Saw Swee Hock; The Realisation of the London School of Economics Student Centre

McCorquodale, Duncan

ISBN 10: 1908967528 / ISBN 13: 9781908967527

Published by Artifice Books on Architecture, 2015

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 120043

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Saw Swee Hock; The Realisation of the London School of Economics Student Centre
• Publisher: Artifice Books on Architecture
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908967528
• ISBN 13: 9781908967527
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

"The building is designed to embody the dynamic character of a

contemporary Student Union. The complex geometries of the site

provided a starting point for an unconventional arrangement of

irregular floor plates, each one particular to its function and each

working into the next by an intricate system of trapezoidal spatial

configuration. Space flows freely in horizontal plan and vertical

section, with stairs gently twisting and slowly turning to create a

variety of diagonal break-out spaces at landings and crossings

throughout the building."

Saw Swee Hock provides an overview of the Saw Swee Hock

Students' Centre, the first new building constructed at the London

School of Economics (LSE) for over 40 years. It includes a reception,

offices, bars, a fitness centre and event and media facilities. The

book looks at the commissioning process on the part of LSE, through

the appointment of O'Donnell + T uomey Architects--who were

selected following a two-stage international design competition in

june 2009 -- to then focus on the way in which the architects have

responded to the complexities of the brief and in collaboration with

the bespoke manufacturers involved; particularly, the quality of the

bricks, each of which is hand-formed, resulting in a facade that is

both striking and very unusual for central London.

The commissioning of this type of building is the manifestation of

a larger and particularly interesting phenomenon that is happening

on a global scale: LSE, like a number of other academic institutions

around the world, has put up an aggressive programme of world

class architecture as a way of competing with other schools to

attract students internationally. The book includes contributions

by julian Robinson of LSE Estates, as well as interviews with the

designers and manufacturers who were involved in the process

of the building's realisation."

About the Author

Duncan McCorquodale was born in Birmingham, England in 1962. He grew
up in England and then Canada, where he pursued his own studies in etching, sculpture and filmmaking. From 1985 to 1989 McCorquodale undertook undergraduate studies in Architecture and Art History at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. From 1989 to 1993 he pursued post-graduate studies in the History and Theory of Architecture at the Architectural Association (AA), London. While at the AA, in 1992, Duncan published his first magazine, ARCH-TEXT. On graduating from the AA in 1993 Duncan began teaching the History and Theory of Architecture to second and third year students at the Bartlett School of Architectcure, London. He also established Black Dog Publishing Limited (BDP) in the same year. He relinquished his teaching post at The Bartlett in 2000 to focus full-time on publishing, developing BDP's now extensive list of titles to include architecture, art, design, music, photography and printmaking.