Designing the future
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Published
21 December 2023
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University of East London students have won widespread praise for their designs for a new exhibition space for the Museum of London. The students, all studying BA Interior Design and Interior Architecture, were asked to come up with ideas by looking at the work of artists. Their designs were presented at the offices of one of Britain’s best-known construction firms, Sir Robert McAlpine.
Bryn Rodgers, senior design manager at the company was impressed by what he saw,
Their innovative and varied ideas were all pulled together in an efficient criticism session in the afternoon. They really had taken on the inspiration of their chosen artists and ran with it.”
Andy Garton, senior architect at Stanton Williams, was part of the panel discussing ideas with the students. He said, “Lots of interesting concepts were presented by them. I’m really looking forward to seeing the work on display soon.”
The challenge for the UEL undergraduates was to re-design the historic control room which projects into Farringdon’s Smithfield Poultry Market. The room was originally built as a surveillance area for monitoring the busy market and will become part of the Museum of London when the museum re-opens in 2026, having closed its London Wall site in 2022. The students’ brief was to transform it into an exhibition space with moving display structures, making it flexible and multi-purpose.
Dr Keith Winter, visual arts cluster leader and the students’ course leader, was responsible for creating the brief and tutoring the students. He emphasised the importance of working with real-life clients and getting feedback from industry partners, “We were privileged to work this year with three high-profile companies: Sir Robert McAlpine, Stanton Williams Architects and the Museum of London. Students attended the site offices of Sir Robert McAlpine and presented their work, while also showing their proposals in the new space which is under construction. This means technically UEL students are the first exhibitors in this world-class new cultural centre.”
Simona Dilyte, one of the students taking part, praised the impact of the collaboration. She said, “It has been a tremendous privilege collaborating with the Museum of London, contributing innovative design concepts and delivering presentations.”
Pol Gallagher, lecturer in Interior Design and Architecture, reflected on the importance of students getting real-life experience of pitching a project. He said, “The students handled the pressure extremely well and enjoyed showing off their term one designs. Both units exhibited novel gallery designs for the old control tower of Smithfield Market. These gallery designs were taken seriously as potential ideas of how to reuse some Victorian architecture within the historic market. Overall we are very proud of our students and we can’t wait to see what term two has in store for them.”
Four other UEL students on the project, Tonisha, Millie, Ishya and Simona, share their experiences and inspirations in a blog below.
Students' blog:
Tonisha’s connecting spiritually with art and unlocking feelings
“During the summer, I attended the 'Forms of Life' exhibition at Tate Modern featuring artists Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian. I went to see Piet Mondrian as a lover of the De Stijl movement, but I was truly blown away by Hilma af Klint.
The gallery space I designed would feature a solo exhibition of Hilma af Klint’s work, focusing on her monumental paintings, The ten largest, allowing her to shine. The exhibition would touch on the five senses and open the sixth sense. Each piece of The ten largest is dedicated to one of the four stages of life: childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age, exploring the spiritual evolution of humanity. I was inspired by Hilma af Klint, and her aim to enable visitors to connect spiritually to the art and unlock feelings they may have never had before.”
Tonisha-Lee Harvey, BA Interior Design student
School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
Millie’s optical illusions and complementary colours
“This was my second time working with the Museum of London, Sir Robert Mc Alpine and Stanton Williams so I was familiar with the process, and this settled my nerves. It is always a bit daunting presenting to a room full of people but is great practice for my future! I found interest in the existing design details of the 1970s site and enjoyed preserving a piece of history. I incorporated them into my design and that fuelled my choice of artist, Bridget Riley, her work was influential at the time. She is best known for her use of complementary colours and optical illusion paintings which I have used as inspiration in my exhibition space.”
Millie Lawrence, BA Interior Design student
School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
Simona's experience
“This term has been both enriching and productive, as we dived into diverse design ideas for the control room, weaving in the rich history of Smithfield's Market.
“Monika Sosnowska and her work has been a great inspiration for my project, the use of concrete, steel, distorted and warped objects. Exploring various techniques and methods, from crafting quick physical models to trying out photogram workshops for design inspiration, has truly enhanced the depth and quality of our creative process.”
Simona Dilyte, BA Interior Design student
School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
Ishya’s experience
“In crafting this project, this term has been a great source of inspiration and creativity. My vision revolves around seamlessly integrating contemporary elements while preserving the historical charm of the Smithfield Poultry Market. Drawing inspiration from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s chaotic neo-expressionism, the design narrative explores the intricate interplay between geometry, forms, light shadow, and visual perception.
“This project has been a fascinating journey and presenting at the Museum of London was exciting and provided a platform to showcase my work and engage with industry experts.”
Ishya Simone Thompson, BA Interior Design student
School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
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