BACKGROUND & BRIEF:
This was one of those small ’in-between’ projects that we did in 2nd year, that was a small external competition, that our lecturers had us undertake, though we didn’t have to submit it into the competition we did have submit it to our end of semester portfolios.
The competition was for the design of small kiosk; to be placed anywhere in the country that we wished, but, had to some represent Ireland, and Irelands forthcoming, six-month tenure of Presidency of the Council of the European Union (JAN-JUNE 2013).
We first had to come up with a Slogan and a Poster that represented that Slogan (which was to be displayed somewhere in the Kiosk to motivate and encourage Irishness).
Thinking about where Ireland was in late 2012 early 2013; we were in the depths of the economic downturn (the worst in this country since the 1980s), we faced increasing austerity, increasing taxes, reductions in student funding at 3rd level, and probably the most thwarting, the then Taoiseach of this country had the audacity (at a time of need and dire necessity of unification) to address our country (live on air) inebriated, the past few years had become increasingly disparaging and disheartening for the entire country.
It certainly left a feeling of hopelessness in us and through this hopelessness a Slogan emerged for the project:
“The Light at the End of the Tunnel”
NOTES:
The concept for the Poster was to keep it simple, really dark with a piercing white light in monochrome; like the light breaking through the darkness, to symbolize the that there is hope for Ireland at the end of this gloom.
The concept for the Poster was to keep it simple, really dark with a piercing white light in monochrome; like the light breaking through the darkness, to symbolize the that there is hope for Ireland at the end of this gloom.
NOTES:
The Site needed to be a significant, important location, not just for symbolism and meaning to the Irish but for pragmatic financial reasons (it was after all a Kiosk, which need customers). The site I chose was O’Connell street central avenue between the GPO and Clery’s department store (the street had undergone a massive Integrated Area Plan (IAP) particularly the area just in front of the GPO - which included the widening of paths & the planting of square clipped peach trees which were planted in pairs along the central avenue, creating a vegetated border).
This part of Dublin (besides being the main street of the Capital) is steeped in our history; The 1913 Lockout (the most severe industrial dispute in Irish history), The 1916 Easter Rising (when Irish Republicans seized the GPO and proclaimed the Irish Republic), and The 1966 bombing of Admiral Lord Nelson’s Pillar, and so seemed the perfect choice for the kiosks location.
NOTES:
The basic concept of the Kiosk was simple; it needed to represent Ireland, and for me that was; to show that small individual countries (like ours) have purpose and can prosper as well as making a difference to wider Europe.
So the Idea was these two cuboids; standing strong and solid, unyielding to the elements, (signifying the solidarity of an EU that stands & works together),
Then the cuboids come apart, detach, breakdown into individual modular pieces, serving specific purposes, (signifying that smaller countries, also hold an individual identity and serve their functional purpose). These Cuboids would come together in the evening as solidified wholes, then dismember in the morning of use customer use.
NOTES:
The materiality of Kiosk was intended to be a larch timber, with its tough, knot free, waterproof qualities and a good resistance to rot (which would be necessary in the Irish climate).
The cuboids would be made of:
(X2) Seating Steps,
(X4) Table and Chairs,
(X4) Merchandise Stands,
(X1) Publicly accessible Disabled Toilet, and
(X1) Merchandise Stall
NOTES:
The final model is long is lost and although prettier than the working model above, it was pretty much the same, just slicker, with replications of road textures and markings the manicured peach trees.
