The Temple at Secret Garden Party grew out of a different approach to UK festivals, through this project we are trying to explore a more holistic approach to the idea of how people interact and create conversations. The beautiful setting of the site centred within a new lake we built a two storey simple cantilevered construction with shards of reclaimed timber bursting through the floors connecting all three spaces. Running through the centre of the space from top to bottom is a void that decreases in size within which a bespoke chandelier hangs with hooks for 100 paraffin lanterns.
Festival goers took time out from the rest of site to light a lantern for a myriad of different reasons, sat down and in many cases told stories about people they had lost, friends they missed, parents they loved or anything else you can think of.
It was an absolutely incredible experience and I would like to thank the team of Guardians who looked after the temple, Secret Garden Party for the opportunity.
CLIENT Secret Garden Party
PHOTOGRAPHY Nic Caro and Jim Stephenson
Working with the gallery Superblue and Design Miami / Basel we were tasked with turning the sketches of the architect Sou Fujimoto into a reality. The design is a playful 31m diameter undulating pavillion made up of a pair of seating platforms that surround the “Shylight’s” Installation by Studio Drift.
Situated in the main event hall of Design Basel the pavilion filled the 2500 square metre space and provided a platform from which to interact with Studio Drifts installation. The pavilion instills a reconnection with nature and highlights the interaction between viewers’ bodies and their surroundings. Forest of Space encourages visitors to experiment with the spatial and social elements of the structure and engage in conversations about the past, present and future of architecture, urban settlements and the natural environment.
CLIENT Superblue / Design Miami/Basel
PHOTOGRAPHY Ossip and Simon Bielander
Dreamland, Margate asked Neverland to commission an art installation centrepiece as part of its 2017 re-developments. Neverland approached AN Architecture and asked us to design a piece which would state, as you traverse from the car park into Dreamland; 'You are not in Kansas anymore'.
The design centred around simplicity and playfulness, through research we found that the concept of a spinning top was one of the oldest and universal play objects. We began working through concepts and started to produce prototypes of a monumental mirrored spinning top.
The design worked on the basis of reflecting the player and their surroundings whilst animating and playing with all the surfaces nearby. Though weighing nearly 3 tons the spinning top sits on top a large bearing which means that a child can spin it. The final piece was complemented by a rainbow painted surface on the floor and a series of matching columns which reflected the colours up onto the surrounding historic scenic railway.
The spinning top is a complete crowd pleaser - endless instagram videos have been taken and this is one we are particularly proud of.
CLIENT Neverland / Dreamland
PHOTOGRAPHY Nic Caro
A GENTLE COLLAPSING II - ALEX HARTLEY
AN Architecture was approached by Alex Hartley and the Victoria Miro gallery with the proposal of submerging a modernist ruin into the gallery’s waterside garden. Discussions began around a model Alex had made in his studio and using found items from his home and cast items which he fabricated in his studio we began to piece together how to construct and submerge an architectural intervention into the canal.
Over a 10 day period we slowly submerged panels of the building into the canal and the surrounding gardens. It was then rendered, painted and dressed before it was left to age, the structure was only meant to be there for 3 months and ended up lasting for over a year. It was a fascinating and wonderful project that took a small corner of central London and turned it into a magical architectural wonder.
CLIENT Victoria Miro Gallery / Alex Hartley ©
PHOTOGRAPHY Thierry Bal
Commissioned by Bristol based art producers, SITUATIONS, the Sanctum project was a collaboration between Theaster Gates and ATC, rising from the ruin of a bombed out church in the centre of Bristol Sanctum is a performance space which showcases the many voices that make up the vibrant Bristol community. It is a constant performance for 24 days , 24 hours a day involving over 2,500 performers with no listed programme or guide, a pot luck mix tape of a city.
The structure itself was designed and constructed by ATC from recycled and reclaimed materials from the city of Bristol. ATC described the projects as "The concept and philosophy of the building grew out of my desire to create a space within which ideas, music and words could be explored with freedom. A space that defied documentation and required the viewer to immerse themselves to be faced with no other idea than that of what is place in front of them and how they would interact with that moment"
CLIENT SITUATIONS
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson , Max McClure
We were approached by WeWork to provide all the creative production for their annual Summer Camp event. This was the first time it had been held outside of the United States and we built, organised and installed a whole festival event in a matter of months.'
Summer camp was to take all that is wonderful about English festivals and give it a polished twist. We were delighted to pull together a 70 strong crew headed up by some of the best in the business to design, build and deliver the event. Among the crew we assembled were: This is Loop , A&E Adventures, Rebecca McDonald and Lark Decor who all contributed elements of the entire site wide delivery.
This was a really dynamic project to work on which demanded an all encompassing approach from project management right through to build. It was a roaring success and We Work and all of their campers went away incredibly happy and excited about the next installment.
CLIENT We Work
PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Kerr
MODE was an anamorphic experiment in digitally clad architecture, it created a a constantly changing facade using cutting edge individually addressed LED technology. In doing so the struts became individual pixels of a much larger screen, in doing so films and animations could become hugely abstracted and used as an element which illuminated the street.
CLIENT Mode Nightclub
BUDGET APPROX £21,000
RELATED PROJECTS
AN Architecture was invited back to Glastonbury this year and with the help of the most incredible crew imaginable we took over the main structures in the field. Challenged with the theme of Heaven and Hell we worked tirelessly for a month building an incredible set that combined with the interiors, production and pyrotechnics made Shangri La the talk of the festival.
A massive thanks to Debs Armstrong and the Shangri La crew for their support and belief.
CLIENT Shangri La / Glastonbury Festival
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
At AN Architecture we pride ourselves on our problem solving approach to design problems and site constraints. So from sinking a modernist ruin into the Regents canal without using a crane to lifting a fully fabricated 7m tall mirrored spinning top over a 100 year old rollercoaster we are up for the challenge.
We have a fully fitted out workshop and yard that can take on most projects in most materials. From large scale timber framing , delicate welding, bespoke furniture and intricate detailing we have the capability to take it on.
The ever growing and ever distinguished Sipsmith Gin were looking to embark on a Summer tour. A number of events and festivals were on the itinerary and Sipsmith wanted to host a Gin Shop to serve as a bar and masterclass area. Sipsmith's brand language of the old school, craftsmanship and a nod to Victorian detail was strong and unwavering. Our challenge was to retain this class and clarity yet design a movable, transportable and solid full 'Gin Shop' set which could adapt to any differing venue or pitch dimension. No mean feat!
We worked closely with Sipsmith to make sure the function of the bar would juxtapose with every fine detail of the aesthetic. From copper topped bar units to hand designed and hand screen printed bespoke tent lining. The biggest challenge was the 'Gin Shop Frontage,' we designed it to look like a Spitalfields Victorian medicinal shop front complete with columns and hand painted scribed signs. As the set had to be erected quickly and efficiently the entire set piece was designed to fit together like a 3D puzzle - not a single screw is needed!
CLIENT SIPSMITH GIN
PHOTOGRAPHY Ollie Harrop / Sipsmiths Press Photographer
We were approached by Dreamland, Margate and their Creative team from Neverland to design and construct a treehouse over the top of three existing shipping containers. Less the traditional idea of a treehouse, more a modern 200 person hidden series of platforms that had great views out across the park.
A series of connecting ramps took you from ground level up to two platforms connected by an angled bridge. Each platform had integrated planters which nestled the structure into its landscape and began to hide it from the public below. To prepare it for wet weather we integrated a stretch tent and installed a permanent bar so that it could become a place to relax and enjoy views over the themepark.
CLIENT Dreamland / Neverland
PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Caro / Jim Stephenson
KONG STUDIOS - GORILLAZ X E-ON
'The sun rises, the E.ON batteries power up. The sun sets, the beat drops'
We were asked by Slice Events to procure a vintage American airstream caravan and transform it into a fully functioning recording studios. This was quite enough on its own but on top of this technical challenge we had to replicate the studio of the band Gorrillaz, the infamous KONG STUDIOS.
Alongside the mountains of research and huge amount of information required to bring an imaginary studio into reality we also needed to make it sounds good and run off solar panels. It was a mammoth task but one that turned out brilliantly, whilst it was hugely popular we are also hugely proud that overnight the recording studio was used and tracks we made.
The airstream followed the band whilst they were on tour around Europe before finally resting in the European HQ of E-On.
CLIENT E-ON / SLICE EVENTS
PHOTOGRAPHY Slice Press Photographer
The second incarnation of WeWork Summer Camp saw us take on the design and build for the creative production across the entire show. From signage to tent interiors and site specific installations this was an absolute joy to work on, suspending trees upside down from the roofs of tents, cladding twisted bridges in mirror, suspending huge colourful panels and trailing plants throughout glorious tents. In all we created a language that was evident from the moment you set foot on site and gave the event a continuity which tied all of the areas and events together.
We worked with the events team for 8 months to plan, design and fabricate before we hit the ground running with a crew of 62 to get everything in exactly the right place in just one week.
CLIENT WeWork
PHOTOGRAPHY SEAN KERR
A PERFORMANCE OF SOCIAL EXCHANGE - DONNA KUKAMA & MIMA MODERN ART
The prominent art fair, Frieze, London asked AN Architecture to design and build a small and compact economical space which could house artist Donna Kukama's performance. The space was to house plants and botanicals and so we designed it with light as the main feature. The interior felt like a Japanese tea house with the white corex becoming translucent in the shifting light. The Piece was installed in the courtyard by the entrance to Frieze and ran for the opening hours of the fair.
CLIENT: FRIEZE ART FAIR, LONDON
ARTIST: DONNA KUKAMA - CO-COMMISSION WITH THE MIMA MODERN ART
PHOTOGRAPHY Frieze Press Photographer
AN Architecture and Studio TAC conceived the 'Hyper-Real' concept in collaboration with the programming team at Wilderness Festival. We then took the development forward to design and build an immersive environment for Veuve-Clicquot. A truly inspiring brand to work with, we looked to their 'Widow Series' for the boldness and avant-garde sense for pushing creativity. Kimatica were brought on board to provide the performative element and the floral elements were developed alongside 'The Flower Picker,' Joe Porritt. Two beautiful wooden domes, spliced together, created the defined inside and outside areas with a bespoke made geometric bar as the centrepiece.
CLIENT Veuve-Clicquot
PHOTOGRAPHY SEAN KERR
We were approached by Slice Events to create a series of subtle and delicate branded elements for an executive summit event for YouTube. The event was held at Soho Farmhouse and we took a lot of our cues from its interior design and architecture. A screen surround made from bent English hardwoods, a floral sign using lightly whitewashed timber and many other delicate and carefully placed items which introduced branding subtly.
CLIENT YOUTUBE /SLICE
PHOTOGRAPHY SEAN KERR
We were asked to co-design, fabricate and install the complete YouTube sponsored creative content across the festival. This involved 3 tented venues and 4 stand alone installations. YouTube wanted to see touchpoints which were recognisable as YouTube but not logo heavy.
As such we looked at using the iconic red colour, the play button motif and a theming of musical instruments across the site. Moreover, the butterfly motif was used not only across all our builds but also adorned the main stage, the staff uniforms and the branding for the event. This meant that YouTube as the headline sponsor was visible without being intrusive at each point during the festival. All elements were built in our Margate workshop and installed on site.
CLIENT YOUTUBE
PHOTOGRAPHY. NICK CARO
We were asked by Slice Events to work with them to deliver the festival wide sponsor assets for YouTube at House Festival, Richmond Park. We devised a visual language which could appear all over the site which would identify YouTube’s contribution to the event yet keeping the event happy in terms of style. We used one of our favourite Illustrators, Jo Hicks to realise the graphics.
CLIENT YouTube
PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Caro
At AN Architecture we adore design and using it as a tool to create beautiful and wonderful objects and spaces that can change the way we interpret space.
We wholeheartedly believe that design is best started with a conversation and is very much a collaboration between us and our client to create a solution to a very bespoke problem. We really enjoy hearing what inspires and drives people, we aim to take that energy and through prototyping, model making and creating 1:1 models in the workshop we begin to tease ideas out into a three dimensional format.
The design process is one that we really enjoy and cannot wait to work with clients to make their ideas into a reality.
The Bibliotheque grew out of a commission and conversation with Aid & Abet to create a simple structure that covered a myriad of uses. Amongst which were a new visitors centre, gallery space, bookshop, tea bar, cocktail joint, seating area and a space within which artists commissioned by the CB1 development could showcase their proposals.
In the end it became its own freestanding structure taking over a portion of the gallery creating a space separate from the gallery in which other projects can be explored or more simply an environment within which relaxation and its myriad forms can occur.
CLIENT AID & ABET
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
Working with MY BEAUTIFUL CITY we constructed and installed 4 uniquely different sets for Fashion Hong Kong’s presentation in Somerset House for Fashion Week. Each label demanded a different set and the finish had to be of the highest level as well as providing all of the bespoke signage, wayfinding and various VIP spaces within Somerset House.
CLIENT FASHION HONG KONG / MY BEAUTIFUL CITY
PHOTOGRAPHY My Beautiful City Press Photographer
Colony is a temporary takeover of an empty retail unit in the affluent Fitzrovia area of central London. Colony explores the spirit of renowned artist Gordon Matta-Clark underpinned by a small selection of his rarely seen letters on exhibition for the duration. These letters serve as reminders of his character, determination, confidence, sense of humour, and open-armed, forward-thinking method of working that motivates the Colony initiative.
The two storey space will house a new Anarch commission from artist Andrew T Cross / AN-architecture. The architecturally scaled sculpture cuts through the gallery floor, coming up from the basement to occupy the showroom. The large structure, made of reclaimed wood, will inhabit the vacant unit and provide a flexible island to be colonized daily by an invited network of multidisciplinary artists and practitioners: Colony Network. This structure will function variously as studio, seminar / conversation space, performance platform, FOOD restaurant, gallery and as a stand-alone piece of public, urban sculpture.
Colony is a node in the city where a temporary community, Colony Network, will gather together and create a dynamic, chaotic and fun programme on, in and around the functional installation.
CLIENT - AN Arch Gallery / Arts Council England
PHOTOGRAPHY - Jim Stephenson
The University of Brighton Architecture & Interiors Department invited me to work with a small group of students to create an installation in the centre of the Grand Parade Campus. The installation became a parrallax as this year the department had moved their pavillion to another site just round the corner and we decided to use architecture as a wayfinding tool.
The final piece worked as a huge arrow and display board whilst guiding people towards the show. The students loved the freedom of the build and created a series of benches and furniture which dotted around the build itself. It was an honour and a pleasure to work with the group of students and it was a brilliant success.
CLIENT University of Brighton
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
In my final project a cut is taken from an unknown derelict building and then documented with photography, the product of the cut is laid as a floor piece for the viewer to walk on and decipher the disorientation provided by the documentation housed in the lightbox.
This was one of my first ventures into exploring ideas in relation to architecture, the built environment and the ideas that surround creating an immersive environment.
CLIENT ATC
PHOTOGRAPHY ATC
Commissioned by the Hiscox family for a private birthday party AN Architecture constructed a 15m tall man which was then filled with explosives and fuel and exploded as the high point of the party.
The man burn coincided with the Burning Man burn in the United States and he burned beautifully coming down in record time, many thanks to the Hiscox family, Gavin Parkhouse and Silky Dave the photographer for some great shots.
CLIENT HISCOX FAMILY
PHOTOGRAPHY Silky Dave
AN Architecture were back again at Glastonbury, this time with a bigger crew and more charred timber and triangles, Hell took on a more sculptural arena feel and heaven became a solid structure that rose to a height of 7m in total which was then video mapped to create an immersive outdoor venue which constantly changed and evolved.
Once again it was an incredible pleasure to work with the Shangri-La art department, Nick Diacre and Seain Loughlin.
CLIENT Shangri La/ Glasonbury Festival
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
Wilderness festival asked AN Architecture to make the signage for their on site brand activations. We hand made and painted all elements in order to blend the sponsors into the aesthetic of the festival.
CLIENT Wilderness
PHOTOGRAPHY. Sophia Schorr-Kon
Working on the format used for the first Temple, the experimentation with the idea of a non-secular meeting place that imbues conversation and engenders a new desire to explore how we communicate.
Looked after by a team of guardians and lit by natural lamps lit every evening the temple sat at the highest point on site at Glastonbury festival. Using its site and location it gave individuals the chance to take a step back from the frenetic pace of the fields below and take a fresh look with the view to possibly gaining a new perspective, either literally or through conversation.
CLIENT GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL
PHOTOGRAPHY Phillip Volkers
The creative minds at VCCP cook up brand activations everyday - when they come up with something particularly left field - they call us to build it. The past two projects have included designing and constructing a kiosk in Canary Wharf which only opened for one minute and a human sized grabber machine to hide a YouTube influencer.
CLIENT CADBURYS / VCCP
PHOTOGRAPHY VCCP Press Photographer
THE CHAMPAGNE LAURENT - PERRIER ORANGERY
Having conceived and designed the immersive environment of the Champagne Laurent-Perrier Orangery for Wilderness festival in 2014. Housed by a 20 x 20m grand pavilion structure and overlooking the beautiful lakes, the Orangery provides a luxe, high end haven from the typical 'festival field.' between 2014 and 2016, we designed the interior and exterior spaces with beautiful flora at the heart of the design with set piece accents all surrounding the hand made herringbone parquet hexagonal bar. The design also informs the narrative of the area and, along with Wilderness festival we curate the performance element of the narrative. In 2014 this was brought to life by 'The Petersham Playhouse' and in 2015 by 'The Candlelight Club’.
CLIENT: LAURENT PERRIER
2014 PHOTOGRAPHY: Wilderness Festival Press Photographer
2015 PHOTOGRAPHY: Sophia Schorr Kon
2016 PHOTOGRAPHY: Ollie Harrop
The Hackett commission began as a conversation within the hugely polished and highly finished Hackett Store on Regent Street, the concept was to create using English hardwoods a simple skeletal structure which touched on every part of the store and created a narrative for the customers.
It was constructed over one evening with a small crew using simple dowel joints, a small amount of glue and 1km of english hardwoods.
CLIENT Hackett
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
Working with the Grosvenor Estate in London’s Belgravia we were posed with constructing a copy of Frida Kahlo’s kitchen within a disused branch of a bank. It was to be used to hold art classes and small events.
We created an ante-chamber that was clad completely in a repeating print of a Frida Kahlo work creating a dark intimate space before entering into the main kitchen which was full of light and colour.
CLIENT Grosvenor Estates - We Are The Fair
PHOTOGRAPHY ATC
Working with the London Pleasure Gardens team I was commissioned to construct a sculptural structure that could be used for a myriad of different uses. Set with this challenge and the abundant fact of having 5.5km of reclaimed scaffold planks and 60 old coach windscreens and windows I became incredibly excited. I began working on concepts and models which developed in a fluid fashion into a finished building which opened at the end of June.
The finished structure provided seating for 70 people viewing out across the historic docks for outdoor events whilst also providing bar and covered space for more intimate events or just somewhere for people to stop and rest.
CLIENT Newham Council / London Pleasure Gardens
PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Stephenson
Modern Art Oxford (MAO) celebrated their 50th year in 2016. They marked the milestone with a series of exhibitions entitled 'Kaleidoscope' which re visited past exhibitited work from artists such as: Marina Abramovic, Sol LeWitt, Richard Long and Yoko Ono.
To mark this momentous birthday, we were instructed to design and deliver a night of celebration for 400 guests, artists, art lovers, board members and patrons. Using a tiny window between shows we transformed the gallery spaces using projections, bespoke installations, neon tube lighting and chrome vinyl. The evening was peppered with performances from contemporary practitioners including Feeding the Fish, Reckless Sleepers and Junk Ensemble
CLIENT Modern Art Oxford
PHOTOGRAPHY Modern Art Oxford Press Photographer
Our built projects range from permanent installations both sculptural and architectural. We take the greatest pride in making sure that all projects are finished to an incredibly high standard and meet the clients and our own high levels of finish.
Alongside all of our build expertise and knowledge we provide a full service taking care of all policies, regs and necessary documentation and we have a loyal network of trusted contractors, saving you the stress of coordinating multiple teams.
We have made a name for ourselves within our field as being a company that can be relied upon to finding new and interesting solutions to problems and working intuitively with clients to make the seemingly impossible happen.
Commissioned by Essex County Council the Pioneer Project in Basildon took the form of a series of horizontal periscopes hidden within a bentwood frame clad with cedar shingles. Positioned outside of the library of the new Pioneer special needs school the periscopes created a series of viewpoints around the library itself as well as the gardens which both students and staff could explore their surroundings.
CLIENT Pioneer School / Essex County Council
PHOTOGRAPHY. ATC
Mulberry the handbag manufacturer approached AN-Architecture to build a display workbench upon which demonstrations could be held led by their skilled craftsmen from their Somerset factory. To add a twist to this beautiful piece of furniture the timber was all English hardwoods and all from trees that had fallen or been felled in Radstock Somerset, the next town over from the Mulberry factory.
The tent was a great success and Mulberry are now in talks with us about constructing further work benchs that could be used all over the world for demonstrations.
CLIENT Mulberry
PHOTOGRAPHY. Sophia Schorr Kon
Another incredible commission working in collaboration with the Secret Arts foundation and using only reclaimed timber found on site or in the local area. We set about constructing a 38m long pier into the lake at the Secret Garden Party site.
We used a herringbone chevron parquet which drew the eye of the viewer to the end of the pier and gave a little seen view of the festival site. Sadly only one photo was taken before the world of mud got involved but it was an incredible pleasure to build and an honour to be asked.
CLIENT - Secret Garden Party
PHOTOGRAPHY. ATC and Phillip Volkers
The concept for The Bell Tower was born from discovering 'The Travelling Foundry' project by 'Ore and Ingot.' Inspired by the long lost tradition of a mobile foundry which would travel from town to town, village to village, forging church bells, Ore and Ingot recreate this alchemy of melting metals. The element which truly captured us was the detail of the tradition that town members would donate their metal to the foundry to make the bell as large as possible.
We approached Wilderness Festival and suggested that the foundry should appear every year at the festival forging a 'Wilderness Bell' in increasing annual sizes. The vision was that the tower holding these bells would grow and change as the number of bells grew.
2013 - Working with the artist Sean Kerr, the 7m tall tower was constructed with a complicated diamond shape at the top and a seating platform at the bottom.
2015 - Working with USA artist Joel Dean on a collaborative design, The Bell Tower rose to 12m tall and included a viewing platform.
CLIENT. Wilderness Festival
CREDITS
2014 COLLABORATION: SEAN KERR
2014 PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK CARO
2015 COLLABORATION: JOEL DEAN
2015 PHOTOGRAPHY: SOPHIA SCHORR-KON
Commissioned by Secret Productions and Wonderfruit festival to construct the late night area at the inaugral festival. AN Architecture used 5km of bamboo and using traditional Thai techniques an interconnected frame and web-like structure. As this developed it enveloped the arena and created a partially enclosed space which in it's final guise was 9m at its highest point and over 40m long. This size combined with the masterful lighting by LIVE4 VIVA meant that an incredible venue was created which was enjoyed by everyone at the festival.
CLIENT Wonderfruit Festival
The Art Motel project was situated in a derelict motel in Cornwall. Over a period of two weeks using nothing more than the materials found on site a series of rooms were constructed within the motel itself then documented and photographed.
The Art Motel became a hidden landmark and was visited by many students from the nearby University who were intrigued as to how the Art Motel came into being, it began to take on its own life with people adding elements and documenting it as it progressed.
PHOTOGRAPHY. ATC
