Artist Nick Veasey unveils farm-inspired concrete X-ray studio and gallery in Kent
A dilapidated corrugated iron pig shed in a Kent field has been replaced with a gallery and studio for acclaimed artist Nick Veasey. He commissioned Guy Hollaway Architects to design the 265 sq m Process Gallery to hold his own work, which is created with X-ray imaging technology, and exhibitions by other artists.
‘As the X-rays emit radiation, you don’t really want me as your next door neighbour,' says Veasey of the setting outside the village of Lenham, adding that it was also ‘within our meagre budget'.
Veasey wanted to pick up on the site’s previous structure, and was inspired by the work of Australian Pritzker Prize-winner Glen Murcutt, ‘who has designed some sexy buildings with corrugated iron'.
Hollaway switched to poured concrete, creating an angular form that borrows from the oast house typology. This isn’t the first reimaging of Kent’s traditional farm building. In 2017, a modern take on the oast house, by James Macdonald Wright and Carmarthenshire-based Niall Maxwell, was named RIBA’s house of the year.
Just six miles down the road, Process Gallery’s pyramid chamber houses Veasey’s X-ray equipment, and is intended to ‘emulate the splay of the X-ray machine', says Hollaway. The concrete absorbs the radiation.
‘Having shown my work at galleries all over the world from the good, bad and indifferent, I have learnt what makes an engaging exhibition', claims Veasey, whose images were featured in the V&A’s show earlier this year, ‘Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion'. His works will make up the inaugural show.
As the landscape matures, the intention is to create a sculpture park, where artists can display their works. Just four miles away is the major cultural attraction of Leeds Castle, which was originally built in 1119 by a Norman baron. ‘Time will tell if there is a demand for a quality contemporary art gallery in this location', muses Veasey.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Guy Hollaway Architects
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Reciprocal House offers an unusual case of a London extension
Reciprocal House by Gianni Botsford replaces a north London Victorian structure, preserving its early Norman Foster extension and bringing the whole to the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Utilitarian men’s fashion that will elevate your everyday
From Prada to Margaret Howell, utilitarian and workwear-inspired men’s fashion gets an upgrade for S/S 2024
By Jack Moss Published
-
Gerhard Richter unveils new sculpture at Serpentine South
Gerhard Richter revisits themes of pattern and repetition in ‘Strip-Tower’ at London’s Serpentine South
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Meet the Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists
The Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Dorothy Hepworth and Patricia Preece: Bloomsbury’s untold story
‘Dorothy Hepworth and Patricia Preece: An Untold Story’ is a new exhibition at Charleston in Lewes, UK, that charts the duo's creative legacy
By Katie Tobin Published
-
Sinta Tantra’s sculptures find a historic home at Pitzhanger Manor, UK
Sinta Tantra’s ‘The Light Club of Batavia’ exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor unites her large and small-scale works and explores the duality of beauty and colonialism
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Jonathan Baldock’s playful works bring joy to Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Jonathan Baldock mischievously considers history and myths in ‘Touch Wood’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
By Anne Soward Published
-
Kerry James Marshall donates first portrait, of Skip Gates, to Fitzwilliam Museum, UK
Kerry James Marshall's portrait of the literary critic, writer and filmmaker is his first of a real, rather than an imagined, sitter
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Turner Prize 2023 exhibition unwrapped: inside Towner Eastbourne
The Turner Prize 2023 exhibition has opened inside the colourful Towner Eastbourne; delve into the work of the four nominees
By Malaika Byng Published
-
Madelon Vriesendorp’s ‘sculptural interventions and playful ideas’ at The Cosmic House
A Madelon Vriesendorp exhibition opens at The Cosmic House in London, surprising and delighting visitors with its ‘sculptural interventions and playful ideas‘
By Will Jennings Published
-
The best London art exhibitions to see now
Your guide to the best London art exhibitions, as chosen by the Wallpaper* arts desk
By Hannah Silver Published