LEICESTER PRINT WORKSHOP
with Takero Shimazaki Architects
Working at Takero Shimazaki Architects, I was Project Architect for the concept, planning and detailed Arts Council funding submission stages for the newly relocated Leicester Print Workshop. The brief was to convert a 1970’s former glass existing warehouse in the Cultural Quarter of Leicester to provide two floors of space tailored to fine art printmaking. Specialist spaces were created for lithography, screenprinting, acid etching, linocut, letterpress, drypoint and collagraph as well as a public gallery, a library for members, framing and administration space, outreach and educational programme space and private artist’s studio spaces for hire.
The brief was complex, and involved learning how each of these functions needed to work, interact and be supervised as well as their need for natural light and servicing. Exposed, found or simple basic finishes allowed the artists activities to animate the space on a tight budget. The designs retained the existing steel beams, cranes concrete floor and external brick piers and walls. The structural grid created a natural delineation of plan form. The new elements are predominantly detailed in a crisp white palette, a blank backdrop to the original printmaking process. On the ground floor, the double height gallery space and views into LPW’s main printmaking studio activate a previously neglected part of the city. The project went on to win multiple awards in 2016, including BD Refurbishment Architect of the Year, RIBA East Midlands Award and RIBA East Midlands Small Project Award. Click the image above to be linked to the t-sa website for more information on the project.
It was working closely with the artists and team at LPW to understand their making process that inspired the start of our print making journey at Architecture by Rosie. We aim to produce a yearly screenprint exploring one of our architectural projects in more detail and also take commissions for original art work for paper and fabric.
