Edinburgh Sculpture workshop Part 2 Project 2008 Brian Tobin Edinburgh College of Art | UK My proposal for the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop places itself at the intersection of Art & Architecture. It is concerned with the study of light and material, which I consider the most essential common elements between Sculpture and architecture. The scheme is not conceived as Art, but as a beautiful and highly functional place to create it. It is designed in spaces for thought and craft with each element of the brief developing it own form, materiality and relationships. Located between Hawthornvale and an old rail cutting which is connected to the shore, the scheme takes the sense of isolation created by the topography of the site to create a sense of wonder and engagement for the public. The proposal is based on the notion of a craft community, reinterpreting the idea of a town plan to create unity. The public and mixed media building act as a bridge between the city and this other place, cutting into the streetscape by means of a diaphram wall it houses the artists work and acts as a transitory space between the city and the community. The main social space situated underground is conceived as a well or gathering space which links the public to the private zones. Each Workshop represents a craft and is connected by set underground studios. These studios are designed as concentrated, simple and malleable spaces for the artists to take authorship of. Scattered around the site between a dense canopy of Silver Birch and Hawthorn lie the artist’s accommodation. These towers sail above the treetops and act as spaces for thought while also animating Hawthornvale. A small public gallery and education space break the boundary of the site, which lie along the public path to the shore. These are intended as catalysts to involve the wider community and sow seeds between the shore and the workshop. It is hoped that this in future will create spaces for the Artists and public to interact. Brian Tobin Brian TobinBrian has consistently shown an outstanding knowledge and analysis of architectural and artistic precedents and concepts, alongside great confidence and ability in design, from structure and materials to the smallest details. Brian’s initial artistic investigations into materiality developed into a clearly defined architectural strategy for a new Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. The resulting proposition has been designed, tested and detailed to an extremely high level of sophistication, yet the proposed buildings retain a strong sense of purity and humane simplicity. Throughout the year, Brian has demonstrated great self-assurance, skill and creativity in presenting his ideas, process and final design, using a wide variety of media including prototypes and video recordings, models, montages and drawings.Colin GilmourMelanie PerkinsUnit TutorsArchitecture and the Arts 2007 - 08