| Apollo Pavilion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Victor Pasmore |
The Apollo Pavilion, also known as the Pasmore Pavilion, is a work of public art in the new town of Peterlee in County Durham in the North East of England. Designed by British artist and architect Victor Pasmore, it was completed in 1969. [1]
In December 2011, English Heritage gave the Pavilion a Grade-II* listing. [2] [3]
Peterlee was originally designed by Berthold Lubetkin in 1940. However, his hope to develop high rises were considered "too risky," due to the mining subsidence in the area. [4]
In 1955, Victor Pasmore was appointed Consulting Director of Architectural Design of the Peterlee development corporation. He chose to design the town around a central abstract artwork and pavilion, eventually naming it the Apollo Pavilion as a reference to the optimism of the Apollo Space Program. [1]
The Pavilion is made of reinforced concrete that was cast in situ. The design consists of large geometric planes of white concrete, the only decoration being two oval murals. The structure spans a small lake that frames a large geometric statue by Pasmore; in its original form, the Pavilion provided a pedestrian link between the two halves of the estate.
Victor Pasmore described it as "... an architecture and sculpture of purely abstract form through which to walk, in which to linger and on which to play, a free and anonymous monument which, because of its independence, can lift the activity and psychology of an urban housing community on to a universal plane."[ citation needed ]
The work remains a rare UK example of a large-scale experiment in the synthesis of art and architecture. [4] "It stands today," says Richard Cork, "as a fascinating example of how contemporary artists can translate their concerns into wholly architectural terms, and how even the restricted budget of a new town is able, given the necessary degree of commitment, to yield funding for a purely imaginative feat." [5]
Over time, the pavilion became neglected, with local youths frequently tagging it with graffiti and the stair axis being blocked off. Pasmore approved of graffiti when he visited the pavilion in 1982, stating that he considered it to be "a dialogue with that very community who had ironically rejected it and were calling for its demolition." [4]
The Pavilion was immediately the focus of local complaint, and a councillor, Joan Maslin, mounted a campaign against the work. It became a popular hangout for local youths and was subject to graffiti and vandalism. When the Peterlee Development Corporation (which commissioned the £33,000 work) was disbanded, the local council refused responsibility for cleaning and repair. As a result, the concrete turned grey and began to decay.
In 1982, Victor Pasmore met with residents during a public meeting at the pavilion. Pasmore suggested that, if anything, the graffiti had humanised the piece, and suggested that the solution would not be to remove the piece, but rather, the disruptive families that were abusing it. It was agreed that the stair access would be blocked off and the structure used for planting.
In opposition to the residents' campaign, a friends group was organised by regional artists and cultural leaders. In 1998, English Heritage recommended the structure be given listed status but this was declined by Tony Banks in deference to the local political issue. In 2004, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead commissioned Jane and Louise Wilson to make a video installation featuring the Pavilion. In the mid-2000s, there was a proposal to restore the structure and enlarge the lake, so that the Pavilion would be less accessible.
In 2006, road signs were installed for directions to the Apollo Pavilion at the Passfield Way and Oakerside Drive junction saying 'Oakerside Drive leading to Pasmore's Apollo Pavilion'. Further down Oakerside Drive next to the Hearts of Oak public house is a road sign for the car park to visit the Pavilion and another sign for the footpath leading to the Pavilion.
Following a meeting at the Pavilion in September 2008, it was agreed that the structure would be repaired with lottery funding. Sunday July 11, 2009 at 4pm saw the official unveiling of the Apollo Pavilion, after £400,000 was spent on its restoration. One of the original two stair accesses was restored, as well as feature lighting, and both murals. £336,000 of the funds came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, while the remaining £65,000 was provided by Durham County Council. [6]
Unveiling the commemorative plaque, John Pasmore, Victor's son, said, "I am delighted the pavilion has been restored to its original state and once again reflects my father's vision." [6]
Art Deco, short for the French Arts décoratifs, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in Paris in the 1910s, and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920s to early 1930s. Through styling and design of the exterior and interior of anything from large structures to small objects, including how people look, Art Deco has influenced bridges, buildings, ships, ocean liners, trains, cars, trucks, buses, furniture, and everyday objects including radios and vacuum cleaners.
Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, was an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture was based upon new and innovative technologies of construction ; the principle functionalism ; an embrace of minimalism; and a rejection of ornament.
Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically accessible to the public; it is installed in public space in both outdoor and indoor settings. Public art seeks to embody public or universal concepts rather than commercial, partisan, or personal concepts or interests. Notably, public art is also the direct or indirect product of a public process of creation, procurement, and/or maintenance.
Peterlee is a town in County Durham, England, with Sunderland to the north, Hartlepool to the south, the Durham Coast to the east and Durham to the west. It gained town status in 1948 under the New Towns Act 1946. The act also created the nearby settlement of Newton Aycliffe and later Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements over decorative design. The style commonly makes use of exposed, unpainted concrete or brick, angular geometric shapes and a predominantly monochrome colour palette; other materials, such as steel, timber, and glass, are also featured.
The year 1970 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
Avenham Park is a Grade II* listed public park in Avenham, close to the centre of Preston in Lancashire in the northwest of England, and managed by Preston City Council.
The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts was a specialized exhibition held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the French government to highlight the new modern style of architecture, interior decoration, furniture, glass, jewelry and other decorative arts in Europe and throughout the world. Many ideas of the international avant-garde in the fields of architecture and applied arts were presented for the first time at the exposition. The event took place between the esplanade of Les Invalides and the entrances of the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, and on both banks of the Seine. There were 15,000 exhibitors from twenty different countries, and it was visited by sixteen million people during its seven-month run. The modern style presented at the exposition later became known as "Art Deco", after the exposition's name.
Brisbane Central Technical College is a heritage-listed technical college at 2 George Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1911 to 1956. It became the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) in 1965, and then in 1987 that became the Queensland University of Technology. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 August 1999.
Jane Wilson and Louise WilsonRA Elect are British artists who work together as a sibling duo. Jane and Louise Wilson's art work is based in video, film and photography. They are YBA artists who were nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999.
Edwin John Victor Pasmore, CH, CBE was a British artist. He pioneered the development of abstract art in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s.
Hastings Pier is a public pleasure pier in Hastings, East Sussex, England. Built in 1872 and enjoying its prime in the 1930s, it became a popular music venue in the 1960s. The structure suffered major storm damage in 1990, and was closed to the public for a time before closing completely in 2008, and 95% destroyed by a fire in 2010. Hastings Pier Charity oversaw a rebuilding project, with the pier reopening on 27 April 2016. The redeveloped pier won the 2017 Stirling Prize for architecture.
Victoria Pier is a pier in the seaside resort of Colwyn Bay, Wales. The pier fell into disrepair and much of it was demolished, it was reopened in 2021 with a reduced length. Visitors can access the pier and see the bay along its length. Some of the original metalwork remains and retains the legal status of a grade-II listed structure.
The Plaza is a Grade II* listed art deco single-screen cinema and theatre in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It opened in 1932, its construction having involved the excavation of the sandstone cliff behind it. After an initial closure in 1966 and a subsequent period in use as a bingo hall by Rank Leiure, it has now been restored as a cinema and theatre, showing films and staging live shows.
The Lune Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune, on the east side of the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It was completed in 1797 at a total cost of £48,320 18s 10d. It is a Grade I listed building.
Towner Eastbourne is an art gallery located in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on the south coast of England. In 2019, German artist Lothar Götz was chosen from a call out to design a mural for the building's exterior. Götz transformed the exterior walls of the gallery with his large-scale, colourful geometric artwork, Dance Diagonal.
The former French Convalescent Home was a seafront sanatorium and rest home built in Brighton, part of the English seaside city of Brighton and Hove, on behalf of the French government. It received patients from the French Hospital in London and served as a home for elderly French nationals. It was sold for redevelopment in 1999 and was briefly threatened with demolition; but English Heritage listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance, and it was converted into flats. The unusual château-style French Renaissance Revival building has been criticised as "dreary" and "gauche", but is believed to be unique in England and demonstrated innovation in its use of double glazing.
Southport Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall at Nerang Street, Southport, Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hall & Phillips and built in 1935 by H Cheetham. It is also known as Gold Coast City Hall, Gold Coast Town Hall, and South Coast Town Hall. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 October 1998.
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavillion d'un Collecteur at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, and the interiors of the ocean liner Normandie and other French transatlantic liners in the 1930s.
The Art Deco movement of architecture and design appeared in Paris in about 1910–12, and continued until the beginning of World War II in 1939. It took its name from the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. It was characterized by bold geometric forms, bright colors, and highly stylized decoration, and it symbolized modernity and luxury. Art Deco architecture, sculpture, and decoration reached its peak at 1939 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, and in movie theaters, department stores, other public buildings. It also featured in the work of Paris jewelers, graphic artists, furniture craftsmen, and jewelers, and glass and metal design. Many Art Deco landmarks, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Palais de Chaillot, can be seen today in Paris.