Vivienne T, in Lower Fifth, reflects on the cityscape design competition that art scholars and sixth form art pupils participated in earlier this month.
On Friday 15 November, we visited the RAMM for an architecture competition run by the Royal Institute of British Architecture. There were two teams of six representing Exeter School, who were comprised of sixth form art students and the art scholars. Our brief was to improve the public space outside of Exeter Central library’s main entrance. Hypothetically, Exeter City Council has decided to pedestrianise this area and asked schools in the South West to redesign it and compete for a prize. The library council wanted us to make the space more inviting and greener. Each team was assigned an architect or landscape architect who would work alongside them. We also had a lecturer of Architecture from Plymouth University advising us.
We started the day by visiting the site and quickly began to form ideas. We noticed it was a very dull area, basically a glorified roundabout for cars! We wanted to make it more appealing for the community, and a space that could be interchangeable with the seasons. A place people could watch performances and gigs from our new amphitheatre. Themes that were at the forefront of our groups design were: sustainability, culture, and play. From our ideas, we made our concept and got to work on modelling and drawing.
It was an amazing experience, and we got a taste of what it would be like in the realm of architecture in just one day. Caitlin F, in Upper Fifth, won the prize for ‘Best 2D drawing’– Go Exeter School!
Thank you to our teachers, Ms. Brownsey and Mrs. Brewer, for organising this visit.
