Haggerston Listings

Our project 'Haggerston Listings' got off to a great start last Saturday as our brilliant team of 10 volunteers spent the day with photographer Jon Spencer, finding out about architectural photography and having a go themselves. 

The team learnt about lots of technical aspects like shutter speeds and focal lengths, as well as practical considerations like the position of the sun. They then put their training into practice by taking photographs of a listed building close to the Building Exploratory and using their new skills to explore it’s details and architectural features.

The research and photography will be presented in an on-line learning resource which will map the listed buildings in Haggerston. We’re really looking forward to seeing the research and photographs the volunteers produce

Haggerston Listings is part of the Discover Hackney partnership's project 'My Haggerston'

The Senior BEEs visit places of worship

On Thursday and Friday last week, the Senior BEEs explored places of worship on and close to “High Street 2012”, visiting the East London Mosque on Thursday and the East London Central Synagogue on Friday.

At the East London Mosque Juber Hussein gave the BEEs a fascinating tour of this 1980s building where Islamic ideas and prayer rituals can be read in the architecture of the building, from the men’s ablution room in the basement, to the footprint of the prayer hall set at an odd angle to the façade of the building so that it faces towards Mecca. The East London Mosque is currently in a process of collecting an archive of references about establishing the Mosque, which dates back to 1910, and we’ll be interested to follow the progress of this project.

On Friday at the London Central Synagogue, the only purpose built synagogue in Tower Hamlets, the Senior BEEs were able to compare the ways in which religion has influenced and configured the architecture of this part of the city. In a tour given by Leon Silver, president of the remarkable Ashkenazi synagogue, the Senior BEEs learnt the history of a dignified, unimposing building, which has been in continuing use since 1923 and is tucked away on Nelson Street behind the Royal London Hospital. Responding to the visit, Leon said:

“It is my pleasure to show your groups around the synagogue. I found the Senior Bees to be a charming bunch of people…”

Whitechapel Market Stall on 26th May

With the help of our fantastic volunteers, and in the blazing sun, the Building Exploratory took to the streets on Saturday, hosting a stall in Whitechapel Market. We spoke to more than 260 people, asking them to name their favourite building, to describe the High Street and to tell us a secret about it.

Our volunteers were easily spotted in bright red
'Building Exploratory' t-shirts

The East London mosque was the people’s favourite building on Saturday and the road was described as ‘Beautiful’, ‘Mosaic!’, ‘Lively’ and ‘Exciting’. We’re keeping the “secrets” secret for now, but keep an eye on the Panorama High Street 2012 blog, where we’ll start revealing them soon!

Vote for your favourite building on High Street 2012 by visiting the People's Favourite Buildings webpage.

A visitor casts their vote for their favourite building

We’ve spent the past few months exploring the history and heritage of the 600 buildings along High Street 2012 as part of our Panorama project and want to enhance this research with the memories and experiences of people who use it everyday.

To add your experience to our collection, take a photo of your favourite building along the high street and send it to projects@buildingexploratory.org.uk, or send in a sentence about what you think about High Street 2012 to the same address. You can also visit us our next Whitechapel Market Stall on 23^rd June, which will be outside the Idea Store, Whitechapel from 10am-4pm.

People's favourite voting cards blowing in the wind.
All photos are by Jon Spencer.

Haggeston's Architecture for Adult Learners' Week 2012

It was fortunate that the rain clouds cleared and the sun made an appearance for our walking tour of Haggerston’s architectural highlights on Saturday.  Lizzie led a group of 20 for this 2012 Adult Learners’ Week event, which explored the diversity of architecture in Haggerston: from a mid-nineteenth century garden square, to an Edwardian bath house, to a twentieth century modernist school. 

Participants developed their map-reading and observation skills to identify how and why changes have taken place to the built environment, particularly as a result of WWII bomb damage.  The group also gained an understanding of how population expansion and Victorian philanthropy changed the face of this south-Hackney ward. 

Whilst the tour focused on Albion Square, Haggerston Baths and Haggerston School, participants also got the opportunity to have a close look at Haggerston Estate, and see the some of the most recent additions to the ward’s architecture: The Bridge Academy and Hoxton Station, both nominees for Hackney Design Awards in recent years.

“Thanks for a really enjoyable tour of Haggerston architecture” – just one of the comments from our group of adult learners, who enjoyed seeing the historic maps and photographs, as well as Haggerston’s fascinating buildings.

My Haggerston Volunteer Training

Over the past 6 weeks, Lizzie, Karen and Janet have been delivering a varied and engaging programme of training activities for volunteers who have signed up to take part in ‘My Haggerston’, an in-depth community research project into the ward’s rich heritage.  The project will be delivered by members of the Hackney Heritage and Built Environment Partnership (HHBEP), and has received funding from HLF. 

 HHBEP commissioned the Building Exploratory to develop and deliver the volunteer training because of our significant experience in this area, for example on our Places of Worship and Panorama High Street 2012 projects, and a recent commission by the Design Museum.

The aim of the training is to develop 40 volunteers’ research and audience engagement skills and provide an induction into the organisations delivering ‘My Haggerston’.  Training so far has taken place at the Geffrye Museum, Hackney Archives, and in and around the streets of Haggerston.  Volunteers have taken part in object handling, drama activities, photographed architectural details and researched the industrial heritage of Curtain Road.  Amongst many other things, volunteers have also learned how to use artefacts to stimulate discussion, interpret archival material for family audiences, and work with people with physical disabilities.  

Sessions have been lively, action packed and, with comments such as “BRILLIANT session, thank you so much...interesting and informative” we think that the volunteers have enjoyed them as much as we have!

Senior BEE's at Hoxton Hall

Last Friday the Senior BEEs were taken on an amazingly detailed tour of an atmospheric Victorian music hall theatre - Hoxton Hall. After a warm welcome from Lorna McGinty, Hoxton Hall’s Education and Heritage Co-ordinator, the BEEs met with Anthony Burton a Hoxton Hall trustee and expert on the history of the building who shared his knowledge with the group. Anthony described the history and architecture of Hoxton Hall and took the BEEs out onto Hoxton Street to see the building in its local context. He explained how the building has evolved and adapted over the last 150 years from a music hall to Quaker settlement to the vibrant youth and community arts organisation that it is today.

After the focus on the past, the BEEs had a chance to glimpse the future at Hoxton Hall as contractor Andy Massey showed the group around refurbishment works which are currently in progress. The visit ended with an opportunity for the BEEs to give their ideas for future activity plans at Hoxton Hall. The BEEs are looking forward to re-visiting in June to see a restored Hoxton Hall as it prepares to entertain, support and educate local people for another 150 years.

Engaging Communities

Last week Janet delivered a CPD session on ‘Engaging Communtiites in the Design Process’ to an audience of 70 architects from Jestico & Whiles.  Following a discussion about why it is important to engage communities, Janet took the architects through the process of engagement that the Building Exploratory has developed and successfully delivered over a number of years.   
 

 Students from Sebright School at Heatherwick Studio, for the Lord Mayors Show 2009

Janet illustrated how we  uses a variety of resources to encourage our audiences to contemplate the nature of change in the local area.    She also explained how, through providing opportunities for discussion with a wide range of built environment professionals and stakeholders, audiences gain a broader understanding of the complexity of issues affecting their local urban landscape.  Using ‘Exploring Adventure’ and ‘Arundel Square’, as case studies, Janet illustrated some of the creative techniques that are essential to the Building Exploratory’s work to enhance audiences’ experience and investigations of architectural places and spaces.  A lively question and answer session followed.  

For more information, contact Janet Clark education@buildingexploratory.org.uk

Errect Architecture and the Building Exploratory - Kilburn Grange,  Exploring Adventure 2010