#Davis Boulton

[byneddiedingo]

Rosalie Crutchley in The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)

Cast: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Lois Maxwell. Screenplay: Nelson Gidding. based on a novel by Shirley Jackson. Cinematography: Davis Boulton. Production design: Elliot Scott. Film editing: Ernest Walter. Music: Humphrey Searle.

Some people think Robert Wise's The Haunting is one of the most frightening movies of all time; they include Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, who have ably demonstrated their own superior ability to scare us. I don't get it. For me the scariest thing in The Haunting is Rosalie Crutchley's smile. Crutchley was an English actress who exploited her deadpan mien, playing sinister and forbidding characters in scores of films and TV series. (I remember her fondly as the melancholy Judith Starkadder in the 1968 BBC production of Cold Comfort Farm that ran on Masterpiece Theatre in the States.) In The Haunting she plays the dour housekeeper of Hill House who warns the group of unwanted guests that she doesn't stay in the house at night, and that she won't be able to hear them if they cry out for her. Then she bids them good night with a monitory rictus of a smile. Otherwise, I find The Haunting a study in missed opportunities. Things that go bump in the night are scary (except around my house, where it's likely to be a cat), but things that go wham, wham, wham! in the night, as they do in The Haunting, are as annoying as they are frightening. The music cues by Humphrey Searle constantly telegraph an upcoming scare, and the Hill House interior crafted by production designer Elliot Scott and set decorator John Jarvis is so fussily overdone that that it's distracting: I kept wondering what that tchotchke or that dado was instead of feeling threatened or oppressed by it. Nelson Gidding's screenplay gives us no character with whom we feel a strong emotional connection, essential if we are to fear for their lives. Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) is supposed to be the film's central consciousness -- she is the one who arrives at the house first and is presented as the most physically and emotionally vulnerable -- but her hysterical voiceovers become tiresome. I haven't read the Shirley Jackson novel on which the film is based, and it's possible that she brings her characters more to life than Giddings and Wise do, but the whole premise of putting these people in a haunted house to do parapsychological research is bogus, no matter how often it's copied.

[postersdecinema]

A Casa Maldita

EUA, UK, 1963

Robert Wise

8/10

.

Claustrofóbico

Este filme é um clássico do género. Não foi propriamente o primeiro a adaptar o mito da casa assombrada ao cinema, mas foi seguramente um dos que o fez com maior sucesso e que mais influenciou as posteriores adaptações cinematográficas sobre o tema. Além dos remakes assumidos do filme, muitos outros imitaram ou parodiaram esta obra de Robert Wise, até aos dias de hoje.

Além da excelente escolha dos cenários (o filme foi integralmente filmado em Inglaterra, parte em estúdio e parte no Warwickshire, sobretudo em Ettington Park) aos quais a cinematografia de Davis Boulton tirou o devido partido, a obra distingue-se sobretudo pelo sentimento claustrofóbico que incute nos personagens e no próprio espectador. É um terror eminentemente psicológico, que leva à loucura e à alucinação coletiva, com especial destaque para o personagem de Eleanor, interpretado por Julie Harris, num dos seus mais memoráveis desempenhos.

Obrigatório para os apreciadores do gênero.

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Claustrophobic

This film is a classic of the genre. It was not the first to adapt the myth of the haunted house to the cinema, but it was certainly one of those who did it with greater success and who mostly influenced the subsequent cinematographic adaptations on the theme. In addition to the assumed remakes of this film, many others imitated or parodied this work by Robert Wise, to this day.

In addition to the excellent choice of settings (the film was entirely filmed in England, partly in a studio and partly in Warwickshire, especially in Ettington Park) which Davis Boulton's cinematography took advantage of, the work is distinguished above all by the claustrophobic feeling that instills in the characters and in the spectator himself. It is an eminently psychological horror, which leads to madness and collective hallucination, with special emphasis on the character of Eleanor, played by Julie Harris, in one of her most memorable performances.

A must for fans of the genre.

[sesiondemadrugada]

The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963).

[tvln]

children/village of the damned (uk, leader/rilla 64/60)

[dweemeister]

The Haunting (1963)

Why do people like being scared? I am not one to answer this question, but even a non-thrill seeker like myself can appreciate a decent fright. For centuries, humans have been imparting to others stories of haunted places, ghastly monsters, the occult. That storytelling tradition has long endured and, of course, it would someday touch cinema. As film matures as a medium, there are certain films that produce experiences that are uniquely cinematic, unconstrained by older mediums. One of those movies is The Haunting – released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and directed by Robert Wise in between his work on West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965). Though the film may no longer be scary to those expecting machete-wielding murderers and torture-happy mannequins, The Haunting boasts a suffocating eeriness in what initially appears to be just another haunted house film. Its disturbing visuals break it from its source material’s (Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House) prose, embedding itself into the imaginations of its viewers. No less significantly, The Haunting is a striking validation of the beauty and necessity of black-and-white film – it is impossible to imagine it as a color film.

In the prologue, Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) introduces our primary setting before telling of its violent history:

…Hill House had stood for ninety years and might stand for ninety more. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there… walked alone.

Dr. Markway is an anthropologist with research interests in the paranormal. To determine whether or not Hill House is haunted, he invites six individuals with extrasensory perception (ESP) or past history with paranormal events. Only two of those invitees arrive at this Massachusetts mansion: Eleanor (Julie Harris; whose character is often called “Nell”) and Theodora (Claire Bloom; whose character, heavily coded as queer, is often called “Theo”). Heir-to-the-house apparent Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn) is also here. Following the opening narration, The Haunting shifts its perspective from Dr. Markway to Nell. What the four main characters find at Hill House is an estate with off-center perspectives; numerous rooms and ceilings without right angles; stylistically-clashing art and furnishings; and isolation from humanity (the house is far from the next town and is staffed by two individuals, who leave before sunset).

This is barely a spoiler, but let it be clear that Hill House is indeed haunted. What happens is no ruse, and there is no living being orchestrating the abnormalities that occur. Much is left to the viewer’s imagination – neither discovered by the characters nor explained by the filmmaking. Whatever lurks down the hall or the floor above is beyond any explanation The Haunting provides. Davis Boulton’s cinematography provides few comforts. Boulton, whose career was defined by still photography and not cinematic work, liberally employs low-angled shots and film noir-influenced chiaroscuro to highlight the house’s unusual structure and to intensify the contrasts between lit and unlit areas. Color film would make Hill House seem too inviting, too sunny, too earthly. Viewers may notice some spatial distortions along the left and right-hand side of the frame during scenes within Hill House. The effect is caused by the fact that Wise and Boulton used a technically unready 30mm wide-angle Panavision lens to shoot this film. But Wise and Boulton lean into their imperfect lens by keeping the camera moving as characters move, in addition to the unsettling Dutch angles and unusual tracking shots in the film’s second half. The widescreen Panavision format appears to be ill-suited for haunted house films, when a filmmaker may want the audience to feel as trapped as the characters. But in this exceptional case, it (perhaps unintentionally) benefits Hill House’s quietly spooky atmosphere.

Production designer Elliot Scott (1958’s Tom Thumb, 1989’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit) and set decorator John Jarvis (1953’s Knights of the Round Table, 1972’s Sleuth) have crafted a frightening set to accompany with Boulton’s cinematography. Hill House’s exterior were shot on the grounds of Ettington Park in Warwickshire, England; the interiors housing Scott and Jarvis’ work were shot at MGM-British Studios near London. The dark wood-paneled walls; the heaving large doors; dearth of right-angled corners; the creepily-placed and sad-eyed statues, limited light sources (a motley assortment of candles, gas lights, and electricity); and excessive dark-wooded furniture contribute to the house’s oppressive dread. In daylight, these rooms appear curious, eccentric. By night, the environment of the house is – at best – unnerving. The two most terrifying interior scenes during The Haunting involve interactions with the set itself. The first instance occurs in stillness, with a view of a bas relief bedroom wall. The second features a door moving in ways impossible. 

The Haunting merges the paranormal and the psychological to the point where the two become indistinguishable. That may alienate some viewers, but it will certainly keep one on tenterhooks. This merger of the paranormal and psychological is mostly thanks to Julie Harris as Nell. We are not given Nell’s entire biography. Yet, the viewer can surmise that she has lived a sheltered life. Nell claims that her trip to Hill House is an opportunity for adventure, a departure from a homebound existence where she mostly spent caring for her late, bedridden mother. Harris also expresses her character’s noticeable sexual repression and need for nurture – no other actor in this film is doing as much (or as brilliantly) as she is. Nell’s tendencies and desires are sometimes articulated aggressively, without tact and consideration for the feelings of others. She can be downright loathsome as her grip on reality crumbles, with no apologies to give after a horrible remark. As Nell, Harris pushes hard against the audience’s desire to find a relatable, sympathetic central character – and thus makes the viewer question about which scenes presented from her viewpoint might be believed (days after watching this film, I am still having difficulty grappling with Nell’s unreliable perceptions).

In 114 minutes, Nell’s relationships with Theo and Dr. Markway (not so much the smarmy Luke) become more turbulent. We sense that Nell has had little interaction with people outside her household. For what might be the first time in her life, she finds comfort in both Theo and Dr. Markway. But her frustration with her family life is never far behind. Her idealization of human connection beyond the family sees her lash out at the slightest violation of said idealization. There is some mutual attraction between Nell and Theo, but the former cannot bring about herself to say anything (Nell also ineptly flirts with Dr. Markway, who thinks nothing of these advances). On occasion via voiceover, Nell reveals her inner thoughts. This is a clumsy device when first utilized, but as the film progresses, it accentuates Nell’s madness. Her thoughts become incomprehensible, contradictory, hypocritical, and divorced from observable reality.

The use of sound in The Haunting is deeply strategic. I can not write much on this without revealing much of what makes this film scary. But on multiple occasions throughout, there are wonderfully-timed sound effects – some as soft as a whisper; others as loud as thunder – that will jolt the audience from its sense of complacency and safety. Wise’s sense of timing in this regard originates from his work as director on The Curse of the Cat People (1944), the sequel to Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People (1942). Both those films shared a producer in RKO’s Val Lewton, a low-budget horror specialist. Both those films innovated the “Lewton bus” – the gradual buildup of tension, culminating in abrupt aural and/or visual terror. The Lewton bus is the progenitor of the modern jumpscare, which became de rigueur sometime in the late 1970s or early ‘80s. Compared to modern horror films, let’s just say that this Lewton bus does not mind taking its time to pull up to the station – the influence of Cat People and The Curse of the Cat People on this film is unmistakable. Through its use of its own versions of Lewton buses, The Haunting twists the terror into its viewers’ stomachs slowly, agonizingly.

English composer Humphrey Searle’s soundtrack has never been released commercially. Searle, an expert of serial music (a form of contemporary music; in brief, it is a reaction against atonalism through a form of fixed-order chromaticism), composes an uncharacteristic tonal score here. Yet, it is just barely tonal. The score mostly disappears after the opening few minutes, but it is colored by high string tremolos and runs, foreboding brass triplets, and tinny bells that are a valuable contribution the sound mix. It flirts with atonalism, but there is always some melodic sense to this score. Searle’s score is unorthodox without being experimental for its time. There appears to be no sign of motifs in Searle’s score, but the horror genre tends to resist such musical construction anyways.

Upon release, audiences and critics did not know what to make of The Haunting. Most detractors were hostile to its plot (or lack thereof). In the years since, the film has been reevaluated on how Hill House itself is a character – shrouded in the darkness, its worst secrets unknowable. Robert Wise, the cast, and the numerous technicians working on this film all contribute to one of the greatest, most spine-tingling haunted house films ever made. The paucity of its special effects and dependence on a superb acting ensemble – Julie Harris especially – have shielded The Haunting from aging.

The house or whatever is haunting it is the star of this film. It is actively searching to kill. It does so biding its time, wearing down the psychological defenses of those who, seeking excitement or a deathly fright, dare spend a night within its walls. One will see how quickly such barriers, created over a lifetime of traumas and broken dreams, can be breached. In the moody shadows that could never be created on color film, therein lies the suggestion – functionally similar to, but artistically dissimilar from Jackson’s original novel – of something sinister, calculating, and cold.

My rating: 9.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[ladybegood]

Ava Gardner and David Niven photographed by Davis Boulton for The Little Hut (1957)

[cobblestonestreet]

Elizabeth Taylor, 1950, photo by Davis Boulton

[lesliasonsdemarieantoinette]

Dan Boulton, ph.

Thomas Davis, stylist

Celine

Hedi Slimane.

"The Vault"

Behind The Blinds #6 - The Fatal Issue.

[slimaneswhore]

Aaron Lewins, Marco Varcoe, Kieran Dowling, and Tilda Jösson photographed by Dan Boulton and styled by Thomas Davis for "The Vault" story featured in Behind The Blinds #6

[gabriella-sempre]

Ava Gardner and David Niven photographed by Davis Boulton for The Little Hut (1957)

[mybenia1]

Ava Gardner and David Niven photographed by Davis Boulton for The Little Hut (1957)

[dudewhoabides]

Davy Knowles - Ain't Too Late - 10/4/19 Boulton Center - Bay Shore, NY

[maceikblog]

Co się dzisiaj działo? #63 4.3.2022

NHL: Lightning-Penguins 1:5

Turniej ITF w Nur-Sułtanie:

Michał Dembek/Szymon Kielan-białorusin/Vladyslav Manafov 4:6 3:6

Turniej ITF w Bendigo: Weronika Falkowska/Alexandra Bozovic-Chihiro Muramatsu/Kyoka Okamura 4:6 6:3 7-10

Magical Kenya Open, 2 runda: 27. Adrian Meronk

Turniej WTT Contender w Maskacie:

Jakub Dyjas/Cedric Nuytinck oddali mecz z Wang Wei Pengiem/Chih Yuan Chuangiem

Krykiet, mecze testowe, dzień 1

Indie(357/6, Rishabh Pant 96, )-Sri Lanka(,, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/107)

Pakistan(245/1, Imam Ul-Haq 132*, )- Australia(,,Nathan Lyon 1/31)

ICC Puchar Świata Kobiet

Indie Zachodnie (259/9, Hayley Matthews 119, Deandra Dottin 2/2) pokonały Nową Zelandię (256, Sophie Devine 108, Lea Tahuhu 3/57) 3 runami

Turniej ITF w Torello: Yann Wójcik-Noah Lopez 1:6 6:7(3)

Puchar Świata w skokach, konkurs mikstów w Lillehammer:

7. Polska (Nicole Konderla, Piotr Żyła, Kinga Rajda, Kamil Stoch)

Mistrzostwa Świata w hokeju, dywizja IV: Singapur-Iran 2:5

IIHF Puchar Kontynentalny, turniej finałowy: Cracovia-Sarjarka Karaganda 2:1

Puchar Świata w Biathlonie, sztafeta mężczyzn w Kontiolahti:

20. Polska (Jan Guńka, Przemysław Pancerz)

Davis Cup, kwalifikacje grupy światowej I:

Polska-Portugalia 0:2

Kacper Żuk-Joao Sousa 3:6 6:2 4:6

Kamil Majchrzak-Nuno Borges 6:3 3:6 3:6

Ekstraklasa:

Stal-Jagiellonia 1:1

Pogoń-Radomiak 4:0

PDC UK Open

1 runda

Bradley Brooks-Rowby John Rodriguez 1:6 Jelle Klaasen-Mark Rice 6:5

Kai Fan Leung-Fabian Schmutzler 5:6 Matt Campbell-Sebastian Bialecki 1:6 Mario Vandenbogaerde-Jules van Dongen 5:6 Danny Lauby-Niko Springer 6:5

Ted Evetts-Nick Fullwell 6:4 Ryan Harrington-Rusty Jake Rodriguez 6:2 Richie Burnett-Tony Martinez 6:3 Darren Webster-Jose Justicia 4:6 Martin Thomas-Kenny Neyens 4:6

George Killington-Reece Robinson 6:4 Dan Read-Diogo Portela 6:3 Josh Rock-Damian Mol 5:6 James Wilson-Shaun Wilkinson 6:4

Matt Good-Keelan Kay 5:6 Jim Williams-Ryan Murray 6:3 John O'Shea-Nathan Rafferty 6:0 Jurjen van der Velde-Mickey Mansell 6:4

Ricardo Pietreczko-Scott Taylor 6:2 Vladimir Andersen-Steve Clayson 2:6 Paul Hogan-Dom Taylor 6:4 Prakash Jiwa-Toni Alcinas 6:2

Darren Beveridge-Jimmy Hendriks 3:6 Wesley Plaisier-Radek Szaganski 5:6 Ross Montgomery-Reece Colley 6:3 Danny Jansen-Liam Meek 6:2

Adam Warner-Lukas Wenig 3:6 Shaun McDonald-Jamie Clark 0:6 Kevin Burness-Graham Hall 3:6 Luc Peters-Paul Marsh 6:0

2 runda

David Evans-Keane Barry 2:6 Lewy Williams-Martin Schindler 1:6 Connor Scutt-Jules Van Dongen 6:3 James Wilson-John Henderson 2:6

Jon Worsley-Niels Zonneveld 5:6 John Michael-Danny Baggish 5:6 Ted Evetts-Jack Main 6:3 Rowby John Rodriguez-Gordon Mathers 6:4

Berry van Peer-Kevin Doets 6:3 Graham Hall-Andrew Gilding 6:5 Peter Hudson-John O'Shea 3:6 Jim Williams-Jurjen Van der Velde 6:3

Keelan Kay-Lukas Wenig 1:6 Jelle Klaasen-Cameron Menzies 6:1 Richie Burnett-Ryan Harrington 3:6

Geert Nentjes-Jake Jones 6:3 Radek Szaganski-Scott Waites 4:6 Jose Justicia-Eddie Lovely 6:2 Paul Hogan-Danny Lauby 3:6

Krzysztof Kciuk-Brett Claydon 6:1 Jamie Clark-Martin Lukeman 3:6 Scott Mitchell-Danny Jansen 4:6 Luc Peters-Geert De Vos 6:2

Ricardo Pietreczko-Zoran Lerchbacher 2:6 Sebastian Bialecki-Joe Murnan 6:5 John Brown-Damian Mol 3:6 Steve Clayson-Fabian Schmutzler 2:6

Adam Gawlas-George Killington 6:3 Ross Montgomery-Dan Read 6:2 Prakash Jiwa-Jason Heaver 3:6 Kenny Neyens-Jimmy Hendriks 6:4

3 runda

Florian Hempel-Lukas Wenig 6:3 Raymond van Barneveld-William Borland 5:6 Adrian Lewis-Fabian Schmutzler 6:0

Madars Razma-Jamie Hughes 1:6 Krzysztof Kciuk-Ross Smith 6:4 Martin Schindler-Jeff Smith 6:2 Kim Huybrechts-Luc Peters 6:2

Max Hopp-Ritchie Edhouse 2:6 Martin Lukeman-Adam Hunt 6:3 Jason Lowe-Jelle Klaasen 4:6 Andy Boulton-Danny Lauby 6:5

Jeffrey de Zwaan-Keane Barry 2:6 Steve Beaton-Graham Hall 3:6 John O'Shea-Maik Kuivenhoven 1:6 Jose Justicia-Adam Gawlas 5:6 Jermaine Wattimena-Ross Montgomery 6:5

Keegan Brown-Sebastian Białecki 2:6 Steve West-Damian Mol 6:3 Steve Lennon-Ryan Harrington 6:5 Berry Van Peer-Niels Zonneveld 2:6

Ron Meulenkamp-Danny Baggish 6:2 Danny Jansen-Ricky Evans 6:2 Darius Labanauskas-John Henderson 6:4 Jim Williams-Alan Soutar 6:5

Ryan Joyce-Mike De Decker 6:0 Luke Woodhouse-Ted Evetts 6:2 Martijn Kleermaker-Jason Heaver 5:6 Geert Nentjes-Kenny Neyens 6:5

Boris Krcmar-Zoran Lerchbacher 6:2 Conor Scutt-William O'Connor 5:6 Rowby John Rodriguez-Ryan Meikle 0:6 Brian Raman-Scott Waites 2:6

4 runda

Chris Dobey-Michael Smith 7:10

Krzysztof Ratajski-Gerwyn Price 5:10

Michael van Gerwen-Gary Anderson 10:7

Joe Cullen-Peter Wright

Jermaine Wattimena-Vincent van der Voort 5:10

Daryl Gurney-Dimitri Van den Bergh 2:10

Steve Lennon-James Wade 6:10

Callan Rydz-Nathan Aspinall 10:9

Andy Boulton-Damon Heta 5:10

Maik Kuivenhoven-Simon Whitlock 9:10

Luke Woodhouse-Boris Krcmar 5:10

Ron Meulenkamp-Krzysztof Kciuk 10:9

Ritchie Edhouse-Sebastian Białecki 6:10

Jason Heaver-William O'Connor 7:10

Jelle Klaasen-Devon Petersen 6:10

Steve West-Jose de Sousa 7:10

Ryan Joyce-Martin Schindler 8:10

Glen Durrant-Scott Waites 5:10

Dave Chisnall-Brendan Dolan 10:3

Danny Noppert-Ryan Meikle 10:3

Mervyn King-Stephen Bunting 4:10

Geert Nentjes-Florian Hempel 10:5

Jamie Hughes-Adam Gawlas 10:5

Ian White-Luke Humphries 10:9

Ryan Searle-Adrian Lewis 10:7

Darius Labanauskas-Ricky Evans 9:10

Dirk van Duijvenbode-William Borland 10:6

Rob Cross-Gabriel Clemens 7:10

Jim Williams-Niels Zonneveld 5:10

Kim Huybrechts-Mensur Suljovic 9:10

Keane Barry-Graham Hall 10:7

Martin Lukeman-Jonny Clayton 9:10

Igrzyska Paraolimpijskie w Pekinie, dzień 0

CEREMONIA OTWARCIA

[architectnews]

Aberdeen Art Gallery Building Redevelopment

Aberdeen Art Gallery Redevelopment, Building Project Photos, Design News, Property Images

Aberdeen Art Gallery Building

Major Renewal Project in North East Scotland design by Hoskins Architects

2 September 2021

RIAS Awards Winners in 2021

RIAS Awards Winners in 2021

photos © Dapple Photography

6 Mar 2021

Hoskins Architects Win at Civic Trust Awards

With two projects among just 40 winners from around the globe, Hoskins Architects are thrilled to have won the National Panel Special Award, for our transformational project at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Our project at Strawberry Field, a visitor and training centre for young people with learning disabilities, for the Salvation Army, was also a winner in the Selwyn Goldsmith award.

Hoskins Architects Civic Trust Awards

photos © Dapple Photography

31 Aug 2016

Aberdeen Art Gallery Building News

Construction Work Starts on Aberdeen Art Gallery Building

Design: Hoskins Architects, Glasgow

photo © Dapple Photography

Work has started on the interior fit-out of Aberdeen Art Gallery by Glasgow’s Hoskins Architects. The £30m redevelopment converts the A-listed building into an arts venue.

The project includes 21 new exhibition and display galleries as well as improved visitor facilities alongside transformation of Cowdray Hall into a performance space and refurbishment of the Memorial Hall as a place of quiet contemplation.

To accommodate these functions a new wing will be built to the rear whilst a pitched roof and parapets on the main building will make way for a new sculptural copper-clad penthouse level hosting temporary galleries and a learning zone.

This extension will make the most of its elevated position to include rooftop terraces offering expansive views across the city centre.

Aberdeen City Council’s deputy leader Cllr Marie Boulton said it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve something really special for Aberdeen by forming a world-class cultural centre.

Completion of the works is due for 2017.

17 Nov 2009

Aberdeen Art Gallery Building – Redevelopment News

Aberdeen Art Gallery Building Redevelopment

image from architect

The £20m Aberdeen Art Gallery project, part funded by the McBey Trust, includes the reconfiguration of the existing Gallery and Cowdray Hall to provide improved access, circulation and facilities.

image from architect

The architecture practice’s initial proposals also include the addition of new extensions to the rear of the complex of buildings to provide improved back of house facilities and at roof level to provide new conditioned gallery spaces. In addition to providing new gallery spaces, the aim of the contemporary rooftop element, coupled with the reconfiguration of the street to form a new public arrival space is to increase the presence and perception of Aberdeen Art Gallery and the accessibility of its collections to a wider audience.

image from architect

These competition proposals will be now be explored and tested further through an initial design study with Aberdeen Art Gallery staff and the public to then develop a detailed scheme through to completion. GHA head up a team consisting of Buro Happold, Davis Langdon, Spiers & Major, Andrew Wright (conservation architect/advisor) and Ailsa PM.

Aberdeen Art Gallery renewal design : Gareth Hoskins Architects – 5 Nov 2009

Aberdeen Art Gallery Redevelopment Study

Award winning architects have designs on art gallery Award-winning architects Gareth Hoskins Architects of Glasgow have been chosen to create a design study to ensure Aberdeen Art Gallery is fit for purpose for the 21st century. Today’s announcement marks the first stage in an exciting project to modernise and enhance Aberdeen Art Gallery as it celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2010. The firm’s clients include the Victoria & Albert Museum, The National Trust for Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland.

photograph : Mike Davidson, Positive Image

Given the Art Gallery’s pivotal position close to His Majesty’s Theatre, the Belmont Picturehouse, citymoves, the Central Library and Union Terrace Gardens, the ongoing development of a cultural quarter will be enhanced by the development. This design study phase will be financed by the Marguerite McBey Trust, which was established in May 2001 to disburse the bequest of Mrs McBey to fund projects which promote contemporary art and the work and life of her husband, the celebrated artist, James McBey. The Trust also supports the wider work of the Art Gallery & Museums Service.

photo : Mike Davidson, Positive Image

The Marguerite McBey Trust is chaired by Dr Ian McKenzie Smith CBE, past president of the Royal Scottish Academy. There will be an opportunity for members of the public, cultural organisations and business partners to be involved in shaping the outcome of the Design Study. The aims of the design study include:

” an art gallery complex fit for the foreseeable future;

” a design which will retain and celebrate the best features of the existing gallery complex, while also finding contemporary ways of ensuring that the finished Aberdeen Art Gallery continues to be an increasingly popular destination and exhibition space. It is expected that the design solution itself, which, will be exciting and innovative, will encourage new visitors, to the Art Gallery;

” modernising the gallery to provide appropriate improved areas for educational and research space;

” providing areas designed to stimulate groups of schoolchildren during the day which can be, used in the evening as a venue for corporate events or lectures;

” revitalising the McBey Room and Library, which is seen as central to the design plans;

” providing an area where visitors can access collections by computer;

” the consideration of demolishing the rear office extension and replacing it with a new service area;

” addressing identified deficiencies in access for the disabled, the lack of a public lift, poor provision of public facilities and toilets, high quality retail and catering options;

” providing controlled, cool environments in all new space/volumes, to provide a suitable environment for art loans from around the world as well as the gallery’s permanent collection;

” improving The Cowdray Hall.

photo : Mike Davidson, Positive Image

The process of inviting interested parties to bid for the commission began last year. Information packs were issued to 40 architectural and design practices. 18 responses were received by the closing date. These submissions were evaluated and a shortlist of six organisations was invited to present their submissions in more detail. It is currently estimated that the redevelopment of the Aberdeen Art Gallery site will cost around £20 million. It is expected that the redevelopment project will be eligible for external grants and funds.

photo © Adrian Welch

Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Manager Christine Rew said: “I am delighted that Gareth Hoskins Architects has been awarded the Design Study for the Art Gallery. “The practice has a great reputation for developing innovative and sympathetic design solutions for museums and historic buildings. I know they will propose an exciting scheme for the Art Gallery and give us a building we can be proud of.”

Chairman of The McBey Trust Dr Ian McKenzie Smith CBE said: “Marguerite McBey loved Aberdeen Art Gallery and was a good and generous friend to us for many, many years. I know she would have been delighted that her bequest is helping fund such a creative and far-sighted solution to the development of the building for the 21st century.”

Vice Convener of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee Martin Greig said: “Aberdeen City Council has a strong tradition in promoting the arts for all ages and backgrounds. The Art Gallery is held in great affection by Aberdonians. We are right to be proud of this magnificent museum of art treasures that has been carefully built up over centuries of careful collecting and generous donations.

Councillor Greig added: “The funding from the McBey Trust is greatly welcomed and much appreciated. This funding is enabling the council to find ways of enhancing this key cultural asset so that generations to come can enjoy the marvellous items in our constantly growing collection. “The city’s art and museum treasures are jewels in its crown. Aberdeen needs to make the most of what we have to protect and enhance the quality of life of citizens and to make sure that Aberdeen is an attractive and desirable place in which to live. “Artistic enjoyment is not an optional extra.

The state of the art gallery is vital for the well being of the city and reflects the kind of life we want for the city and the standards by which we want to be judged by visitors.” Gareth Hoskins of Gareth Hoskins Architects said: “Aberdeen Art Gallery possesses a world class collection. Whilst well known and loved by its established local audience, the existing gallery building presents real difficulties in terms of the display and importantly the accessibility of these collections. “This project presents us with a real opportunity to rethink how people access and experience the wonderful internal spaces of the gallery and how these can be reconfigured and extended to open up the collections to a wider audience and reinforce the gallery’s public presence as a destination within the city.”

Aberdeen Art Gallery Redevelopment information from Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen Art Gallery Address

Aberdeen Art Gallery Schoolhill Aberdeen AB10 1FQ

Contact Aberdeen Art Gallery: +44 (0) 1224 523700 Admission free

Aberdeen Art Gallery Opening hours Tue – Sat 10am – 5pm Sun 2pm – 5pm Closed Mon (Please always check with the operator)

Location: Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ, Scotland

Architecture in Aberdeen

Aberdeen Architecture Designs – chronological list

Aberdeen Art Gallery 1905 A. Marshall Makenzie

Elegant Scottish arts buildings with beautiful atrium and a strong collection of art. Adjoining building to west:

Cowdray Hall 1923-25 A. Marshall Makenzie & Son photo © Adrian Welch

Art Gallery Architecture

Gareth Hoskins Architects

Set up in 1998, Gareth Hoskins Architects – architects for the Aberdeen Art Gallery Renewal – is recognised as one of the leading architectural practices in the UK. The practice’s 30 strong team have worked on a wide range of prominent projects ranging from the new Culloden Battlefield Memorial Centre to the Scottish Pavilion for the Scottish Government at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice.

The practice’s engaged approach and the creative design solutions that come out of this have been recognised through a series of international exhibitions and awards. In 2006 the practice were the first Scottish practice to be named as UK Architects of the Year and this year were named as Architectural Practice of the Year at the Scottish Design Awards.

Donald Trump Golf Resort Masterplan designer : Gareth Hoskins Architects

Comments / photos for the Aberdeen Art Gallery Redevelopment page welcome

Website: www.aagm.co.uk/Venues/AberdeenArtGallery

The post Aberdeen Art Gallery Building Redevelopment appeared first on e-architect.

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Elizabeth Taylor photographed by Davis Boulton, 1952

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Since Jan 2020, payment to Sweaty Mama Stroud and Cirencester, Every payment from New Mamas, Renewal, Monthly Mamas £1 will goes towards Rushton Dog Rescue. October 2020 donations ~ 🐾

Larissa Martin (Siddington), Jennifer Richardson (South Cerney), Jenny Reid (South Cerney), Charlotte Lawlor (South Cerney), Jennifer Richardson (Malmesbury), Faye Blackwell ( Cricklade), Amy Berry (Cricklade), Rebecca Tremblen (South Cerney), Elizabeth Bartlett (Stroud), Abi Cooke (Malmesbury), Catherine Maxwell (Stroud), Imogen Sackett (Stroud), Viki Cox (Stroud), Faye Blackwell (Malmesbury), Laura Keitley (Malmesbury), Karina Webb (Stroud), Jo Cant (Stroud), Aileen Davis (Malmesbury), Jane Clarke (Stroud), Kirsty Kuijpers (Malmesbury), Ria Akers (South Cerney), Laura House (Cricklade), Naomi Nethercott (South Cerney), Siobhan Murphy (Stroud), Jade Boulton (Malmesbury), Lucy Warren Swettenham (Stroud), Kylie Cox (Stroud), Jessica Vitale (South Cerney)

This month, your donation goes to Baby 💕.

Baby came over from China on the last lot of dogs that we flew in. She is disabled and has limited mobility from her back legs. She is going in for X-rays next week so we can see exactly what is damaged. She was hit by a car in China and then was at the side of the road in a really bad way. She is a timid little girl who is also elderly. She is going to be staying with us for the rest of the time she has. She has already bonded with us and is now happy for us to kiss and cuddle her. She very particular of who she will let pick her up and care for her. She is living inside the house and is loving her home comforts. How could anyone be so cruel to her?!.. to run her over then just leave her there to die...! She is the most beautiful little girl, Safe now baby, forever 💕

If you like make a personal donation, this is the links -

Pay pal- http://paypal.me/RushtonDogRescue

Thank you ever so much for helping me saving the dogs from meat trade. 💖