Exciting, young firm Aberrant Architecture was formed while its founders David Chambers and Kevin Haley were still studying at London's College of Art in 2010. Since then, they've landed impressive gigs left right and centre – from an exhibition at Tate Modern to RIBA's spring 2016 exhibition – collecting a trio of D&AD Pencils along the way. Their newest project, a civic stage on Museum Green in Swansea, Wales, complements their growing portfolio of public design.
Exploring the relationship between art, architecture and the city, the concrete-based stage is part of a series of artworks commissioned for the new Swansea Boulevard & Waterfront Connections Art Programme. Intended for anyone and everyone, the stage will host just about anything the public can dream up; from pop-up shops to impromtu musical performances.
Inspired by Swansea's industrial heritage, the stainless steel structure has been embedded with copper coins, saluting Swansea Bay's history as a key copper trading route, earning it the moniker 'Copperopolis'. Painted a vibrant sky blue, the stage stands out against the surrounding stoic Georgian architecture, and can be reconfigured easily by users to suit their varied needs.
With a manifesto that 'embraces normality', providing simple yet elegant solutions for everyday use, Aberrant Architecture have nailed their low-fi brand with this public work, that will see plenty of use from locals – Welsh weather permitting.
Exploring the relationship between art, architecture and the city, the concrete-based stage is part of a series of artworks commissioned for the new Swansea Boulevard & Waterfront Connections Public Art Programme
Manufactured from start to finish in Wales, the stage is local through and through
Intended for anyone and everyone, the stage will host pop-up shops to impromtu musical performances
Inspired by Swansea's industrial heritage, the stainless steel structure has been embedded with copper coins, saluting Swansea Bay's history as a key copper trading route, earning it the moniker 'Copperopolis'. Pictured: story board
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Aberrant Architecture website
Photography: Simon Kennedy
-
Sculptor Woody De Othello paints a Miami museum red for a show that ‘almost hugs you’The Miami-born, California-based artist opens his first museum exhibition in his hometown as an experiential journey through life and lifeless objects
-
Alpine A390 GT: French, fast and fun. A sporting EV with a real sense of occasionAlpine doubles down on its fast electric credentials with the A390 GT, the French performance brand’s largest car to date
-
Forget smart homes, Doma's 'intelligent' doors open at the sight of a familiar faceYves Béhar and Jason Johnson have founded Doma, a tech start-up dedicated to seamlessly integrating tech into your daily life
-
A beautifully crafted concrete family house in a Mexican suburb is a contemplative oasisHW Studio have shaped a private house from raw concrete, eschewing Brutalist forms in favour of soft light, enclosed spaces and delicate geometries
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
All hail the power of concrete architecture‘Concrete Architecture’ surveys more than a century’s worth of the world’s most influential buildings using the material, from brutalist memorials to sculptural apartment blocks
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian DolomitesGiovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
-
The finest brutalist architecture in the worldFor some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
-
The Wonder Cabinet fosters creativity in BethlehemThe Wonder Cabinet in Bethlehem, Palestine is a not-for-profit production and cultural hub for creativity in the region
-
Pa.te.os hotel in Portugal is a concrete love affair with AlentejoPa.te.os hotel by Aires Mateus is set in the Alentejo landscape in Portugal and celebrates the blend of concrete and nature
