Jennifer
Busaing
Whitechapel gallery
For the past years, the Boiler House at the London Metropolitan University in Holloway Road has functioned endlessly and under immense pressure to push, pump and provide hot water around the Campus, occasionally letting off steam from its single tower. The Boiler House has radiated energy to its full capacity until these recent years when it remained untouched and abandoned, and now it stands ready to regain its full energy again to function in a different way that can be useful and helpful for its surrounding.
Studio 4 under the project Radiate draws attention to bringing the building back to life as a new event space, retaining the sense of industry of hard work that continues to be the center of dynamic energy and warmth. Its energy is to draw in and radiate out to students, staff, and any other individuals who desire to be a part of the community, as the redesigned space is to encourage and enable users to show, share and celebrate together.
The project is divided into two, with one being a short project that focuses on re-envisioning the Boiler itself as a creative machine that may not just be useful for within the site but anywhere where it can be beneficial.
The major project focuses on the Boiler House space, where the challenge is to propose a design that will bring the energy back within the space. Where it can be purposeful and hosts for a series of conceived events - connecting out, radiating through the corridors, departments, and streets.
Boiler house project
As an extension to repurposing a once active boiler, the brief asks to re-imagine the boiler house situated in the London Metropolitan University Campus at Holloway Road.
Rich in history and multiple re-purposing of the space in reflection to its surroundings is the boiler house. It is made up of two major spaces, the Strebel room, and the Steam room. Both spaces possess an outrageous head high which may be due to its previous purpose. With a space dominant for its volume and height, but minimal access to sunlight, it is therefore important to consider this when coming up with a proposed concept. The existing structure of the boiler house allows the opportunity to champion the challenge of bringing light, life, and energy back into space, which is to be practical, beneficial, and provides for a different human experience when utilized.
