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Half Life
Posted by: David Keech on 3rd Oct 2007 in Creative Report
If you are an experienced designer with a background in high-tech architecture, product design and furniture, what type of project might you find yourself working on these days? Simple: a major new landscape work in Scotland currently attracting a lot of attention called Half Life. If you are James Johnson that is.
Half Life is the first co-production between The National Theatre of Scotland and the renowned innovators NVA (http://www.nva.org.uk). Staged throughout the day and night in one of the world's most significant prehistoric regions, Half Life offers a physical and emotive experience which reveals the dark but inspiring mindset of Scotland's early Neolithic inhabitants. The extraordinarily rich heritage of Mid-Argyll has a remarkable story to tell, through thousands of years of intense marking of living rock formations and the raising and building of henges and burial complexes. It carries the beginnings of a truly cultural landscape.
James's main focus was the design of a stunning timber structure. A sculptural landscape installation that is also a theatrical set for atmospheric outdoor productions.
According to James, and in typical modest style, the main challenge was the midges, rife in that part of Scotland. Never mind the problem of turning a vast pile of felled logs into a stunning architectutral structure that resonates perfectly with the landscape and its rich history (my words not his).
The structure was built by Carpenter Oak and Green Woodland (http://www.carpenteroakandwoodland.com) with assistance from the Forestry Commission. The main structure was built from sitka spruce and any timber in contact with the ground from larch as it rots more slowly. Although initially only to be temporary the structure has now been adopted by the Forestry Commission and due to the scale of the structure, permanent planning permission had to be obtained, the rear elevation being 9.5 meters. I'm wondering if the Neolithic landscape architects had to overcome such problems?
Posted by: David Keech on 3rd Oct 2007 in Creative Report
If you are an experienced designer with a background in high-tech architecture, product design and furniture, what type of project might you find yourself working on these days? Simple: a major new landscape work in Scotland currently attracting a lot of attention called Half Life. If you are James Johnson that is.
Half Life is the first co-production between The National Theatre of Scotland and the renowned innovators NVA (http://www.nva.org.uk). Staged throughout the day and night in one of the world's most significant prehistoric regions, Half Life offers a physical and emotive experience which reveals the dark but inspiring mindset of Scotland's early Neolithic inhabitants. The extraordinarily rich heritage of Mid-Argyll has a remarkable story to tell, through thousands of years of intense marking of living rock formations and the raising and building of henges and burial complexes. It carries the beginnings of a truly cultural landscape.
James's main focus was the design of a stunning timber structure. A sculptural landscape installation that is also a theatrical set for atmospheric outdoor productions.
According to James, and in typical modest style, the main challenge was the midges, rife in that part of Scotland. Never mind the problem of turning a vast pile of felled logs into a stunning architectutral structure that resonates perfectly with the landscape and its rich history (my words not his).
The structure was built by Carpenter Oak and Green Woodland (http://www.carpenteroakandwoodland.com) with assistance from the Forestry Commission. The main structure was built from sitka spruce and any timber in contact with the ground from larch as it rots more slowly. Although initially only to be temporary the structure has now been adopted by the Forestry Commission and due to the scale of the structure, permanent planning permission had to be obtained, the rear elevation being 9.5 meters. I'm wondering if the Neolithic landscape architects had to overcome such problems?
