Benjamin J. Taylor Portfolio

Benjamin J Taylor 140057540

Stage 06 Design Thesis

Newcastle University

A PRACTICE OF COERCION

Unlearning

THESIS SYNOPSIS

1

PART 1

5

THESIS PRESENTATION

PLEASE CLICK HERE

PART 2

FOR THE ANIMATED DOCUMENT

THESIS PORTFOLIO

STILL IMAGE DOCUMENT

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For my Stage 06 Design Thesis I have

to analyse the typical changes made to a shopping

undertaken is critical study into the condition of the

centre refurbishment creating the highly conditioned

shopping environment of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

environment we see today in Eldon Square. This thesis

Centred around Eldon Square shopping centre, of

also provides me with an opportunity to reflect on my

which the continued existence in its current state had

time in a highly commercial practice, with the intention

been thrown into doubt as a result of the administration

to unlearn the repetitive cultures present in them, as

of intu, I conducted a detailed study into its history,

these practices look to streamline efficiency and produce

analysing the networks which have manifested to

an architecture which champions fiscal value over design

support and encourage its embedment within the city

quality.

centre.

The culmination of this thesis is a reinterpretation of a Over the year I have drawn upon the readings of Keller

shop window. I have produced an installation which

Easterling and Bruno Latour to better develop an

draws on research themes, but uses subversive techniques

understanding of how these networks work, and why

drawing influence from the likes of Salvador Dalí’s

they exist within the environment of the shopping

work in New York City, and Guy Debord’s Situationist

centre. I also used my experience of working for the

movement. The piece reflects on the repetitive nature

practice responsible for the refurbishment of Eldon

of commercial practice whilst highlighting the imposing

Square in following its purchase in between 2007

nature of the arena of coercion Eldon Square has

and 2013 to inform my research. This enabled me

developed into over its short history.

CONTENTS

i

MY PR ACTICE

ii

MY SHOP WINDOW

iii THE ARENA OF COERCION

iv

W HAT M AKES PEOPLE LOOK?

v

EXORTING THE SHOP FRONT

vi

A REFLECTION ON MY PR ACTICE

PART 1

THESIS PRESENTATION

5

1

Eldon Square plays an integral part in the economy of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and has been for almost 50 years. This thesis will be exploring how the shopping centre has developed throughout its existence from the view of a former employee to the lead architects in a major refurbishment between 2007 & 2015.

A critical analysis into the condition of Eldon Square will culminate in a reflective installation piece, responding to personal practice and findings of the contributing research.

My Practice

My research throughout the year and the personal analysis I undertook on Eldon Square, reminded myself of the principles used for the regeneration of shopping centres.

The willingness of the architects to design specific space for increased advertisement and generate an environment favourable for encouraging spending was clear to see.

My Practice

Chevy Chase - 1980 Engagement zones Comfort zones Mall areas Existing revenue areas

2021 - Chevy Chase Engagement zones Comfort zones Mall areas Existing revenue areas New revenue areas

ii

MY SHOP WINDOW

My Shop Window

Originally intended to be installed in a shop unit in the city centre, which unfortunately could not be secured, the installation is located on the University Campus. It can be found inhabitng a space at the back of the university workshop, in a tall window providing a similar space to that of a shop front in the city centre.

The culmination of this thesis is an installation in what is my own shop window. Making use of elements taken from the city centre shopping environment, to create a piece of work which both highlights my own reflection of experience working in a highly commercialised practice and to propose a subveted, alternative to the shop window as we know it today.

My Shop Window

I had no set design when I began constructing the installation, so I was working off a set of principles developed through my research. I wanted to test my creative practice and design through making, the process of producing this installation fulfilled this and allowed me to engage with a practice in which experimentation helped guide my design choices.

My Shop Window

The window looks out onto a path through the university, often frequented by construction workers working on the large scale building site opposite, but also used by students and staff alike.

In the space are a number of elements which draw upon my research throughout the thesis year. This is elaborated upon in the following presentation and document.

My Shop Window

iii

THE ARENA OF COERCION

My analysis of Eldon Square began through the investigation of the typical trip by a shopper. The shopper became a protagonist of interest for myself as a product of group work undertaken at the beginning of the year in which we all chose our own individual lines of inquiry.

This investigation is played out in a short narrated animation, in which the shopper’s journey through Eldon Square is played out, taking note of particluar points of interaction.

Of particular interest on the trip were interactions with the Digital Advertisement Boards in the mall spaces.

These seemed to be the only distraction away from the phone of the shopper while they meandered through the shopping centre between stores. Following the study, I mapped the journey of the shopper, highlighting where the Digital Advertisements which drew in the attention of the shopper were located.

The Arena of Coercion

‘To this end the reserve army of the unemployed is enlisted into the tertiary or “service” sector, reinforcing the troops responsible for distributing and gloryfying the latest commodities; and in this it is serving a real need, in the sense that increasingly extensive campaigns are necessary to convince people to buy increasingly unnecessary commodities.’

The Society of the Spectacle Guy Debord, 1967

Like shopping centres across the country, Digiral Advertisement Boards have become a permanent feature of Eldon Square providing another point at which capitalist organisations can attempt to reach the consumer.

Such is the greed of capitalism, there are 14 boards within Eldon Square attempting to coerce the shopper into an impulsive purchase.

Digital Advertising Board

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Engagement Board Zone

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Open Shops Engagement Board Zone

Digital Advertisement Open VisitedShops Shops Engagement Zone

Shopaholic Route

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Start 0

The Arena of Coercion

Empty Shop Open Visited Shops UnitsShops

50m

0

Empty S Visited Units S

50m

0

Shop Shops

Empty Shop Digital Advertising Units Board

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Engagement Board Zone

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Open Shops Engagement Board Zone

Digital Advertisement Open VisitedShops Shops Engagement Zone

Shopaholic 50m Route

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Start 0

Empty Shop Open Visited Shops UnitsShops

50m

0

Empty Shop Visited Units Shops

50m

0

Empty Shop Units

50m

This proliferation of the image has over time led to increasingly invasive advertising.

Intelligent advertisement has for many years learnt about individuals tastes through their internet passports in order to tailor specific advertisements towards them.

In Eldon Square this ever increasingly coercive system is present. An invisible network to sustain the shopping centre and allow it to continue devouring the money of shoppers.

Working of demographic data, it is able to determine what adverts to show in the centre based on who is most likely to be present.

The Arena of Coercion

‘The spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectifications of delerious associations and interpretations...’

The Conquest of the Irrational Salvador Dalí, 1969

The Arena of Coercion

Dalí was offered to design a window display at a Bonwit Teller, New York City. He took this as an opportunity to make a great statement of surrealism ‘spilling the hidden contents [of New York City] into the objective space of the street.’ (Koolhaas. 1994) Through using materials such as coal and figures of a bloody pigeon, Dalí highlights the unseen in New York City, the subconscious, revealing it in a manner which is unexpected of a shop window and would therefore draw the attention of the mid-20th Century shopper.

The highlighting of the unseen in these shop windows was of interest to myself in my studies and the development of my shop window. It became clear that the window should look to subvert the shoppers view of the Digital Advertisement Boards within Eldon Square, enlightening them to their coercive natures.

The Arena of Coercion

Having such prominent position within Eldon Square, the inclusion of the Digital Advertisement Board within my installation was clear. The use of imagery on the board was important and I looked to use it in a manner which would illuminate viewers of how the intelligent network was being used within the centre to coerce them into spending money.

Drawing from the Situationist movement, I took inspiration from the Detournement techniques of using the sort of advertisement techniques you may expect from the seller, but using them to convey an alternative message.

This subverts the way Digital Advertisement Media is being used, not to promote impulsive spending, but to inform within the installation.

The Arena of Coercion

iv

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE LOOK?

For the most part of the study so far I had been concentrating on the relationship between the shopper and the advertisement medias from the eyes of the human. A making challenge during the second national lockdown allowed me to experiment and oppose this way of seeing things to experience what it is like to be looked at.

This experiment took place in the living room of my house, as access to Eldon Square was restricted due to the lockdown and considerably more empty, with the Digital Advertisement Boards playing a very different purpose in this time, of promoting health advice.

What makes people look?

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What makes people look?

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I modelled the two spaces the majority of my time was spent during lockdown, my living room and bedroom; this was also where my architecture was being practiced at the time. Through recording the view out of the front of the model it became apparent that not as many people looked into the window as thought during the daytime.

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What makes people look?

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6

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Later in the day, when daylight was limited in the living room of my house, which during winter happens early due to the Eastern aspect of the front room, lights were turned on illuminating the space. Resultantly, many more people looked into the room as movement became visibe, catching the attention of the passing public.

This highlighted elements which would draw the eyes of the public to a shop window of light and movement.

The study revealed that the use of movenent and lighting effectively drew the attention of passing members of public into the window. This was particularly prevelant as I became a part of the display during its construction, drawing plenty of curious gazes.

The engagement with the window has not been quite as successful as I would have liked, I have not whitnessed anyone yet take up the offer of the view into the Mise en Abyme effect mirrors. Perhaps this is because the majority of people who pass the window are workers on the building site opposite, but I had hoped that I would see some of them take up the offer.

What makes people look?

v

EXORTING THE SHOP FRONT

Exorting the Shop Front

My investigations for the first semester of the year had centred around the coercive environment in Eldon Square created by the Digital Advertisement Boards. As it became clear as to what the output of the thesis would be, in the form of a shop window installation informed by my research, I looked to research what features of a shop front are effective. Inspired by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott-Brown’s ‘Learning from Las Vegas’ I produced a booklet looking into the effectiveness of the shop fronts in the city of Newcastle.

Exorting the Shop Front

The intention for the output of this thesis was to have an installation within a shop in Newcastle City Centre; this did not prove possible due to the strong bureaucratic process needed to get access to this private city space, highlighting the hostility to public use of the city centres which has manifested through our capitalist cultures. I had positive conversations with the proprietors of a former bank in the run up to finding out I would not be able to use a city centre space however, and as a result undertook an intimate study of this shop front.

The study revealed the complexity of the technology behind the modern shop front, and the desirable illusory architecture employed to allow for frameless windows to offer uninterrupted views into a shop.

Through understanding what the glazing is doing architecturally, and its function it posesses within the shop window, I could look to subvert its use in my installation.

Exorting the Shop Front

Reflective film

Vertical glass support

Laminated Thermally Toughened Glass

I looked to explode the window as found in the unit I was intending to display the installation in. By doing this the component make up is clear to see. I reproduced this for the installation using acylic for the glass and acetate for the reflective film sandwiched between the two pieces of glazing.

Suspending the glass within the installation aims to play on the architectural illusion of the suspension of the glazing within the shop fronts. The architecture of the shop front is used to hide the frame in order to create uninterrupted views into the shop.

The suspension of the glazing also allows me to use it as a device for which I can distort and reflect a projection making up the next part of the installation.

Exorting the Shop Front

vi

A REFLECTION ON MY PRACTICE

My time in professional practice so far has been spent at an architectural firm who specialise in retail and have created an effieciency in which repetition of the same mode of work has reduced fees and generated corporate reward.

The projects I worked on all appeard too similar, such as this in Elephant and Castle, copied drawings used for one shopping centre to be used on a new one or one undergoing a refurbishment. This led to a feeling of a homogenised architecture, where creative experimentation had been stifled in favour of fiscal benefits.

A Reflection on My Practice

Drawing on research from the ‘Learning From Newcastle’ booklet produced to study the effectiveness of shop windows, I looked to make use of the theme of reflection seen particularly in the Michael Kors shop window.

This placed the viewer within the window themselves, drawing the viewer into the store in an effective manner. Reflection also plays an important role in this thesis in a different manner as I look to reflect on my time in practice.

Employing this within the installation, I have used the technique of Mise en Abyme where an image is reflected endlessly within itself. I used the architectural drawings I produced for the potential shop I would use in the city centre, mounting it on a mirror and placing it opposite another mirror.

A Reflection on My Practice

Between the mirrors is a repeated video of myself continuously measuring and drawing, representing the repetitiveness I experienced in commercial practice where I often felt as though I was repeating the same task.

A sticker on the window encourages the passing public to look through into the mirrors, bringing a close engagement like that of Fenwick’s shop window at christmas time.

A Reflection on My Practice

A SUBVERSIVE SHOP WINDOW

CONTENTS 66

A HISTORY OF ELDON

76

MY PR ACTICE

90

MY SHOP WINDOW

108

THE ARENA OF COERCION

142

W HAT M AKES PEOPLE LOOK?

154

A REFLECTION ON MY PR ACTICE

194

EXORTING THE SHOP FRONT

203

REFLECTIVE SUM M ARY

PART 2

THESIS PORTFOLIO

65

2

A HISTORY OF ELDON

BU LL RING | BIR MINGH A M | 1963

PROPOSED CENTR A L DEV ELOPM ENT PL A N | N E WC ASTLE

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the shopping centre revolution

Post-war Britain; a time where

in 1964, the Bull Ring faced many problems from

architecture had the opportunity to change the way

the beginning, and was viewed as ‘a disastrous

cities across the country were constructed and used.

failure in both design and economic terms.’1 A

Vast swathes of urban areas needed to be rebuilt,

further developement to build an inner city ring

and visionary urban planners and architects were

road around the Bull Ring envisaged to give

only too happy to seize and impose their modern,

Birmingham city centre a new focal point. The

brutalist, and utopian versions of a modern Britain.

new road network intended to enable easy access

Many cities across Britain were battling through

for large numbers of people, both vehicles and

the 1950’s and 60’s to develop revolutionary

pedestrians; however, the scheme was deemed a

masterplans, which would champion radical change

failure, and ‘[the] two developments destroyed the

to reflect the spirit of post-war optimism, and place

coherence of the urban space of the Bull Ring’2,

their cities firmly on the global map as innovators

bringing mass criticism and a negative outlook in

of the modern world.

the years to come.

Inner-city shopping centres proved to be

Despite the failures that presented

the focal point of many city centre masterplans

themselves as a result of the Bull Ring

which looked to create an urban environment.

redevelopment plan, an appetite for inner city

Furthermore, the personal car was beginning

shopping centre masterplans had developed

to be favoured as the mode of transport around

across the country. T. Dan Smith was a leading

city centres. The separation of pedestrians and

figure in Newcastle Council with his Central

vehicles began to create indoor shopping centres,

Redevelopment Plan. Much like that of the

where streets lined with shops would be enclosed

redevelopment of Birmingham, Smith looked to

in a controlled environment, unaffected by

rewrite the urban grain of Newcastle-upon-Tyne by

weather outside its encasement. The first of these

introducing an inner ring road which tore through

masterplans to develop around separating the

the east and north of the city, creating a new visual

pedestrian and the vehicle is that of the Bull Ring

and audible boundary to the city centre, alongside

in Birmingham, of 1964. Inspired by shopping

a new shopping centre.

malls in the United States, the Bull Ring saw the redevelopment of an existing market into an indoor shopping experience. After opening to shoppers

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OLD ELDON SQUA R E

OLD ELDON SQUA R E

PR E DEMOLITION

DEMOLITION

1965

L ATE 1960’S

ELDON SQUA R E

ELDON SQUA R E ENTR A NCE

BL ACK ETT STR EET CONSTRUCTION

NORTH U M BER L A N D STR EET

MID 1970’S

L ATE 1970’S

The introduction of these two radical interventions were just two of the proposals making up the Central Development Plan. Once implemented, they would completely change the aesthetic appearance and urban fabric of Newcastle’s centre, which had largely remained untouched since the grand works of John Dobson and Richard Grainger in the 19th Century. The buildings designed by Dobson, and constructed by Grainger, would be subject to the sweeping developments proposed by T. Dan Smith.

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The shopping centre was to be situated around Old Eldon Square on Blackett Street, which was designed and constructed by the Dobson, Grainger pairing- with grand Georgian terraces on the surrounding three sides of Old Eldon Square. The new proposals, however,

determined that ‘their architectural quality ha[d] been considerably impaired by the alterations incidental to their conversion into offices and a club.’3 Deemed obsolete by the planners, two of the three sides of the square were demolished, igniting denigrations directed at Smith’s redevelopment.

A COLLECTION OF M A PS SHOWING THE GR E AT CH A NGES TO THE U R BA N GR AIN OF N E WC ASTLE AS A R ESU LT OF THE ELDON SQUA R E PROJ ECT

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T. DA N SMITH A N D A RCHITECT BOB CH A PM A N STA N D OV ER OLD ELDON SQUA R E WITH THEIR GR A N D PL A NS FOR N E WC ASTLE CITY CENTR E W HILE THE PU BLIC WITN ESS THE CU LTU R A L LOSS OF THE GR E AT A RCHITECTU R E OF DOBSON A N D GR AINGER

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A VAST A R E A OF THE CITY CENTR E IS R A PIDLY ENC ASED IN FENCING AS ITS U R BA N GR AIN IS R EDEFIN ED

The justification of the removal of such

of jobs and investment into the area, as well as the

highly valued architecture was made with visions

prospect of a more efficient, comfortable shopping

of Newcastle becoming a leader and an example

experience, with improved choice and easier access.

for redevelopment in the ‘New World’. The ideas

Newcastle’s population was not to know, however,

were instilled within council documentation which

that Eldon Square shopping centre would become a

presented age as an indicator of obsolescence,

monument of commerce, of which its ‘fundamental

and that ‘in Newcastle the total age of the

reason for existence is the making of money.’5 Yet

centre undoubtedly creates the conditions for

what was considered as architectural vandalism by

wholesale redevelopment’.4 These notions were

critics, was to become one of the North-East’s most

sold to the community on the promises that with

popular shopping destinations.

redevelopment there would be increased numbers

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the capitalist monster

In 1977, for the Architectural Review, Colin Amery applauded the work of Chapman Taylor and Partners for their work on the Eldon Square project. In this piece he refers to the new

shopping centre as a ‘monster in the city, which the architects have tamed with considerable skill6.

Amery’s description of Eldon Square as a metaphorical monster was particularly interesting to me, enticing me to explore the notion that shopping centres are more than just the bricks and mortar they are constructed of, but viewed as an ecology which has sustained itself through manifested networks and metabolisms. The cyclical process of repeat business helps to keep the monster alive; this is achieved through aggressive advertisement, reaching out to the shoppers with Communication

Rewarding

promises of ‘great riches’, or the sellable goods which are purchased with money, acting as ‘food’ for the monster.

This metabolism is a network which helps sustain the monster, but as Bruno Latour explains with his Actor Network Theory (ANT), the networks which sustain an actor, in this case Eldon Square,

Feeding

are complex and dynamic, composed of social Visiting

and technical actors themselves7. As these networks have become increasingly complex, has the tameness of the monster Amery comments Chapman Taylor brought about been lost?

Are we now reliant on this monster whose greed has become unmanageable as the capitalist economy has swelled?

THE SHOPPING CENTR E M ETA BOLISM

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ELDON SQUA R E ACTOR N ET WOR K W HER E SHOPS A N D SHOPPERS A R E A LWAYS CON N ECTED THROUGH THE DIGITA L WOR LD A N D ELDON SQUA R E ACTS AS THE PH YSIC A L M EETING POINT

The actors in such networks are both

be broken down into ‘Active Forms’9. These are

human and non-human, and work in conjunction

agencies at work within an organisation which,

with one another to learn and grow. Through

‘[d]ifferent from the object forms of masterpiece

tracing these networks, it is possible to trace how the

buildings or master plans,’ ‘operate in another gear

growth of social networks and structures manifest8,

or register, to act like bits of code in the system.’10

and will be a useful tool in understanding and

The active forms which make up the infrastructure

describing the systems which have developed over

space evidently may not be visible, and, like in

the existence of Eldon Square to sustain it.

Latour’s Actor Network Theory, likely includes both human and non-human actors. Together the

To determine the actors at work in efforts

active forms create systems which can be traced, as

to sustain Eldon Square, one can look to the work of

identified by Latour’s ANT, to describe the workings

Keller Easterling’s book, Extrastatecraft. Easterling’s

of networks which manifest to sustain infrastructure

theories explore the constructs of ‘infrastructure

space.

space’ and identify their workings, of which can 74 2

FIRST IN N ER-CITY SHOPPING CENTR E IN UK

(SWITCH)

IN N ER-CITY SHOPPING CENTR ES (M U LTIPLIERS) TOW NS / CITIES WITHOUT IN N ER CITY SHOPPING CENTR ES

M U LTIPLIER EFFECT OF SHOPPING CENTR ES ACROSS THE U K

Keller Easterling spells out how we may identify active

interventions within towns and cities normally completely reshaping

forms. They can be a multiplier which could be an idea that is

vast areas of cities. The shopping centre concept itself can be viewed

adopted and reproduced on large scales due to its successes, or, a

as a ‘multiplier’, born out of the original idea in the Birmingham

switch that possesses disposition, alongside a potential to activate,

Bullring – perceivable as a ‘switch’ in the urban landscape of one

influence, and ‘modulate a flow of activities’ which themselves may

city; the concept then spread quickly across the country. While the

11

be multipliers that have been repeated through a system . The

success of the Bull Ring was a widely debated topic as part as the

‘switches’ and ‘multipliers’ in an infrastructure space are connected

wider redevelopment, the shopping centre concept persisted, and

in the ‘topology’ of the system. The ‘interplay’ between them is

now, of the top 150 most populous towns and cities in the UK,

evident through the way they are connected in the wiring of the

there are just 13 urban populations without an inner-city shopping

organisation, and how a change in a ‘switch’ may impact the success

centre. As is the case with Eldon Square, the success of the inner-

of an agency which may become a ‘multiplier’16.

city shopping centre has been significant, and in many cases, helped save city and town centres from becoming neglected as a result of the

Applying this to Eldon Square, we can perceive the

out-of-town shopping centre.

shopping centre as a form of ‘infrastructure space’, being large urban 75 2

MY PRACTICE

designed for desire Eldon Square shopping centre was conceived as an idea in the 1960’s, and the ambitious proposal was further amplified through the employment of the ‘internationally famous Danish Architect,’ Arne Jacobsen13. Jacobsen’s Eldon Square design proposal matched the ambition of T. Dan Smith; however, the plans became too great and realisation of cost resulted in the design and building of the centre being handed over to Chapman Taylor Architects. Despite this, the prescriptive nature of the redevelopment plan, and the desire for the centre to be a money making machine, little room could be bestowed on the creative abilities of the architects.

The design concentrated on the instrumental characteristics needed to maximise the commercial value of the design; maximising the number of shops within the complex, furthermore creating an environment in which the shopper may feel they have been taken out of the city it sits within.

Visitors would become lost in commercialism through ensuring there were no external windows, in which a culture to be ‘conditioned by the commercial environment’14 would bring a sense of safeguarding, as only glimpses of the outside world would be available to see at certain points.

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GR EEN M A R K ET ELDON SQUA R E AS DESIGN ED BY CH A PM A N TAY LOR 1970’S

Today, Eldon Square remains the same in concept as it was intended to be at its inception. Its appearance, however, differs due to a refurbishment in 2010 by Leslie Jones Architecture. The practice has a long history of working in the retail sector, and one which I have personally, through working as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant for the practice.

While the Eldon Square Refurbishment Project was largely finished by the time I began working at the practice, the shopping centre follows familiar patterns, of which I used when working on other shopping centre refurbishment projects.

An example of a project I was a part of can be seen on the next pages displaying the typical principles used in a refurbishment project.

ELDON SQUA R E R EFU R BISH M ENT LESLIE JON ES A RCHITECTU R E 2015

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ST A N DR E WS WAY W HER E GR EEN M A R K ET ONCE STOOD ELDON SQUA R E R EFU R BISH M ENT 2015

PROPOSED ELEPH A NT & C ASTLE SHOPPING CENTR E SOUTHER N ENTR A NCE LESLIE JON ES A RCHITECTU R E | 2018

The familiar principles used in a typical shopping centre refurbishment would be the likes of; -The widening of central public routes through the centre, allowing for space to accommodate kiosks turning the circulation space into a further revenue stream whilst alleviating overcrowding

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PROPOSED ELEPH A NT & C ASTLE SHOPPING CENTR E NORTHER N ENTR A NCE LESLIE JON ES A RCHITECTU R E | 2018

-Increasing the amount of natural light to create a brighter shopping space, better illuminating shop fronts -Creating bigger shop openings for improved frontages -Providing opportunity for enhanced engagement through advertisement, including designing in digital screens

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While these simple changes to the

shopping centre would seem driven by improving the environment for the comfort of the shopper, they are actually driven by long researched and tested methods which are known to encourage spending habits and improve repeat journeys.

In creating an immersive destination shopping becomes a ‘defining activity of public life’15.

As Anna Klingmann writes in her book Brandscapes, the shopping centre is now an environment of coerciveness. Every decision made in the layout, material choice, amount and type of lighting is done to encourage people to part with their money. Widening of the concourse area, while seemingly used to improve circulation and alleviate overcrowding, is often paired with the commercial opportunity of installing kiosk shops due to the extra space. This is a principle used heavily in Eldon Square, and other shopping centres around the country, and as a result, rental value is added to these circulatory spaces for economic gain.

THE EVOLUTION OF ELDON SQUA R E

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BRANDSCAPES

‘WITHIN A GENERATION,

SHOPPING MALLS HAVE GONE FROM FUNCTIONAL MACHINES TO HIGHLY IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS, WHERE LIGHTING, MUSIC, AND A CAREFUL SELECTION OF MATERIALS NOT ONLY DISPLAYS MERCHANDISE AS SUCH BUT PROVIDES THE RIGHT AMBIENCE.’ 16

ANNA KLINGMANN, 2007

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chevy chase

1980

I undertook a study of Chevy Chase,

a key anchor point of Eldon Square where the entrances to two of its biggest shops are located, John Lewis and Boots.

Through looking back at the original plans as designed by Chapman Taylor, alongside images, the intention was to create comfortable spaces. Inside the mall spaces were fountains, plants and seating to create a pleasant environment in which the public could relax and meet friends.

The intention was to produce indoor streets, to generate a place where shopping and leisure could take place away from the often inclement weather.

These are identified on the plan as comfort areas, accompanied by the engagement areas where the businesses in the shopping centre are promoting their products. In 1980 this was limited only to the areas in front of the shop windows.

https://youtu.be/0-QoC9ddDWw

CHEV Y CH ASE M A LL | 1980’S

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Engagement zones

Comfort zones

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Revenue zones

chevy chase

2020

Comparing the plan of Chevy Chase from 1980 to that of 2021, it is clear to see how the interpretation of the mall has changed. Gone are the comfort zones with the fountains and seating.

These are replaced by the kiosks which are a result of the commercialisation of the circulation spaces, designed in by the commercial architects responsible for the refurbishment.

The engagement zones have proliferated out into the mall spaces also, creating an environment where it is almost impossible to not be subjected to imposed advertisement.

Where there was once space to relax and find comfort, the shopping centre has been through a smoothing process, in which the shopper is prevented from dwelling in the circulation spaces in order to encourage them to the tills. This has resulted in a highly conditioned environment which my old practice has become so well versed at creating.

https://youtu.be/MJA7uB0YXcU

CHEV Y CH ASE M A LL | 2020

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Engagement zones

Comfort zones

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Revenue zones

BAIN BRIDGE SHOP WIN DOWS

SHOP WIN DOWS

ELDON SQUA R E

ELDON SQUA R E

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FEN WICK’S CHRISTM AS WIN DOW

The shopping centre had been arrested from the ideals of providing comfort for the user and developed into the intensely commercialised environment we see today.

There was a certain charm about the shopping experience when Eldon Square opened, in keeping with the traditional methods of browsing for the customer.

Where shop windows once had a great influence on where the shopper took their business, the impact of Digital Advertisement Boards now play far more important roles in the way the centre works and are even considered as key design elements to the architect.

Newcastle has a rich history with the shop window, and each year the highlight of the festivities within the city centre is Fenwick’s Christmas window reveal. The attention this draws to the shop is unmatched across Newcastle without using the imposing natures we see in the Digital Advertisement Boards. I began to develop a shift in the thesis, which would look at representing my work in the form of a shop window for the output of this project.

I looked to investigate the influence of these Digital Advertisement Boards further and how they influence the choice of the shopper.

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MY SHOP WINDOW

PL A N OF INSTA LL ATION R EV E A LING A LL WOR KING ELEM ENTS & INTER ACTIONS

This chapter of the Thesis Portfolio will reveal

My shop window installation can be found at the back of

the construction of the installation and include drawings

the Building Sciences building on Newcastle University’s

explaining how the installation works, concluding

main campus. It was intended that the installation

with images and videos of the completed intallation.

would be in a shop window within the city centre,

Following this chapter, the document will explain the

however, this was not posssible as I have spelled out later

component elements of the installation in greater detail,

on in this document.

demonstrating the reasoning behind their inclusion in the final piece.

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JOU R N EY TO THE SHOP WIN DOW INSTA LL ATION

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The finished installation is made up of 3 key elements

Halifax unit in the city centre. I studied this shop

which draw upon research I have undertaken across

front with the intention of installing my work here,

the year around the condition of Newcastle’s shopping

yet bureaucracy and the private, corporate worlds

environment, specifically that of Eldon Square.

grip on the city centre led to the collapse of this. I look to use the glazing of this shop front in a different

At the back of the installation sits a replica of a

manner to its normal intention, making use of its

Digital Advertisement Board found in Eldon Square.

reflective properties to reflect and distort imagery of

This is displaying an advertisement reel which

myself working around the installation.

contains work of mine throughout the year combined with imagery of the space outside the window

The final element is the facing mirrors. One faces

including passing people, revealing the knowledge

away from the window, but includes a hole through

the advertisement network supporting these screens

it offering a view for the public to the opposing

possesses of the public. Intending to grasp the

mirror. Upon this mirror is an architectural drawing

attention of passers-by with movement and light, the

I produced of the Halifax unit, and between the two

board looks to challenge their relationships with the

mirrors a projected video of myself measuring up the

boards and advertisement.

drawing before replicating it on the opposite mirror.

This represents a commentary on my experience

In front of this is a segment of a window, a key

working in a commercial practice and its repetitive

element of any shop front, particularly from an old

tendencies.

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In the tall space of the Long Gallery, I required a structure for me to constuct the installation within. This was constructed using 2x2 timber lengths and provided me with a simple structure from which I could hang, attach and secure elements to.

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Construction of the installation was a

working I became used to and frustrated with in practice.

processes of testing and amending. I didn’t go into the construction process with any fixed preconceptions of

It was an enjoyable way of working for me, and when

how I wanted it to look, but principles based off what I

I had faced disappointments through certain setbacks

wanted elements to achieve. The purpose of this was to

along the journey of this thesis, the process of designing

challange my typical ways of working I have been used

through making provided a fulfilling experience through

to during my time in architectural education, but also

which I could culminate the project with.

test this new way which opposed the repetitive ways of

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The drawings produced of the installation will help the reader of this document understand how the installation works. One particular element which is purposfully hidden from view is the projector. Hidden to the side of the installation, from the exterior it is not possible to see it. From these drawings the use of the mirrored segment and its reflection is clear to envisage too. The beginning of each chapter following this includes an axonometric diagram

similar to this above, clearly showing the relating element the chapter will refer to.

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caring for my window

Like any shop window, the presentation to the public is important, so before my final crit I took the time to ensure the window was clean both inside and out. The window itself had not been cleaned for some time and was covered in water marks while the interior had become untidy during the building process as a result of drilling and cutting.

The following pages present the photography and videography of the finished installation. This is before the continuation of this Thesis Portfolio divulges the theoretical reasoning behind design decisions and the process of creating this subversive shop window display.

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THE ARENA OF COERCION

investigating the shopper The power of a neoliberal, capitalist driven society which grew out of the end of the 20th Century has driven the shopping centre into what it is today, and it has evolved to fit into society as has our society evolved around the use of the shopping centre and shopping culture.

At the beginning of this thesis project, I took particular interest in the way shopping centres and their functions are tailored to attract people using manifested networks to sustain and advance itself. During group work at the beginning of this academic year, myself and four other team members

ROUTES A N D RITUA LS GROU P WOR K PROTAG ONIST M A PPING

each investigated protagonists who interacted with Eldon Square, looking at their typical routes through and around the centre alongside their dwelling points. I was looking at a shopaholic, while others looked at; a social media influenced visitor, a temporal amazon shopper, an elderly person and a homeless person.

We produced a dérive mapping which created an experiential interpretation of the journeys our protagonists took through the shopping centre, this was punctuated by logos and brandings of the capitalist economy driving many of the visits of our characters.

INSTA LL ATION A XONOM ETRIC DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R D

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ROUTES A N D RITUA LS GROU P WOR K DÉRIV E M A PPING

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the story of a shopaholic

From the findings of the investigation,

my protagonist appeared to be the most active in their shopping endeavours; they were very direct in their actions, making their concourse journey quickly, spending time at various shops within the complex. As a result, this protagonist was labelled the ‘shopaholic’. This contrasts the likes of a pensioner, for whom the shopping centre is merely a passage through from the bus station at the north of the site to Grainger Market to the south. For this member of the public, little time is spent dwelling within the bus station or Eldon Square.

The ‘shopaholic’ tends to be of a younger demographic, who are more subject to influence, and use of strategic advertising is far more effective in attracting their custom which results in spending, in comparison to those of older

ROUTES A N D RITUA LS GROU P WOR K RITUA L COMIC STRIP

generations. Reaching the shopaholic is far easier due to easy accessibility to mobile phones though social and digital media. Retailers residing in the shopping centres take full advantage of these platforms to reach their target audience.

I produced a short animation thorough which I follow the route of a willing volunteer in the shopping centre, exploring their experience and allowing me to construct an understanding of what impacts their visit on their journey through Eldon Square.

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THE A NIM ATION WAS PRODUCED ON PHOTOSHOP A FTER I H A D PHOTOGR A PHED THE VOLU NTEER TO A NIM ATE THEM FOR THE VIDEO BEFOR E CONSTRUCTING IT IN PR EMIER PRO

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the story of a shopaholic: script

https://youtu.be/oes8TaG-uCE

On a wet day in Newcastle,

Soon done in the shop,

a shopaholic has a crave,

Bag filled with a new top,

a hunger to fill and no desire to save.

The shopaholic leaves, Content with the new drop.

Approaching Eldon Square, The shopaholic’s head is buried in their phone,

Back into the warm streets,

Advertisements played through an endless consumption,

And the phone out once again,

as they have become so prone.

Searching already for the next item, With the hope it’ll excite them.

The warmth grows near, And the lights shine bright,

But while the shopaholic whisks through the indoor streets,

A place of comfort no fear,

Little attention is paid to the things they might see.

The shopaholic holds dear.

An old man, a couple, Once in they still hold their phone close,

The orange people patrolling all day,

Bright lights shine out as the shops try to entice,

The cleaners and the workers ensuring there is nothing in

To take a share of this dose.

anyone’s way.

In the shop,

The exit looms,

Phone down and fast paced,

And a return to the streets,

From one item to the next,

But content with their trip,

Pausing only to make sure choices are aced.

There’s no doubt they’ll be back in a clip.

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Back once again The shopaholic returns, A few days have passed, And fresh desires amassed.

The routine is followed, Head down little time to wallow, With fresh ideas in mind, there were clothes to find.

Up past monument, And into the warm embrace of Eldon Square, The bright lights the shopaholic was so used to, Bringing comfort once again.

Whisked down the long corridors, And on into the main affair, But as the approach, Something curious starts to encroach.

Dark light on the arm, replacing the brightness expected, Could it be, they thought, as the phone goes down, Looking up, a shock No this couldn’t be, what a knock, Closed down, they said with a frown, But what happened, how would I fill my world with glee.

Further down the indoor street, To try another option, But no, here too Apparently down to consumer caution.

With shoulders slumped the shopaholic turned away.

A mournful look to express no shopping today, What will they do? How will they cope?

They walk away with the phone at bay, As they move to the exit the shopaholic looked up Takes in their surroundings they’d not looked at before, The phone had been so binding, With flashy ads enticing.

But they started to realise, That this all could have been a game With them as the toys And the companies the lords The bright lights, the loud music All so appealing, What had they been paying for, And did they want more?

New questions arose, from removing the phone And the shopaholic was leaving, With an item they’d never thought they’d believe in.

M A PPING OF SHOPA HOLIC VISIT TO ELDON SQUA R E GROU N D FLOOR

The short animation plays out how the shopaholic is

engaged with their phone for the majority of their trip to Eldon Square. It is only when they are shopping within the store that their phone goes away, while moving through the centre, their gaze with their phone is generally unbroken.

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M A PPING OF SHOPA HOLIC VISIT TO ELDON SQUA R E FIRST FLOOR

The only time the gaze between the shopaholic and their phone is broken within the circulator areas of the mall is when the flashy imagery of the Digital Advertisement Boards catch their eye.

I mapped this journey through Eldon Square revealing that in total the shopaholic passed 9 Digital Advertisement Boards on this visit.

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dvertising

ic Route

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Engagement Board Zone

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Open Shops Engagement Board Zone

Digital Advertisement Open VisitedShops Shops Engagement Zone

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Start 0

Empty Shop Open Visited Shops UnitsShops

50m

0

Empty Shop Visited Units Shops

50m

0

Empty Shop Digital Advertising Units Board

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Engagement Board Zone

Digital DigitalAdvertisement Advertising Open Shops Engagement Board Zone

Digital Advertisement Open VisitedShops Shops Engagement Zone

50m Route Shopaholic

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Shopaholic Route Start

Shopaholic Route Start 0

Empty Shop Open Visited Shops UnitsShops

50m

DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT

DIGITA L A DV ERTSIEM ENT

BOA R DS IN ELDON SQUA R E

BOA R DS IN ELDON SQUA R E

GROU N D FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

0

Empty Shop Visited Units Shops

50m

0

Empty Shop Units

50m

Across the country, Digital Advertisement Boards have become a feature in shopping centres, just as is the case here in Eldon Square. There are 14 present in Eldon Square contributing to the proliferation of image, which has extended Engagement Zones in Eldons Sqaure beyond that of the shop windows. Advertisement media has increasingly infiltrated into everyday life, making the marketing of products unavoidable.

Guy Debord talks about the expansion in the use of the image and how obsessed as a society we have become with it. As Debord makes comment to in The Society of the Spectacle, through our society having moved towards the tertiary sectors of work, it is neccessary for the businesses to use increasingly

extensive methods in order for the proletariat to notice and want to purchase such products.

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‘‘To this end the reserve army

THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE

of the unemployed is enlisted into the tertiary or “service” sector,

reinforcing the troops responsible for distributing and gloryfying the latest commodities; and in this it is serving a real need, in the sense that increasingly extensive campaigns are necessary to convince people to buy increasingly unnecessary commodities.’17 GUY DEBORD, 1967_

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THE IN VISIBLE N ET WOR K DIAGR A M ATIC R EPR ESENTATION OF THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT N ET WOR K, ON E OF THE K EY N ET WOR KS SUSTAINING ELDON SQUA R E CONTIBUTING TO THE HIGHLY CON DITION ED EN VIRON M ENT OF THE SHOPPING CENTR E

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‘Uncertainty should remain uncertain throughout because we don’t want to rush into saying that actors may not know what they are doing, but that we, the social scientists, know that there exists a social force ‘making them do’ things unwittingly.’ 18 Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor Network Theory Bruno Latour, 2005

the arena of coercion The shopping centre environments developed are ever so familiar in most towns and cities across the country and in recent years, the advancement in their experiences has centred around the use of advertisement. Gone are the times when retail businesses would have to encourage repeat custom by offering excellent service. Nevertheless, while customer service is still largely valued, far more emphasis is places on advertisement when a customer is out of the store.

This could be while the shopper remains in the shopping centre but is more so during the time when the shopper is away, creating a world where ‘not only is shopping melting into everything, but everything is melting into shopping.’19 Digital advertising boards around Eldon Square arrived as ‘multipliers’ as the digital advertisement culture spread across the world, but acts as a ‘switch’ within the shopping centre.

The intended routes and decisions of the shopper can be influenced by the advertisements. As Latour explains, while we cannot knowingly say that a shopper’s decisions are not made consciously, we can understand that the development and experience of complex networks of advertisements has led to a process of learning about an individual’s preferences and behaviours, and advertisements influence the choices these people make.

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THE PROLIFER ATION OF THE IM AGE CONTRIBUTING TO THE EX PON ENTIA L CONSTRUCTION OF PA R A NOIA THROUGH DESIR E IN THE SHOPPER 124 2

‘The spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectifications of delirious associations and interpretations...’ 20 The Conquest of the Irrational Salvador Dalí, 1969 THE SU R R E A LIST A RTIST SA LVA DOR DA LÍ

Through tracing a shopaholics route in

Arena of Coercion’ for the shopping centre.

Eldon Square, the number of opportunities that arise

Through reading Rem Koolhaas’ ‘Delirious New York’

in the centre which could reinforce the conscious, or

I came across a theory developed by the surrealist artist

sub-conscious decisions of repeat or first-time custom

Salvador Dalí. His Paranoid Critical Method (PCM)

is evident. Coupled with the network of targeted

enlightened me into a new way of thinking about the

advertising used by retailers, it becomes understandable

relationship between the Digital Advertisement Boards

how consumers are coerced into continuous spending

and the shopper.

in indoor shopping centres.

As Guy Debord comments on how the proletariat has The extensive use of advertisement and how it has

become obsessed with the image, its extensive proliferation

influenced the change in appearance of Eldon Square

has led to its coercive use in order to encourage shoppers

from a place of comfort and relaxation, as designed by

into impulse purchases. Therefore the continuous growth

Chapman Taylor Architects, into a highly conditioned

of the image can be related to a positive correlation in

environment encouraged me to coin the name ‘The

constructs of desire from the consumer.

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PA R A NOIA IN FLU ENCING DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R DS

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When the shopper arrives at Eldon Square, they clearly have a purpose to be there, they are wanting to shop, and likely have something in mind.

However, the Digital Advertisement Boards and their invisible network transform this feeling of WANT into a feeling of paranoic NEED. The intrusive advertisement attempts to coerce the shopper into directing all their rational thoughts to point in the direction of one outcome, purchasing the advertised product. Koolhaas describes this

DIAGR A M M ATIC SK ETCH

in ‘Delirious New York’ as similar to the way a

PA R A NOIC R E ASONING

magnetic field works so ‘the paranoic turns the whole world into a magnetic field of facts, all pointing in the same direction: the one he is going in.’21

VISUA LISING THE TR A NSFER OF M A R K ETING IN FOR M ATION TO THE H U M A N

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SA LVA DOR DA LÍ BON WIT TELLER DISPL AYS

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Dalí used his Paranoid Critical Method

would therefore draw the attention of the mid-20th

in his work to explore ‘the conscious exploitation

Century shopper.

22

of the unconscious’ creating work which he exhibited across Europe and in New York City.

This subversive act ultimately was rejected

He had a fascination with New York City and

by the department store as the image it painted of

was offered the opportunity by Bonwit Teller, a

the city reflected poorly on the shops reputation.

large department store in the city, to dress a series

Quickly after the reveal, much to Dalí’s distain the

of front windows as the Surrealist movement

display was changed.

grew a reputation in America. Dalí took this as an opportunity to make a great statement of

The highlighting of the unseen in

surrealism ‘spilling the hidden contents [of New

these shop windows was of interest to myself 23

York City] into the objective space of the street.’

in my studies and the development of my shop

Through using materials such as coal and figures

window. It became clear that the window should

of a bloody pigeon, Dalí highlights the unseen in

look to subvert the shoppers view of the Digital

New York City, the subconscious, revealing it in a

Advertisement Boards within Eldon Square,

manner which is unexpected of a shop window and

enlightening them to their coercive natures.

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SK ETCHES EX PLORING THE USE OF THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R D IN A SU R R E A LIST DISPL AY

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I looked to utilise the techniques of Dalí in models, working

through ideas which may challenge the way in which the public see the Digital Advertisement Boards. These ideas generally centred around the idea of power. Through sketches and modelling I explored how the Digital Advertisement Boards were the devices of the private, corporate world to impose products on the public. Taking influence from Guy Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’, the rationale was that the ‘bourgeoisie’ were behind the screens, influencing and choosing the products for the proletariat to buy.

The themes behind this seemed too literal, however, and didn’t look to tackle my other lines of research well, so I moved onto testing different methods to subvert the Digital Advertisement Boards.

MODELS EX PLORING THE USE OF THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R D IN A SU R R E A LIST DISPL AY

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DETOU R N EM ENT A DV ERTISEM ENT SU BV ERSIV E M EDIA

In search for an alternative method to

subvert the Digital Advertisement Boards within Eldon Square, I looked to the Situationist movement of which Guy Debord was a key member of.

They had been successfully subverting modes of advertisement as they challenged the use of the image in capitalist society to encourage the public to spend. Through taking imagery used normally for advertisements by these companies, and subtly changing them by altering the slogan for example, they were challenging the way the public viewed them.

This method of subversion was of interest to me, by using the way the Digital Advertisement Boards already functioned, I could look to change the imagery displayed in order to encourage those who experience it to think differently about them.

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THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R DS OF ELDON SQUA R E

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CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT BOA R D FOR INSTA LL ATION

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PR EMIER PRO SCR EENSHOT EDITING OF THE SU BV ERSIV E DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT R EEL

I looked to construct my own Digital Advertisement

Board for the shop window. Using a television, I rotated it so it was portrait, as the Digital Advertisement Boards are in Eldon Square. With proportions similar to that of the Eldon boards the television worked well.

Making use of the flat bed router in the university workshop, I had a piece of wood cut matching the size of the boards in Eldon with space for the television to be placed in. Following the cutting of the board, I painted it gloss white and sprayed the JC Decaux logo onto the front before hanging it off the top of the screen. The appearance of the board gives a realistic look and is intended to be as similar to those in Eldon Square as possible so the public can identify what in the installation this represents.

Having produced the representation of the Digital Advertisement Board I began constructing the subversive advertisement reel on Adobe Premier Pro.

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SCR EENSHOT OF THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT R EEL FOR INSTA L ATION R EV E A LING THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE IN VISIBLE N ET WOR K 136 2

SERIES OF SCR EENSHOTS FROM THE DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT R EEL FOR INSTA L ATION R EV E A LING THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE IN VISIBLE N ET WOR K

The intention of this Digital Advertisement

I used my colleagues as actors in this reel, and as they

Board is to enlighten the public of the coercive

walk past a tag is generated which displays the age

intelligent network behind the screens. Illuminating

range of the person passing, their gender, and interests.

the public of the data which informs the advertisement

The interests are intended to relate to the advertisement

choices was a key part. I therefore produced imagery

image which follows when the advertisement reel

which is spliced into the advertisement reel portraying

flickers back to the subversive advertisement.

this intelligence showing recordings of the space outside of the window.

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SU BV ERSIV E A DV ERTISEM ENT M EDIA PR ESENTING ELDON SQUA R E IN A DIFFER ENT M A N N ER TO ITS TY PIC A L M A R K ETING ENCOU R AGING PEOPLE TO THIN K DIFFER ENTLY A BOUT THE CENTR E

For the main advertisement on the reel, I used imagery

slogans such as ‘The Arena of Coercion’, the term I

I had produced for my project earlier in the year.

used to refer to the shopping centre responding to the

These focussed around images of Eldon Square and

nature of this Advertisement Network. This subtly

curating them to look as if they are promoting the

changes the way the public perceive these images, not

shopping centre.

seeing them as advertisements for the shopping centre, but as opportunities to question their relationship to

I have looked to subvert the imagery through adding

the network.

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PL A N DR AWING OF INSA L ATION DIGITA L A DV ERTISEM ENT PROJ ECTING SU BV ERSIV E A DV ERTISEM ENT R EEL ONTO PASSERS-BY

Located at the back of the installation, the

attention in whilst revealing the intelligence of the

Digital Advertisement Board in the way I have used

Invisible Network it is a part of.

it continuously displays the subversive advertisement reel on a loop. The flashing of the animations on

Much like the way Dalí used what was there in New

the advertisement reel works to capture the attention

York City, but was unseen, to create a subversive, yet

of those passing while the spliced imagery of my

controversial, window display for Bonwit Teller, I

colleagues walking past the window aims to challenge

have taken the Digital Advertisement Boards of Eldon

the passer-by. They may mistakenly see themselves

Square, highlighting the unseen within their network

within the advertisement reel, again drawing their

and there for revealing its coercive natures.

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WHY DO THEY LOOK?

Throughout my research I have been concentrating on the human perspective of the relationship between the shopper and the Digital Advertisement Boards, for example. A second national lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic restricted my access to Eldon Square and during a making exercise carried out by the studio, I looked to explore the opposing relationships within.

Following my research into the remodelling of Chevy Chase, the engagement zones where the human shopper engages with products had proliferated out into the mall space. This provided plenty of opportunities where either a Digital Advertisement Board or a shop window was looked at. Through carrying out this study, I was hoping that I would be able to better understand what it was that made people look into a shop window.

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A N A LTER NATIV E VIE W THE H U M A N A N D NON H U M A N VIE W EX PERIENCED IN THE ENGAGEM ENT ZON E OF THE SHOP WIN DOW

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I undertook this experiment in my own home due to the lockdown. To carry it out, I produced a model of the two spaces I had been spending most of my time in as a result of the restricted access we were being afforded to the outside world.

At the back of this model, I made two holes, through which I was able to place a GoPro and record events taking place in the road outside my front window.

I chose to place the model in the front window of my home as my housemates and myself often feel as though we are living in something that may resemble a shop window. Often we have people glancing into the space of our living room making us feel as though our lives are on display to the passing world outside.

The footage I took from the GoPro was sped up and analysed over periods of time during the day to see who was looking into our front window.

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The first recording was a period of time around lunchtime, a busy period outside our house as people pass heading to the local shop at the end of the road for lunch. It was surprising that out of the various people who passed, only one person looked into the front window, many less than my housemates and myself felt as though looked in.

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6

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Later in the day, when daylight was limited in the living room of my house, which during winter happens early due to the Eastern aspect of the front room, lights were turned on illuminating the space. Resultingly, many more people looked into the room as movement became visible, catching the attention of the passing public.

This highlighted elements which would draw the eyes of the public to a shop window of light and movement.

The experiment in my home concluded for myself that the light and movement in the evening generated more interest in the our front room than at midday when we had the living room light off.

These techniques are evident in Eldon Square, the flashing imagery of Digital Advertisement Boards and lighting of shop fronts around Newcastle draw in the attention of shoppers and are clearly an effective means of drawing prospective shoppers in.

I looked to include these characteristics in my installation, the moving imagery of the subversive advertisement reel and the projection of myself repetitively copying a drawing provides both light and movement. These both attempt to draw the attention of passers-by, to test how successful this was I carried out a similar study on my finished installation as to that of my living room.

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The study revealed that the use of movenent and lighting effectively drew the attention of passing members of public into the window. This was particularly prevelant as I became a part of the display during its construction, drawing plenty of curious gazes.

The engagement with the window has not been quite as successful as I would have liked, I have not whitnessed anyone yet take up the offer of the view into the Mise en Abyme effect mirrors. Perhaps this is because the majority of people who pass the window are workers on the building site opposite, they have likely seen the window multiple times and the experience it brings is not new to them.

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EXORTING THE SHOP FRONT

With the intention of the thesis to produce

a shop window display which aims to subvert the elements and architectures of Eldon Square, it became apparent that I should look to the shops of Newcastle to understand what makes shop windows successful.

Through researching the profession of visual merchandising and undertaking a study of Newcastle’s shop fronts, I looked to draw upon the knowledge accrued in order to inform my shop window installation.

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INSTA LL ATION PHOTOGR A PHS - PR JOECTION THROUGH WIN DOW SEGMONT ONTO TR ACING PA PER

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typical shop front design 5

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2 - Below area 1, complementary products should be displayed which

1 - The area which the most attention should be directed towards from

relate to products used in the above area. These might be a pair of shoes

passers-by. Construction of desire within the prospective shoppers should

which match a clothing product in area 1 and can be used to further

be concentrated here.

reinforce desire in a shopper.

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3 & 4 - Products or props should be placed which guide the eye towards

5 - It is not reccomended to display products in area 5 as it is above

the centre of the display. These may be products with matching colours

the shoppers eyelines. This area can be used for lighting to enhance the

or props which cross between the areas drawing the gaze of prospective

displays.

shoppers towards the main feature of the display.

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The shop front of H&M in Newcastle upon Tyne faces out onto one of the highest value retail destinations in the country, Northumberland Street. The construction of an effective shop window should be employed in an effective manner in order to generate interest in the passing shoppers.

Following the principles set out on the previous page, the mannequin and majority of clothes being pushed by the shop are centered in what would be Area 1, while below, complementary shoes can be seen in Area 2. Areas 3 & 4 to the side host complementary products of similar colour, drawing the attention of the shopper back to the main features of the display in Area 1.

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learning from newcastle Having learnt how a typical shop window display would be well constructed, I looked to the streets of Newcastle to investigate the success of its shop windows.

I produced a guide looking at shops of differing varieties, from the well know department store of Fenwicks and its famous Christmas window, to that of The Salvation Army.

With the changes brought about the city by the construction of Eldon Square, I was interested to understand also how the architecture of the shop fronts had changed. Some shops in Newcastle are around 250 years old, and while they have likely changed dramatically over their history, the architectural technologies behind the structure of the shop windows would likely differ greatly.

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Learning from Newcastle

A study into the effectiveness of Newcastle shop fronts

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Shop Windows

_01 Northern Goldsmiths Blackett Street / Pilgrim Street Jewelry & Watches 1778

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Cast Iron Glass Stone

The ornate cast iron window frames complement the Georgian architecture of the building. The size of glass available at time of construction limits window size leading to a natural framing of displays. The clock on the turn of the corner provides an iconic landmark in the city whilst also symbolising the products sold in the building.

Timber Glass

The angling of the display draws attention of the passing prospective shopper into the commercial environment. Shoppers are at first presented with the high value products in an ordered, hierarchical fashion where mirrored props place the shopper in the display. The internal windows beyond extend the display into the store thus enabling the construction of desire through the experience of being sold a product.

Signage

Painted shop signage Symbolic gold clock

Traditional signage for this shop is employed through the use of a painted shop sign above the window displays. The choice of golden paint reflects the high quality products on sale alongside the use of ornate font. A unique feature of this shop is the iconic golden clock on the turn of the corner, providing a recognisable landmark in the city centre and symbolising the products on sale.

Effectiveness

The use of an angled window display drawing the attention of the customer into not only the products, but also the ornate interior and highly personalised shopping experience produces a highly effective image through which desire can be constructed.

While the windows are small and meaning the product of the shop is not particularly visible from distance, the iconic clock provides a symbolic point of signage. Located at the end of Northumberland Street, one of the busiest retail high streets in the UK, and at a busy crossroad in the city centre, the clock can be seen from great distance drawing interest from afar.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_02 Fenwick Northumberland Street Department Store 1882 (Remodelled 1913)

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Stone Glass Brass window frame Granite Steel & Glass canopy

Fenwicks is likely the most famous shop window in Newcastle City Centre, the department store has a grand facade expressing classical arcitectural features and evoking architecture of the Beaux Arts in Paris. The centre piece of the shop is the full length shop window which is the highlight of the stores seasonal christmas campaign. An expanse of glass, split up into sections by the brass frames, hosts the christmas window, sheltered by a glass canopy.

Bespoke seasonal dioramas

Every christmas since 1971 the store has hosted the cities biggest christmas attraction. Curated around numerous children’s stories, people are drawn to the store primarily as an attraction. Each window presents a different scene from the narrative and throug following window by window the prospective shopper arrives at the shop front.

Signage

Christmas window Large store signage Branded canopy

The store hosts traditional signage in the form of a large sign atop the building, this is visible from a great distance down Northumberland Street and Pilgrim Street. Branding is also located on the canopy outside the door, however, the main signage for the store is the reputational significance of the shop window. The visual display creates a unique sensory experience in the city, both audially and visually over the festive period.

Effectiveness

Fenwick has over its history generated a strong reputation as a department store across the North East region. The christmas window has enhanced this reputation and is likely the most enchanting shop window in Newcastle. Engaging passing shoppers through the unique attraction of a childrens story, creates a draw like no other window in Newcastle, to a greater demographic. The effectiveness of creating an attraction for the shop window without promoting the products on sale is highlighted in the case of Fenwick’s christmas windows.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_03 M&S Northumberland Street Fashion 1932 (Extended 1996)

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Glass Granite cladding Living walls

Next to the entrance of Eldon Square the store front is sheltered as the building envolope above ground level steps out.

Columns clad in dark granite give way to a series of displays behind large frameless windows, broken only when the ground floor facade turns a corner to the south. A stricking living wall was erected in 2015 contrasting the adjacent precast concrete panels as an ethical marketing technique.

Clothing products Black mannequins Printed backdrop

Outside the pandemic, in this window we would typically observe enclosed scenes being created with a number of mannequins showcasing various different outfits. Backdrops contain printed scenes as if to remove the passing shopper from the location they find themselves in for a brief moment.

Curated seasonally the intention is to construct desire of not only the clothes but also how those clothes may be used, in summer for example, in a picturesque, sunny European city.

Signage

Backlit signage Projecting sign Living wall

The living wall acts as a form of signage, as the only living wall in the city centre it becomes a symbol of M&S not only in the city but also in the wider region. It is recognisable from a distance on Northumberland Street and on it is mounted a large backlit M&S sign. Lower on the facade we see a projecting sign, drawing the attention from a shorter distance than that of the living wall.

Effectiveness

Similar to the Northern Goldsmiths golden clock which is visible from great distance and an important, recognisable landmark in the city, the living wall for M&S plays a similarly effective role. Creating a shop window where the passing shopper constructs desire through a departation of place equally provides an effectiveness. This is through an engagement where the imagination of the shopper is employed, to place them in a situation where M&S products would be complementary.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_04 Waterstones Monument / Blackett Street Books 2003

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Cast Iron Portland Stone Granite Glass

The shop front of Waterstones complements the grand, ornate architecture of the Emerson Chambers building. Tall windows allow views deep into the store filling the internal space with natural light presenting an inviting environment. imposing granite columns with composite capitals provide grandeur to the thresholds at either corner of the shop front, drawing customers into the entrance, set back from the facade.

Window stickers Hanging props Timber shelving Decorative plaster ceiling

The large windows of this shop allows for large displays, books are arranged in tall shelved units. However, there is a feeling that while the window is used to promote the numerous books as much as possible, more consideration could be given to displaying the internal space of the store and the experience of browsing and choosing a book. Props hang from the soffit on the inside of the window drawing the eye up to the ornate ceiling in the store.

Signage

Painted plasterboard Window stickers

Above the shop windows the name of the store can be found painted in gold onto a black timber board. Above the entrance is a small sign protruding out and visible upon approach displaying the logo of Waterstone’s and the services the shop provides of books and a cafe. Little more about the cafe is presented in the shop front other than a few small window stickers.

Effectiveness

The Waterstones shop front makes the most of the ornate, classical architectural features of the Emerson Chambers building and employs the use of these elements effectively. The imposing granite columns frame the thresholds well, enticing the customer into the store, whilst the delicate looking iron window frames compose displays along a long facade in the heart of the city centre of Newcastle. The displays themselves could be used more effectively to better portray the absorbing process of choosing a book, in order to present this to passing prospective customers.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_05 Mail Boxes Etc. Low Friar Street Postal and Courier products and services 2007

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Glass Timber window frame Painted timber surround

On the ground floor of a masonry georgian terrace, this shop front is framed by a timber surround with the vertical elements hosting carved components. This timber surround makes reference to classical architectural columns to frame the shop front, which contains a series of simple narrow windows.

The timber frame of the shop window moves into a recess, away from the shop front where the entrance is located.

Posters Model post box

There is little in terms of window display in this shop other than posters indicating the different shipping services on offer. These posters almost completely obscure any views into the store meaning passers by can not view the interior appearance. The sole prop in the window of a post box does symbolise the main purpose of the shop.

Signage

Printed sheet plastic

A traditional store sign is located above the store printed on a polycarbonate sheet. The shop doesn’t have a projecting sign perhaps acknowledging the fact it is on a particularly quiet street in the centre of Newcastle.

Effectiveness

This shop is not trying to promote products like that of those in the main retail areas of Newcastle city centre. The smaller windows filled with posters allow the shopper to walk by without the intrusion of lights, shiny products or tempting shopping experiences. It is likely because this shop sells services which are a necessity to the people who use it and are not considered a luxury which the shopper must be tempted into buying.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_06 H&M Northumberland Street / Saville Row Fashion Refurbished 2015

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Facade

Glass Perforated steel Polished stainless steel Arylic

Located in a prime position on Northumberland Street, the windows of H&M stretch along the two facades. Material choices are all aesthetically complementary, with a light pallette of beiges and off whites. The shop window is frameless, leaving uninterrupted views into the well curated display with a plain white backdrop which ties in with the light pallette on the exterior giving an overall simple and tasteful display.

Display

Clothing products White mannequin Timber effect platforms Concrete effect platform Beige back boards

This window display shows the attention to detail in how the larger fashion retailers curate their displays. Matching colours and overall aesthetic quality creates a confidence in the brand for the shopper. Positioning of items in the display shows how it is curated to draw the attention of the customer back into the middle of the window, where there is a full outfit displayed, placing an image of how the shopper could look in their head resulting in a construction of desire.

Signage

Acrylic logo Window stickers Projecting sign

The prime location of the store opposite Fenwick’s on Northumberland Street helps draw shoppers towards H&M. There is the traditional branding sign above the entrance as well as a projecting sign helping shoppers identify the store from further down Northumberland Street.

Effectiveness

Attention to detail in the colour pallette used in the H&M shop window produces an effective display which is pleasing on the eye. The use of this aesthetic design tool is successful in building confidence in the brand and encourages the construction of desire. The location of this shop also plays a part in its effectiveness; being opposite Fenwick’s will draw in custom who had not initially intended in shopping in H&M but may be persuaded in. This will be even more pertinent around christmas when the Fenwick’s christmas window will draw in large crowds.

Shop Windows

_07 Apple Store St. Andrews Way, Eldon Square Electronics 2010

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Aluminium cladding Glass

The wide uninterrupted frontage frames the entirity of the store. Brand recognition plays a key role in the choice of aesthetic appearance. The brushed aluminium cladding pays reference to the high end materiality of the products sold while the lack of direct window display promotes the selling experience in this minimalist threshold.

Aluminium cladding Timber tables Timber shelving Digital art

Observing the ritual of purchasing the high end products on display in this store reinforces the feeling of desire in the passing shoppers. A deep, open plan of the store coupled with a wide unobscured shop front, draws passing shoppers into a store with strong, refined design intentions of symmetry and material continuity. The ability to interract and play a part in the window display acts as an enticing oppertunity for the passing shopper.

Signage

Illuminated Apple logo

An apple logo sits centrally, at the crosssection of the cladding joints reflecting strong themes of symmetry in the stores design as the only real signage. The striking store front with its tall, simplistic aluminium facade is unmistakable as shoppers pass through the mall. The simplicity enables recognition of the brand in an area of Eldon Square clearly designed in acknowlegement of the accellerated experience of modern shopping.

Effectiveness

The engagement of people on clear display in the Apple store is the most evident feature of this shop front displaying a strong level of effectiveness. The minimalism of the shop front leaves the performative nature of engaging with the products and the ritual of purchasing on clear display. Through this, the shop constructs desire in passers-by possibly through a level of jealousy of fellow shoppers inside the store.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_08 The Salvation Army Store Clayton Street Charity Shop 2011

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Portland Stone Glass Timber window frame Timber panelling

The facade of this charity store is modest and likely reflects the traditional store front of previous shops in this part of the city. The store is framed by pilasters matching the architecture of the above facade in which sits a slender maroon painted timber window frame. In the centre of the front is a modest door with a large window along with the rest of the store front allow good clear framed views into the store.

Display

Mannequin torsos Clothing products

The display is minimal and typical of a charity store, unlike the branded fashion stores in Eldon Square, on Northumberland Street and around Monument, the charity store can’t employ specialist shop front designers. Nevertheless the display presents items of clothing on sale in an effective manner allowing passers by to stop and generate desire for products on sale.

Signage

Above the shop front sits a large sign easily seen from a short distance away from the store. A small projecting sign allows Stretched printed sheet for those approaching the store to see it from further afar.

Projecting sign The association with charity does provide a good form of promotional advantage and is an area that recently has seen increasing popularity.

Effectiveness

Being a charity store, the experience of the shop front is vastly different from those closer to the heart of the city at Monument. There is little budget to create flashy enticing window displays to attract passing customers. However, the unpredictability of charity stores does provide an effective, enticing characteristic that often tempts people into the shop. The ability to see the full rails from the street through the shop window will effectively draw the passing shopper in.

Facade

Shop Windows

_09 H&T Pawnbrokers Clayton Street Pawnbroking & Jewellery sales 2011

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Glass Timber window frame Painted shop front

The striking blue shop front contrasts the lighter tones of the stone building this shop is housed in presenting 4 narrow, tall pieces of glass which provide insights into the dealings of the shop. Directly to the left of the windows is the entrance, on a matching plane with the shop window but propped open in order to invite passing customers in.

Jewelry & Watches Posters Window stickers

Products are arranged in the shop window with no acknowledgment of the opportunity to compose displays in relation to the framing provided by the window frames. Looking at the window from the other side of the road the product displays are intersected by the mullions of the windows.

Posters and window stickers present the services available in the shop in the foreground, more visible from a distance than the products on sale.

Signage

Polycarbonate sign

Above the shop front is mounted the sign of the shop, visible from the other side of the road, however it is perhaps the bright colour of the shop which draws the most attention from passers by. Contrasting the light stone above it is hard to miss as shoppers walk by.

Effectiveness

Located just outside of the most desirable retail areas of Newcastle city centre, this shop window is not as imposing as those seen in Eldon Square or around Monument.

There is no projecting signage informing those approaching of the stores presence, and the window displays are not curated in an effective way. The contrast of colour to the light stone is an effective method of drawing attention to the store as people pass, however, more successful methods can be employed which allow the architecture of the shop front to sit more agreeably in its context.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_10 Primark Northumberland Street Fashion 2012 (Refurbished 2017)

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Glass Perforated metal Digital screen

Refurbished in 2017, the remodelled facades along Northumberland Street and Northumberland Road provides the most modern shop front of the street. A perforated metal veil sits over a curtain wall facade with views deep into the shop, framing sections of the window and adding a dynamism to the facade. This dynamism is enhanced through the employment of a large digital screen above the entrance, playing promotional material throughout the day.

Display

Posters Mannequins Clothing products

While there is a considerable amount of window on the facade, and a clear emphasis on transparency into the store, there is limited curated window display. A display is seen by the door with a selection of outfits dressed on mannequins, however, large graphic posters provide a more striking impact filling the height of the windows. This is even more the case with the digital screen, hard to miss in the evenings presenting animated scenes aiding the construct of desire.

Signage

Primark have included many logos into the shop front of the store, the ground floor sees principle branding above both enLarge branding signage trances alongside window stickers either side of the entrances Window stickers in the window displays. The modern facade design, in the Perforated metal form of the perforated metal veil, incorperates multiple logos acting similarly to protruding signs. The perforation of the metal also incorporates the primark logo higher up the facade.

Effectiveness

The striking modern appearance of the architecture employed in the facade of Primark enables the store to effectively stand out on Northumberland Street. In the daytime it is hard to miss the large shop front as shoppers flow past the front of the store. During the evening, the bright lights of the interior bleed out through the perforated metal veil into the street. Alongside the bright digital screen, the shop front effectively draws in the attention of passers-by making consuming the promotional materials of the store easy, symbolic of the shopping experience in the store, with its vast range of affordable clothing.

Facade

Shop Windows

_11 END. Grainger Street / Nelson Street High end fashion 2014

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Glass Portland Stone Timber window frame

A popular high end fashion store, END. often plays host to overnight campers awaiting the latest trainer release.

The store is tastefully designed sitting on the corner of the Georgian Grainger Market. Portland stone extends down from above framing large windows in slender window frames painted in a blue grey. Seperating the store front from the rest of the building above is a strip of horizontal stone in the same colour as the window frames.

Mannequins Clothing products Shelving Trainers

The displays are kept minimal, with white mannequines matching the light aesthetic of the interior sporting outfits of products on sale. In the window facing out to Nelson Street a number of shelves stretch the entire width of the windows with an array of the latest trainers on display. The store is visible in the background contributing to the highly curated display, but also displaying the experience of purchasing and browsing contributing to the construct of desire.

Signage

Painted branding Brand Image

END has a nationally recognised high fashion brand image. Well known in the fashion industry and made popular through social medias such as Instagram, the minimal approach to signage on the store front reflects how the store is targeted at a niche market. The name is branded centrally and painted in white, reflecting the minimalist interior aesthetic.

Effectiveness

Through having a large social media presence and generating a name for itself in the high end fashion market, END has effectively generated a strong message without the need for strong promotion in its displays. People forming overnight queues emphasises the impact the shop has had over social media and its importance in the high end fashion market. This is reflected in the shops minimalist shop windows and store interiors as desire for its products is largely constructed away from the locality of the store, not only for the products, but also the shopping experience.

Facade

Display

Shop Windows

_12 Michael Kors Blackett Street High end fashion 2014

Element

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Media

Description

Facade

Glass Polished stainless steel Portland stone

Michael Kors presents a simple shop front with a large window made up of two panes of glass, without a mullion between generating one large window display. The window frame is finished in a polished steel symbolising the high end products on sale in the store. The glass door is set back from the shop front presenting the store beyond. The materiality of the shop front shows no relation to the architectural context it sits within.

Display

Bags Hats Shoes Hanging shelving Silver mannequin legs Mannequin heads Translucent screen

The large window display enables the shop to have one curated display. Femenine mannequin body parts are set upon shelves, hung in the window clearly targeting a female audience, and are the same shiny silver as that of the window frame. Products on display have clearly been curated in colour arrangement as well as the general locality of where they would be used in relation to the human body, shoes low with hats high.

Signage

Acrylic signage

The shop name is displayed above the shop frontag mounted straight onto the stone of the building facade. Other representation of the brand comes only from the handles of the door meaning the shop is relatively unassuming from afar.

This could be indicitve of the small target audience for the high priced products who come into the city specifically for this store.

Effectiveness

The shop window of Michael Kors provides an effective example of material continuity in both the architectural detail of the shop window and the displays. Curating the two together displays strong curatorial characteristics, presenting products in an artistic way, elevating the status of them which in turn, can allow the construction of desire and encourage the shopper to stop and take a longer look.

Shop Windows

_13 British Heart Foundation Clayton Street Charity Shop 2015

Element

Facade

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Sitting in the ground floor and constructed as a shop unity during the Eldon Square redevelopment at the end of the Glass 2010’s, the modern shop front uses contextual materials. FacPainted window frame ing Grainger Market the design of the facade looks to create a Portland Stone modern take on the Georgian architecture of the area. Mock Printed Plastic Signage windows are located above the shop front again reflecting the facade’s relationship with Grainger Market.

Similar to that of the Salvation Army store further along Clayton Street, the display of this shop window is modest and typical of that of a charity store. With limited budgets, compared to the branded stores in Eldon Square or Northumberland Street, the shop presents a selection of products on sale with no real obvious theme. Unlike the Salvation Army store, this charity shop displays more than just clothes, including books in the display too.

Display

Books Clothing Shoes Hats Handbags

Signage

The bright red colour scheme matching the branding of the British Heart Foundation makes this store particularly promPrinted Plastic Signage inent on Clayton Street. Contrasting the portland stone, the Printed Vinyl Sticker large red branded signage above the store entrance is striking and is reinforced by repeat signage immediately below.

Effectiveness

The striking colour of the store front and the contrast it has with the rest of the facade allows this store to stand out on Clayton Street. However, the lack of budget for curated displays in the window does not lend well to its success in presenting the items it has on offer.

Shop Windows

_14 Dr. Martens Grainger Street Shoes and Accessories 2017

Element

Media

_Shop _Location _Retail Sector _Opened

Description

Glass Brushed aluminium window frame Lead seamed roof Lead gutter

Predominantly glass the shop front of Dr. Martens allows views into the store for passing shoppers to whitness the shopping experience. The central double door which makes up approximately a third of the frontage, is generating an improved ease of flow into the store, tempting the passing shopper in.

Display

Shoes Window stickers Hung posters

The window display is modest with the emphasis on the iconic Dr. Marten shoe. Elevated off the floor to be closer to the eyelevel of the passing customer accompanying media is placed in the eyeline of styles to pair the shoes with. Being able to see into the store is a key part of the display with the shopping experience clearly a big part of how the store wish to construct desire.

Signage

Large branding sticker

There is solely the large logo above the doorway in this shop window, without a projecting sign to attract shoppers from a distance.

Effectiveness

The large proportion of the shop window which is the doorway to the store makes the flow of movement into the store feel smoother. However, the lack of projecting sign and minimal window display indicates that the shop may rely more on repeat custom from an established collection of shoppers.

Facade

SHOP FRONTS LE A R NING FROM N E WC ASTLE

The shop front guide explored the changes within the architecture of the Newcastle’s shops, identifying how over time, as the

technologies behind glazing have advanced, the window frame has become less of a feature in the shop’s facade. This opens up the shop front enabling uninterrupted views for prospective shoppers to look into the shop in order to help construct feelings of desire. Choices of materiality also stood out, with the use of reflective materials enabling the shopper to place themselves in windows alongside the products.

Other particular features of interest were the use of the Christmas shop front at Fenwicks, generating a unique intimacy with the shop window, drawing children and adults into the shop without using the promotion of products.

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shop hunting

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EM PTY SHOP U NITS OF N E WC ASTLE

Having completed the Shop Front Guide, it became apparent that presenting my installation to the public

to encourage the most engagement would require me to place my work within the city centre. As a result of this, myself and a colleague embarked on a shop hunt, primarily identifying empty shop units in the city centre, before concentrating on 3 of which we had managed to make contact with the people responsible for them. Two of theses were in Grainger Market, but the shop which was of the most interest to us was that of a former Halifax on New Bridge Street West. We were engaged in positive conversations with CBRE, the land manager for this shop unit and therefore, I began to concentrate my design efforts towards this particular shop.

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PHOTOS OF OLD H A LIFA X SHOP FRONT

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I conducted an intimate survey of the former Halifax shop unit, looking at the materiality of the shop front, but also paying particular attention to the glazing. There is no apparent frame to the windows of this shop front, and it would appear as though the glass had a structural quality to it, yet the only visible connection with the rest of the building was the silicone, where the glass met with the rest of the structure.

Using my architectural knowledge I had built during my architectural education and my time in practice, I drew a facade detail of the shop front. I assumed that the glazing would be similar to that I saw on drawings I worked on in practice. This would be where the frame of the glazing is hidden, producing the uninterrrupted view in to the shop, whilst giving a sense of structural integrity, the untrained eye could assume.

FAC A DE DETAIL OLD H A LIFA X FAC A DE | N E W BRIDGE STR EET W EST

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FAC A DE A XONOM ETRIC SECTION

OLD H A LIFA X FAC A DE | N E W BRIDGE STR EET W EST

The rest of the building itself is synonymous of those

built in Newcastle in the 1970’s, when concrete was championed.

A concrete frame provided the structure of the building, while prefabricated concrete panels create an envelope for the upper floors of the building.

Understanding this structure reveals the how the glazing of the shop front in the Halfiax unit does in fact play no structural role in the building itself. The glazing is held in place at the top and bottom in a frame which is hidden behind the tiled finish, while inside there are verticle glass columns providing further structural support to the heavy pieces of glazing.

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FAC A DE DETAIL OLD H A LIFA X FAC A DE | N E W BRIDGE STR EET W EST

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A XO FAC A DE DETAIL OLD H A LIFA X FAC A DE | N E W BRIDGE STR EET W EST

The glazing clearly in the Halifax unit, as

framework to prevent the glazing bending and failing.

with all shop fronts, is an integral element. I looked

The lamination of the glazing involves two of these

in greater detail to further develop the findings of the

pieces of glass being sandwiched togeter, typically with

Shop Front Guide, in how glazing technology had

a reflective film between to reflect some heat from the

changed to remove the need for the large amount of

sun. By laminating the glazing together the strength is

window frame once needed.

further improved, similar to that of a piece of laminated timber.

At the Halifax unit, the glazing is thermally toughened, laminated glass. This system has been

From the investigation into this key element of a shop

developed to give the glass improved structural

front, I looked to use the glazing in a different manner

integrity, meaning there is less need for as much

to its typical use, in order to subvert its typical purpose.

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Reflective film

Vertical glass support

EX PLODED GL AZING EX POSING COM PON ENT PA RTS OLD H A LIFA X FAC A DE | N E W BRIDGE STR EET W EST

Laminated Thermally Toughened Glass

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Around 3 weeks before the final reviews, the person I had

I’ve passed this on to our client so I will revert back with any feedback I receive. Thanks for the detailed answers they will appreciate that.

been liasing with regarding the Halifax shop unit let me know, that unfortunately I would not be able to make use of the space to install my project in. Their reasoning was to do with insurance and health and safety, this was late in the year, and meant I had to re-evaluate my output for this thesis, and where it might be able to go.

This experience highlighted to me the hostility towards public use of the city centre. The bureaucracy neccessary to use such space to display an art installation was stark and generated a long process.

The disappointment of losing this unit had to quickly be put behind me, however, as I swiftly found an alternative.

EM AIL CH AIN BET W EEN M YSELF A N D CBR E 184 2

Unfortunately the bank have come back and decided this isn’t something they can support due to the health and safety / Insurance concerns (1) Public liability – the students will have no public liability insurance as individuals and we expect this to fall to the Bank should something happen (2) H&S, and risk to the premises – the students will have responsibility of the premises whilst occupying, including locking up and closing. The building will only be on minimal H&S testing and the risk that something could happen to them as result of their occupation and to the Bank’s premises will also be uninsured and be a risk to the Bank.

(3) The concept is still a bit unclear and the materials and literature that might be displayed is unknown. Whilst I doubt it could cause offence to anyone, this would need to be reviewed before display.

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INSTA LL ATION SPACE AT THE BACK OF THE U NIV ERSITY WOR KSHOP

I was in need of a space where I could easily set up,

test and install my installation, it also needed to be a full height window which faced onto a public area. Fortunately, at the back of the workshop, in the Long Gallery, there is a full height window which faces onto a public path through the univeristy.

The workshop staff agreed to me using the space to install my shop window installation, and I began to fit out the space by creating a frame from which I could hang and attach elements to. Using this space would prove extremely useful and convenient, as I worked through a process of testing and amending to develop the display.

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With the Halifax shop unit no longer

available, I looked to replicate a segment of the window in the installation space I had at the back of the workshop. In order to subvert the architecture of the shop front at the Halifax unit, I first needed a material which could replicate the glazing. Acrylic was the obvious choice, it has the same visual qualities of glazing being clear and producing a reflection, yet it is considerably brighter and less brittle.

I began to experiment in the installation, using pieces of acrylic to determine a method through which I could change the use of the window and its function as part of the Halifax shop front. Testing this, along with a projector, I reviewed how the material reflected imagery, what would happen if it was bent in a way the toughened glazing is prevented from doing, and what the results were with layered pieces.

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WIN DOW SEGM ENT CONSTRUCTION OF INSTA LL ATION

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WIN DOW SEGM ENT CONSTRUCTION OF INSTA LL ATION

Having experimented in the installation, I

seperators I made. Spraying the timber a silver / grey

constructed a segmont of the glazing, exploding its

allowed me to give the impression of a window frame,

component parts, revealing the two pieces of glazing

revealing the frame that is hidden within the facade of

in the form of two pieces of clear acrylic, as well as

the Halifax unit.

the reflective film in between, for which I used clear acetate.

I then suspended the segment of window within the installation I had constructed, portraying the illusory

These three elements were secured into a piece of

suspension of the shop front glazing produced by the

timber using hot glue and kept apart with some clear

hidden frame.

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GL AZING SEGM ENT IN SITU - R EFLECTING A N D DISTORTING A PROJ ECTED IM AGE

The suspension of the window segment within the installation reinterprets the impression of suspension the glass facades of

modern shop fronts, such as the Halifax unit. Unlike the glazing of the Halifax unit, however, with the segment only rigidly supported on one side, the piece warped under the effects of gravity. This worked in my favour as I looked to use the glazing segment in a different manner, thus subverting its typical use, by using it to reflect an image of myself onto the ceiling of the installation. The warp and the different layers of the glazing segment resulted in the distortion of the image, changing its appearance but also creating a repetition of it, reflective of my time working in a highly commercial architectural practice.

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A RELECTION ON MY PRACTICE

The relections produced by the glazing segment in the installation play a role in this chapter of the Thesis Portfolio. Here I explain the employment of the mirrors within the installation and their role on my reflection of my time working in a commercial architectural practice.

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ELEPH A NT & C ASTLE SHOPPING CENTR E R EFU R BISH M ENT PROPOSA L FROM 2018

As explained earlier in this Thesis Portfolio, my

time in architectural practice as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant developed largely into one of frustration. I felt as though I was replicating the same drawings based off a set of principles repeatedly, as the practice enacted its expertise in producing cost effective solutions for retail projects.

This reflection on my practice was an element I wanted to bring into the installation due to the relationship Eldon Square has with my old practice. Being the lead architects on the major refurbishments which took place between 2007 and 2013, they have firmly impressed their stamp onto the shopping centre.

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The opportunity to display this

R EFLECTIV E M ATERIA LITY OF WIN DOW A RCHITECTU R E & DISPL AY | MICH A EL KORS

reflection on my time in practice also posed a chance to incorporate some of the findings I had drawn through my study of shop fronts in the guide I produced, ‘Learning from Newcastle’. Here I was particularly interested in the use of reflective surfaces to place a shopper in the shop window, a characteristic appropriate for a cognitive reflection on my time in practice.

I also wanted to have encourage an intimacy with the shop window installation similar to that of the Fenwick’s Christmas window, encouraging passing public to engage with the

INTIM ACY WITH WIN DOW DISPL AY GEN ER ATED BY

installation

FEN WICK’S CHRISTM AS WIN DOW

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mise en abyme To design into the installation a reflective surface, I naturally looked into the use of mirrors. I wanted to create a feeling of repetition for the viewer, similar to that I felt in practice. The artistic practice of Mise en Abyme lent well to what I was looking to achieve.

Translating from French as ‘placed into abyss’, the practice copies an image repeatedly into itself and can be achieved by facing mirrors at each other.

Relating this to my time in architectural practice, I placed the architectural detail section I drew for the Halifax shop front on one mirror, facing it towards another so that the drawing would be continuously repeated. This represented the repetition of drawings I experienced while in practice.

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Placing one of the mirrors with its back

towards the window, I made a hole through it offering a view to the public into this view of endless repetition.

Between the two mirrors, a video of myself measuring off the drawing on one of the mirrors and imitating drawing it onto the facing mirror. This video is the same one which is used to reflect up onto the ceiling by the window segment.

Having the video reproduced in this manner and reflected around the installation, reinforces the theme of repetition I look to create with this element of the installation.

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REFLECTIVE SUMMARY

Over the final year of my Master of

way of understanding them. The built result of my

Architecture degree, I have looked to challenge

research across the year was a thoroughly enjoyable

myself into a new way of practicing architecture,

experience and reinforced my enjoyment in the

a way which I had not been exposed to through

process of making I have generated throughout

my architectural education and practice in my

the Masters Programme. Having provided me

career so far. The opportunity to create a piece of

with an opportunity to work in a manner different

work which tested my creative practice more was

to that I have before, I feel I have experienced a

enticing, and has ultimately proved to be a steep

process of unlearning the practices of a commercial

learning curve for myself. Often this year I have

architecture firm. I have developed an opinion that

found it difficult to understand the process I was

architecture should not be confined to a repetition

a part of in researching and designing this thesis,

of a tried and tested method, but used as a tool of

struggling to understand where I was in regard to

experimentation, generating new ideas and rich

the progress of my project. Usually when designing

design through this process.

a building, I would be able to understand where in the academic year I should be relating to the

The year, as well as much of my stage 05, was

development of my project, however, the nature

greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

of this thesis was very different to what I had

This has brought about its own challenges with

experienced previously.

the progression of my work, yet it has enabled me to further understand the value I find in sharing

Heavily embedded in research of the current

the process of design. I have at times felt isolated

condition Eldon Square is in, and drawing upon

with my design, and having had the experience

the readings of the likes of Keller Easterling,

of my Linked Research project, where a group

Rem Koolhaas and Guy Debord, I have a new

of us designed a pavilion, I have generated an

found appreciation for the process of design and

appreciation of how much the process of design

the theoretical background which can aid in its

in architecture should be a collaborative effort.

development. I feel the output of the thesis has

This has encouraged me to question why our

generated an installation that draws on influence

architectural education does not encourage this

of the subversive practices of Salvador Dalí, and

more, but as I move out of the formal education

the Situationists, generating an understanding of

process of architecture, I greatly look forward to

what exists in its current guise in Eldon Square and

taking my learning over the past two years into

the shop fronts of Newcastle, making changes to

my practice, continuing my development as an

the way they work in order to generate a different

architect and contributing to fulfilling projects.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Marriott, O. (1967). The Property Boom. London: Hamish Hamilton.

2

Kennedy, L. (2004). Remaking Birmingham the Visual Culture of Urban Regeneration. London: Routledge.

3

Anon. (1964 ). The Eldon Square Scheme (The Percy Street | Blackett Street Comprehensive Development Area).

Newcastle City Council.

4

Amery, C. (1977). Market Values at Eldon Square. Architectural Review 161, no. 962: 212–26.

5

Ibid.

6

Ibid.

7

Anon. (1964 ). The Eldon Square Scheme (The Percy Street | Blackett Street Comprehensive Development Area).

Newcastle City Council.

8

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social an Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Clarendon Lectures in Management Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

9

Easterling, K. (2014). Extrastatecraft: The Power of Infrastructure Space. London: Verso.

10

Ibid.

11

Ibid.

12

Ibid.

13

Anon. (1964 ). The Eldon Square Scheme (The Percy Street | Blackett Street Comprehensive Development Area).

Newcastle City Council.

14

Ibid.

15

Chung, C, J. Inaba, J. Koolhaas, R. Leong, S, T. (2001). Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping. Project on the City 2. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Design School.

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16

Klingmann, A. (2007). Brandscapes: Architecture in the Experience Economy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

17

Debord, G. (1983) Society of the spectacle. Detroit: Black & Red.

18

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social: an Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Clarendon Lectures in Management Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

19

Chung, C, J. Inaba, J. Koolhaas, R. Leong, S, T. (2001). Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping. Project on the City 2. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Design School.

20

Dalí, S. (1969). “The Conquest of the Irrational,” appendix of Conversations with Dalí. New York: Dutton

21

Koolhaas, R. (1994). Delirious New York : a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan. New ed. New York: Monacelli Press.

22

Ibid

23

Ibid.

other contributing texts Megahed, Y. (2018). Practiceopolis: Journeys in the Architectural Profession. Unpublished PhD. Newcastleupon-Tyne. School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University.

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Benjamin J. Taylor Stage 06 Design Thesis Master of Architecture Newcastle University 2021