Campbell Rowley

Problem:
CEMP is located in a building that had previously been occupied by a number of different academic departments. A five-story extension was commissioned at one end of the building and the main reception area has been redesigned to include a new television studio. However the original footprint of the building is over 20 years old – five floors with multiple entrances and exit points, there was a real concern that the building would become very difficult and frustrating to navigate.

Moreover, as part of their commitment to create a rich and inspirational learning environment, the CEMP management team were keen to transform the surroundings in which the Centre operates. There were a number of studios and workshop areas that although installed with state-of-the-art equipment, were not particularly inspiring working environments. CEMP wanted to install strong visuals to decorate the corridors and studio spaces which would reflect the ethos of CEMP, and at the same time provide a navigational plan for the building.

We were commissioned to create a more stimulating environment for the general reception area, the main building thoroughfares of each floor and a selection of the Centre’s workshops and labs.

Solution:
To make the general navigation of the building easier we developed a colour scheme for each floor that was applied to the three main entrances/exits and stairwells. We created an image for each floor, complimenting the relevant colour, and this was applied to the floor entrance area and repeated in the stairwell and by the lifts. The liftwall images are large 5m x 2.2m prints which completely dominate the space, while the stairwell shots are back-mounted onto acrylic to give a high-gloss finish. The images, which are used on each floor, constitute the series Media Subversions where media images and information appear in unexpected places to create an interesting and intriguing visual narrative.

Each floor was then divided into two sections with different visual themes created for each:
Flash at Night, Storylines, Creative Things, The Sea, Journalism, Local Scenes, Brands, Political Communication

LCD displays were also installed in between the lifts streaming live news 24 hours a day.

Within the selected labs we created a series of installations based upon technologies and innovations that have been developed since the end of the Second World War. These were studio shots of media artefacts such as the first mobile phone, taken on a highly reflective white gloss surface to give a mirror image.

Finally, within the main reception area, we were given a 61ft space, to create a permanent installation. We developed the idea of an innovation timeline starting with the invention of the telegraph in 1837 through to the first free-to-air broadcast in the UK in 2006. The installation includes 15 acrylic panels, each representing a specific time and innovation, and digital wallpaper covering 61 sq ft, including illustrations and quotes highlighting particular developments.

Within the general reception area there is a cafe, projections of animation work by students of the National Centre for Computer Animation, and a video wall donated by Sky. The reception area is also the entrance to the new television studio. Windows have been cut into the main wall, leading into the reception, so that visitors can watch as programmes are made and broadcast.

Production format
In total 87 images were produced in various formats. All the shots are large, varying from the enormous 5m x 2m lift space shots to the 8ft x 6ft corridor shots and studio prints. The production techniques vary from the Lambda wraparound photographic prints (Lambda is a state-of-the-art printing technique which ensures the ultimate in sharpness and richness of images), to high gloss inkjet pictures back-mounted onto acrylic.

Results
There has been a widespread positive reaction to the project from both staff and students. John Wardle, Project Director at CEMP, says, “We are delighted with the outcome of this project. We commissioned Campbell Rowley to give a visual identity and navigational system to the building, and the results have been outstanding. The building is now much easier to navigate and the images have transformed the working environment.”