Architecture reimagined: The Old Market Square

I have long been inspired to create a large scale interactive installation in the Old Market Square, a public space that has long been at the centre of Nottingham life. In the early days before the City of Nottingham was formed, the area was the centre-point between the Norman town of Nottingham, situated around the Castle Rock, and the old Anglo-Saxon town which was based around the current Lace Market at St. Mary's Church, also called Snothryngham or Snottingham.The central point between the two towns became a major market point, and hence the square has been at the centre of Nottingham's growth around it for hundreds of years since. Historically the square forms a meeting place for the people of Nottingham and is also the location for local events, civil protests, royal visits, celebrations, and public mourning. 

The square continues to be affectionately nicknamed, 'Slab Square', in reference to the concrete slabs that made up the former Square, and the granite slabs in place after it's redesign, which was the result of a City Council-led international redevelopment competition in 2003 known as Square One.

Nottingham is world famous for its lace industry. Reaching its peak in the late 1800s, Nottingham was a main trading centre for lace machinery and a world capital for lace expertise and innovative design. Manufacturers, traders, and lace workers from across the world travelled to Nottingham to learn about and work in the industry. Some of these people stayed in Nottingham, becoming British citizens and turning the lace capital of Nottingham into a cosmopolitan capital. 

My vision is a version of "The Event of a Thread" by American artist Ann Hamilton. Her large-scale installation invites the audience to revisit their childhood and ride the 42 swings that have been set up. The 55,000-square-foot space boasts a giant billowing white curtain that separates the hall. The towering curtain is, in fact, controlled by the back and forth swaying motion of people on swings. The installation proves to be about far more than simple playground fun; it is a beautiful metaphor about life and human connectivity. 

By replacing the solid sheet curtain with lace panels, or panels decorated with lace cyanotype or sublimation printing, the piece would become relevant to it's location by celebrating Nottingham's textile history. The aperture design of lace would lend itself well to projection and so this piece could work in the dark as well as the light.

Her original piece included other elements such as caged doves, ambient sounds and people offering advice and wisdom through two megaphones. I would like to replicate this immersive quality and would ideally generate a soundscape with samples sourced from the population of Nottingham; honouring the richness and diversity of our city and it's people.

You can watch a video of the artist at https://magazine.art21.org/2013/04/19/exclusive-ann-hamilton-the-event-of-a-thread/