Progressive Constructions

Progressive Constructions

The 2017 City of Culture has partnered with Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to commission Chile-based architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen and Swiss artist Felice Varini to design a structure for the centre of Hull. With the support of the British Council, the project has been developed through a competition with a site-specific brief, selected from a pool of 18 emerging and established UK and internationally based creators.

Forming Part of the Look Up public art Programme, Hall for Hull brings a grid made of 16 galvanised steel columns to the front steps of the historic Hull Minster. The work transforms its environment with reflective perforated surfaces. Audiences are encouraged to interact with the six-metre-high structure; the geometric shapes carefully constructed to challenge its viewers perceptions. As Marie Bak Mortensen, RIBA Head of Exhibitions, notes, the selected work “effortlessly fulfils the commission’s aim to push the boundaries of how we observe art, architecture and public spaces and to facilitate unique experiences for residents and newcomers to the city.”

The scheme was enabled by the City Councils £25 million injection into the public realm improvements programme and its objective is to breathe new life into a historic part of an increasingly vibrant city. Sam Hunt, Executive Producer, Hull 2017, comments: “The Hull 2017 Look Up programme is about making people see and experience this amazing city in new and exciting ways.” The work, opening 1 October offers an innovative and memorable experience of a city making its mark in the creative community.

For more information: www.hull2017.co.uk

Credits:
1. Pezo von Ellrichshausen, Cien house, Concepción, Chile, 2011.