At the RIAI Annual Conference on the 4th of October Niall McLaughlin will give a talk titled ‘ Town and Country’ and will be looking at four recent projects: Two urban housing projects in London and a chapel and hut in idyllic rural locations. The chosen theme for the conference is Strength, Utility and Grace, reminding delegates of the three qualities that Vitruvius demanded of his work, and qualities that posses an enduring relevance for today.
In the run up to the London Olympics, the Athletes’ Village housing block N15, is now occupied with athletes’ preparing for the games. Niall McLaughlin Architects have designed the external skin of the housing block on a ‘chassis’ designed by Glen Howells. The facade samples fragments of the Elgin Marbles, scanned from the British Museum and converted into 3D pre-cast panels depicting galloping horses from the Parthenon Frieze.
Niall McLaughlin commented on the practice’s approach to the unusual commission in Building Design. ‘I was very interested in the principle of the facade being delaminated from the building’s core form. Usually it’s something one tries to swim against to retain a sense of ‘authenticity’, but here we decided to embrace it….I like the idea of setting Ruskin’s conception of the craftsman against the absolute Taylorism of the construction process. Through digital reproduction, these deracinated stones are now doubly lost.’ (Building Design 27.01.2012)