Design for Brighton College – New Performing Arts Centre

Learning Performing Arts at Brighton College

In January 2024 I was approached by Brighton College to create a design to celebrate the launch of the new Performing Arts Centre designed by Krft Architects.

Design Proposal

My design proposal explores the expression architecture, the practice by students and the multiple associated props required to carry out these activities.

The brief was to firstly design a tea mug in vibrant colours depicting the new building. The design process then would follow with the creation of similar designs for other buildings in the campus.

This considered, my tea mug layout elements follow a linear distribution that is read best when held with your hands and rotated. Elements, real and symbolic, are arranged in a landscape with a correct perspective. These elements are set on a white background, this allows for the edges near the handle of the mug to be unnoticed. Some motifs appear cropped along the top and bottom edges of the mug with the intention to express continuity instead of confinement. The colourways options have 4 and 3 colours as this design is aimed to be printed as superimposed colour screens similar to lithography.

My design aims to express the connection of two performing art students: a male actor and a female dancer with the learning process and the space where this happens. The learning happens through practice and the acquisition of intellectual knowledge in a space with a particular and specific equipment.

Motifs

Therefore in my design incorporates the following:

Brighton College Performing Arts Centre: to enhance the expression of architecture which is the main subject of this commission I show in my design an external perspective view plus the drawings of the section and plan of the building. Please note that the perspective drawing achieves to express the brickwork which is an important feature of this building.

Dancer: representing a Brighton College student of dance in classical costume. The expression of movement is expressed by the dynamic properties of the garment.

Feather quill pen, ink pot and paper: this is a reference to the classic theatre plays, from authors such as Shakespeare. This element in presence with the rest of the design creates a link between the classical antiquity or Greece and Rome, Tudor era and our times.

Theatre Masks in profile on columns: these elements represent the audiences as they are looking at the building and aligned diagonally with the drawing of the section, they reference the work by Francesco de Ficoron.

Lyre: As an attribute of Apollo, the god of prophecy and music, the lyre to the ancient Greeks symbolised wisdom and moderation.

Mask of pedestals: these elements represent the audiences, they are based on the masks found at Hadrian Villa that are currently in the Vatican Museum.

Brighton College Coat of Arms: which appears in my design engraved on a classic stone pillar.

Actor with a mask: representing a Brighton College acting student in classical costume. This image references a fresco depicting an actor and a tragic mask from Pompeii.

Performing arts props: These were added to a revised second proposal with the idea to incorporate contemporary contemporary theatre equipment: three spotlights, a music stand, a dj table and headphones, ballet shoes and a stage metal truss.