Sugar coated design

NEO Bankside

Nicholas Gray, Native Land and Craig McWilliam, Grosvenor

Tate Modern

Tate Modern

EDITORIAL by Michael Hammond

LFA gets a little sweeter with scale models of NEO Bankside and Tate Modern in sugar

Scale models of Tate Modern and adjacent NEO Bankside, a world class residential scheme designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, have been made entirely out of sugar cubes. The models were unvieled yesterday at the NEO Bankside pavilion, as part of the development's contribution to this year's London Festival of Architecture.

Made to a scale of 1:100, the sculptor Brendan Jamison from Belfast, put the finishing touches to the installation in the NEO Bankside pavilion. The sculpture will be on show to the public over the weekend of 3rd-4th as a highlight of the Bankside weekend of the LFA. On Saturday 3rd July, children can attend workshops at the NEO Bankside Pavilion to learn how to make sugar cube models, under Brendan's tuition.
 

FUN FACTS: STATISTICS  

Dimensions: height 60 cms, length 67 cms, width 41 cms

Number of cubes in model: 11,256

Quantity of glue in model: 2,225ml (2.25 litres)

Number of sugar crystals in each cube: 725,000

Total number of sugar crystals in model: 8,160,600,000 (8.16 Billion)

EDITORIAL by Michael Hammond

 
   Building on the strong link between art and architecture, local company Bradkeel Developments commissioned Belfast sculptor Brendan Jamison to build a sugar-cube model for the proposed ‘Sugar Walk’ development on Great Patrick Street in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast.

   Designed by Gregory Architects, this exciting new development boasts 14 floors of luxury apartments.   In March 2008 Jamison began working on the architect’s plans to produce a 1:100 scale model. The finished piece pays close attention to detail, with the balconies, terraces and curving penthouse roof all captured to a high degree of accuracy. Jamison states, “my own art practice has always been heavily influenced by architecture and inner city redevelopment. I enjoyed the challenge of this Sugar Walk project, especially given that the site’s location is only 100 metres from my studio at Flax Art on Corporation Street. Sugar is a beautiful material to work with, it can be cut and carved into organic shapes and the sugar crystals can provide a sparkling surface in natural light.  

   I have been employing cubes as building blocks in large sculptures since my Masters of Art show back in 2004, at that time I created a series of seven 9ft tall minaret-styled sculptures. It was these works that caught the eye of Paul Fitzsimons of Bradkeel Developments while googling for a sugar-cube artist. He couldn’t believe his luck to find one located just around the corner from the development site! Having now completed building the model, I would love to own one of the penthouse apartments; the views from the top floor will be stunning. Sugar Walk will offer a new sweeter perspective on viewing the Cathedral Quarter!”