BBC Pods
Flashing hands
Walking route along the River Thames, London, for the BBC and RIBA
As an evolution of their initiative called ‘Dark Waters’, the BBC set up a new programme in partnership with the RIBA where 20 Primary Schools, located within a mile radius from the Thames, were encouraged to unravel the history and the impact of 20 landmarks along the river. Through a series of small multimedia projects run by the 21CC team (BBC) the children would develop the content shown in the 3 pods located by Southwark Cathedral, the Royal Festival Hall and on the Somerset House Terrace.
SCABAL collaborated with St. Edmund Primary School in the Isle of Dogs to design the linking route between the 3 pods. In the first workshop the children played the role of Thames detectives that investigated the iconic buildings between the different pod locations, where they were encouraged to draw and write short stories about the chosen sites. On the second workshop, our creative year 6 team had to present their findings and start drafting a linking route with appropriate signage and mapping techniques. They modelled and decorated their own hands in plaster to represent the ‘Flashing Hands’ that would guide visitors along the route. And these became the instruction for SCABAL’s proposal of colourful vacuumed formed hands. The plastic hands are attached to existing street furniture creating a visual link along the route and guiding people up and down the river walk.
The project was installed along the river Thames for the Southbank Festival from 16th of July to mid-September 2009.
Service: Ian Ritchie Architects
Location: Madrid, Spain
Client: Reina Sophia Art Gallery
Cost: Undisclosed
Areas: XXm2
Dates: 1989
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