Grafton street
Cultural branding
Grafton St, London
2008-2010
CLIENT:Hines
PARTNERS:
Royal Academy Schools
Futurecity have brokered a groundbreaking sponsorship between Hines UK and the Royal Academy Schools on 'One Grafton St'. This unique project includes London's largest urban gallery displaying works by the Royal Academy schools students, an annual photography scholarship for three students to document the building renovation and an important public art commission for a Royal Academian with the Royal Academy Schools.
Futurecity have created the 'Urban Gallery' competition for students and graduates of the Royal Academy Schools to submit an image for the largest canvas in London, the membrane wrapping the construction of Grafton St in London, Mayfair. Thousands of votes were cast at www.onespiritshowcase.com to join those of the selection panel including Kay Saatchi, painter John Hoyland and Reviews Editor, JJ Charlesworth. Congratulations to Royal Academy Schools artist Alex Knell, for his winning Urban Gallery entry 'We Are Our Only Future' 2008 which has been selected to take prime position in London's largest Urban Gallery, measuring over 800 square meters which includes all entrants works submitted by current and former Royal Academy Schools students. Knell's work examines notions of hope and meaning which he finds lacking in modern society. 'We Are Our Only Future' creates a canvas for mysteries and the unexplained.
One Grafton St is an office, retail and residential development, which as an important 19th century structure, is in need of sensitive restoration and economic revitalisation. It occupies a key corner site in Mayfair, one of the capital's most culturally loaded areas. For Hines, keen to explore the artistic potential in any of their projects, the building offered the perfect opportunity to work with one of the world's leading arts institutions, the Royal Academy Schools, in a collaboration that would allow artists to investigate the impact of such substantial transfiguration in such a high-profile location.
In addition to this Hines have supported a Royal Academy Schools photography scholarship to document the development as it changes, as well as a Section
106 project where an artist associated with the Royal Academy Schools will create a piece of public artwork in direct response to the facade of the building.
Please go to www.onespiritshowcase.com for more details.
The images from the unveiling are taken by photographer Bob Chen.
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