeoning reputation for the arts. The building and burning last year of Antony Gormley’s spectacular Waste Man, a 25ft-tall construction made from the detritus of modern consumer society, is an example. But the flagship is likely to be the opening of the Turner Contemporary Gallery near the town’s harbour, and scheduled for completion in 2009.

Even at Dreamland, there is a possibility of new life. A group is campaigning to preserve the site, its rollercoaster - the only such structure to have Grade II listed status - and for fresh investment to keep the park as a going concern.

Following his last presentation on 18th June, David Chipperfield will be presenting the latest T.C. designs at 6:30pm on Tuesday 16th October 2007 at the Theatre Royal, Margate.

It will be interesting to see how the design has progressed since the last presentation, but if you can’t make it, you can be sure that we’ll cover all the developments here.

As always, these events are extremely popular, so booking is essential.
Reserve seats by emailing rfurlong@turnercontemporary.org or telephone 01843 294363.

An interesting new blog arrived on the radar this afternoon.

Margate Architecture sets out to document the changes in the town throughout the regeneration process. Only one post so far, but it looks very promising and worth keeping your eye on.

I often find myself wandering around photographing buildings and anything that catches my eye as a newcomer to the town. This blog will serve as an archive and also to document the changes the town is undergoing as it moves through the ‘regeneration’ process. I have a personal interest in architecture and community development. I’ve moved from Hackney in east London where over the last 9 years I’ve seen the good and the bad from the regeneration process within my neighbourhood.

Thumbing through today’s edition of The Times I was pleased to find a full page write up of Exodus’ upcoming première at the Venice Film Festival.

Unfortunately, the article is fairly unforgiving in it’s description of Margate - it’s a great shame it totally ignored everything being done to improve the town - though Margate has been let down in recent years there is so much going for it’s future. We need to realise what a great future Margate can have.
In my mind, Exodus marks a turning point for the town by showing that great events can happen here and that Margate can attract the talent, resources and the funding for creative industry.

An unemployed printer and an amateur rapper are among a group of non-actors who agreed to appear in a feature film for a bit of a laugh. They never expected it to be selected for one of the most prestigious events in the industry’s calendar, the Venice Film Festival.

Have a read of the complete article at Times Online and then come back and post what you think.

Thanet Council has sent me details of a major new competition to help revitalise Margate Old Town, and they want your help.

The Old Town is an architectural gem and at the heart of Margate’s cultural regeneration, but it is hidden from the view of people visiting he nearby beach, amusement arcades and High Street.

The competition, run by Margate Renewal Partnership aims to reveal this hidden gem to a wider audience. They are looking to commission an innovative piece of work that that is imaginative and artistic and will sign post the Old Town, subtly transforming it without losing its character.

Derek Harding, the Programme Director of the Margate Renewal Partnership says:

We know that there’s a great deal going on in Margate’s creative industries at the moment. They’re at the heart of the town’s regeneration and are helping to change the face of the Old Town beyond recognition from a few years ago, when it was falling into dereliction. The Margate Renewal Partnership is aiming to take that
regeneration forward and we want artists and designers involved in that process. That’s why we want to hear from them, so we can ensure that they’re kept up to date with the work the Partnership is undertaking, but also so that they have the opportunity to get involved in a major project to help promote the Old Town.

To receive the full project brief, contact Margate Renewal Partnership on 01843 609336 or by e-mailing mandy.cronje@thanet.gov.uk.

Some good news for redevelopment followers - this press release just in from Thanet District Council:

Plans have been submitted by Thanet District Council for a derelict and underused area in Margate Old Town.

The application, for Queens Arms Yard, proposes a mixed use development of three and four storey buildings, which will house a café, bar or restaurant, along with 10 retail units or art studios and a total of 24 apartments.

The plans are part of the ongoing regeneration of Margate Old Town by the Council and the Margate Renewal Partnership to create a Cultural Quarter to complement Turner Contemporary. Artists have been involved in helping to draw up the plans of the retail units and art studios to ensure that they meet their needs.

Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for Economy and Culture, said: “The Council and Margate Renewal Partnership are working hard to regenerate Margate and a crucial part of that work is the creation of a Cultural Quarter in the Old Town. There’s no doubt that the work is starting to pay dividends there, with new businesses opening all the time and increasing occupancy levels. Obviously these plans will need to be considered carefully by our Planning Officers to ensure that the best scheme is achieved for everyone. The development of this site will help to bring an area, that’s been a target for fly tippers for some time, back into use, attracting both new businesses and residents into our beautiful Old Town.”

Copies of the application can be viewed at Margate library, Thanet District Council’s offices in Margate or online at www.ukplanning.com and members of the public can give their views on the planning application until Friday 31 August.

Last Saturday, Dreamland Cinema played host to two packed screenings of “Exodus”, the Channel 4/Artangel film that was produced in the town last year. In attendance were townspeople and local artists who had worked on the film, as well as director Penny Woolcock and Artangel co-director Michael Morris.

So what about the film? Exodus is not a shiny happy film. There are no sequins or Hollywood smiles.

Exodus is grimy and political, and all the better for it. Have no doubts, this is a professional film with serious ambition - it’s beautifully designed and executed.
Antony Gormley’s Wasteman and the hundreds of extras look spectacular on film, and the scenic railway is utterly iconic as the backdrop for the Dreamland shanty town.

I heard alot of talk about Exodus acting as a launch pad for many local people - there are a number of faces that look great on screen and are bound to be noticed - and if Exodus wins any awards it must surely be for it’s direction and visual appeal.

The film is due to have it’s official première at the Venice Film Festival this summer; the earliest it will hit Channel 4 screens will be this December. It’s worth the wait.

Just a quick post from me today, to let you know about an article in today’s Daily Telegraph in which Dominic Bradbury talks to David Chipperfield about Turner Contemporary. It’s a worthwhile read.

British architect David Chipperfield is renowned for daring buildings set between land and sea - and his next is set to revitalise Margate. He talks to Dominic Bradbury

Margate is a place that could do with a bit of help. Its harbour front and stone pier feel neglected and disconnected from the rest of the town, while the rest of the seafront is dominated by amusement arcades and unloved blocks of flats with optimistic names such as The Arcadian.

Read more at the Telegraph website.

I’m proud to announce we are the first online/print source to display a full selection of hi-resolution images of the new Turner Contemporary building - a big thank you to the staff over at TC for these.

Bloggers and commentators were quick off the mark to analyse the designs based only on the small image released yesterday, so I hope seeing these designs on a larger scale will help give a truer representation of the building. (To repeat what David Chipperfield said yesterday - this is not the completed design, but in order to present these ideas to the public they are forced to give them an air of finality.)

(For full information and audio recordings of last night’s David Chipperfield presentation, scroll down to see our earlier post)

View of Turner Contemporary from the sea front.

View of model from sea.

Sketch of balcony and terraces by David Chipperfield.

View from the first floor terrace.

All images Copyright David Chipperfield Architects Ltd.

It’s arrived, but not quite at the state some of us expected. Even though we will have to wait several more months to see the completed design, David Chipperfield’s presentation seemed to hit the mark for most of the audience who crammed into the Winter Gardens to see the latest plans for Turner Contemporary.

Mike Hill opened the presentation with a brief introduction to the project. He spoke passionately about his role in the project, and despite the usual comparisons with St Ives and Bilbao, he came across as someone with a genuine determination to succeed.

Following Mike Hill’s introduction, it was time for Victoria Pomery, director of Turner Contemporary to reiterate the Turner vision. She estimated that 130,000 visitors would visit in an average year, bringing at least £2 million for local businesses each year - the gallery itself would have a permenant staff of 35.

“The building has been driven by the need to design a gallery for presenting historical and contemporary art of the highest calibre that also offers a fantastic visitor experience. What we’re creating is a destination, and a programme, that visitors will want to return to again and again.”

Most crucially she outlined the work it will hold - a range of temporary modern and classic exhibitions, and guaranteed that there would be works by Turner present all year round (sourced from the Tate and private collections). Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of summer 2008, with the gallery open to the public in 2010.

Eventually, David Chipperfield, the guest speaker for the evening, took to the stage. Below is a full recording of his talk, but here’s some of the most important points.

• The design is still in the process of development - there is still work to do.
• “The rendezvous site is blessed. We couldn’t have a more beautiful view of the sea”
• One his major challenges is to connect the site with the town. The fort hill carriage way may be altered to make the gallery more accessible from the old town.
• They have quite a limited area to build in - they have to make room for the lifeboat slipway.
• Yet with every problem comes a hidden benefit - they have to set the building 2 meters above the ground level to avoid flooding, so they are planning a large ramp which will act as as access to gallery as well as acting as a large public square/terrace with outdoor artwork.
• He wants to build a “cultural community centre” - his has no problem attracting people already into art, his main aim is to draw those who aren’t.
• On the previous design: “You can make an idea of what you want to build - but without rubbing salt in the wound - to some degree that was the strategy of the first project - there was a bold beautiful idea that then tried to be realised - but the technical issues were not black and white” - Chipperfield has worked the other way round - he has accepted the complicated conditions of the site and worked from that basis.
• There are conflicts between designing a building and a gallery - gallery curators don’t like windows, but architects and visitors do. He has to find the middle ground between these points.
• There will be a large cantilever balcony/terrace on the north (sea) side.
• There will be three floors. The ground floor will be a multifunction space (including a lecture space, cafe and shop), the first floor will be an educational/didactic floor and the second floor will be an environmentally controlled “sanctuary” where works by Turner and other major exhibitions will be displayed.

David Chipperfield is the architect of the moment - he has designed some of the best recent examples of contemporary architecture and is involved in the creation of countless more. He was down to earth, rational, witty and pragmatic - he has an architectural reputation for perfection - his bold design for Turner Contemporary showed clarity and confidence.

“We are very excited with the designs. The challenge has been to create a building that responds to the opportunities of the site. We are confident that this design makes the most of site’s potential and remains sensitive to its unique setting.”

With barely time to catch his breath, the audience was permitted to put their questions to David and the other speakers (as well as other officials including Roger Gale and Sandy Ezekiel). Some of the more interesting points raised during the Q&A session included:

• The issue of transport between Margate station and Turner Contemporary. Sandy Ezekiel confirmed that investigations are being made into a shuttle service and a walkway between the two sites.
• Mike Hill stated that a landscape architect is involved in devising a plan for the rest of the rendezvous site - we can expect a total transformation of the whole area.
• Work is already under way to connect the Rendezvous site with the old town - at the moment it will be done with schemes of lighting, paving and banners - closer to the time this should become more substantial (including alterations to the fort hill carriage way).

The best exchange of all was from Wendy Allen - one of a trio of curmudgeons from the Independent Action Party who had been generally discourteous throughout the entire presentation. She offered a wonderfully turgid record of her local campaigning, from which she concluded that 99% of Thanet residents were opposed to the gallery, to which she received a strong rebuke from Sandy Ezekiel and Mike Hill (who in turn received the biggest applause of the evening). You will understand I don’t mind criticism towards the plan, but this was particularly cringe worthy - here it is in it’s glorious entirety.

Until the embargo on images is lifted, I am unable to post the latest plans, but they will be posted as soon as they become available.

Look back over the history of the Turner Contemporary, and see the events that stand out:

• The unveiling of the Snøhetta + Spence “blob” (31.10.01)
• Installation and subsequent washing-away of the test sculpture (24.01.05)
• U-turn over Snøhetta + Spence design - “back to the drawing board” (08.02.06)
• David Chipperfield chosen to design new gallery with £15 million budget (27.07.06)

After nearly a year of waiting, we will soon be able to add the “unveiling of the new Turner Contemporary design” to the time line.

David Chipperfield will present the designs for the new Turner Contemporary tonight (18th June). Turneround Margate will be present at the presentation, and we plan to bring you a comprehensive digest of all essential information, opinions and plans very soon after.

The presentation begins at 6pm till 8pm at the Margate Winter Gardens. Entrance is free but space is limited. It will be followed by an exhibition of the designs at Droit House, open Friday to Sunday, 10.00 - 17.00 from 22 June until 2 September.

Don’t forget to read our guide to some of David Chipperfield’s previous designs and what we could expect for Margate.

As you are no doubt aware, the self styled ‘Margate’s Big Event’ takes place over this weekend, filling the gap left after sponsorship troubles led to the cancellation of the annual air show which had proven to be a popular summer event.

In certain respects this should be a great success story - particularly since it’s free - and something that the organisers can be proud of. When I visited this evening, palm bay was already host to fair ground attractions and commercial stalls ready for the air show and variety acts to commence at the weekend.

Can I be the only one thinking it’s a shame the council can commit to supporting a second rate travelling fairground but have so far failed to stick up for Dreamland?

The airshow, fireworks, parachute display, quad bikes, birds of prey should, as Cllr Latchford has said, prove to be superb free event for the whole family.

You can find the full programme of events at the Thanet Council Website.