Les équipes milanaises de Storage Associati ont réalisé ce superbe escalier pour une maison, jouant avec talent sur la perception pour offrir un espace alliant élégance et modernité. Une création impressionnante à découvrir dans la suite dans une série d’images.
News: Google‘s research division has tested a delivery service using unmanned aerial vehicles in Queensland, Australia (+ movie).
Google has released a video showing the self-flying vehicles successfully delivering a first-aid kit, snacks, dog treats and water to farmers in the Australian outback.
“Self-flying vehicles could open up entirely new approaches to moving goods – including options that are cheaper, faster, less wasteful and more environmentally sensitive than what’s possible today,” said a statement from the company.
Project Wing has been in development for two years, but remained a secret until now. It is the brainchild of Google X – the tech company’s research branch also responsible for the driverless car.
“Throughout history there have been a series of innovations that have each taken a huge chunk out of the friction of moving things about,” said Google’s “captain of moonshots” Astro Teller in the video.
“Project Wing aspires to take another big chunk of the remaining friction out of moving things around the world.”
The white vehicle is shaped like a small plane and is powered by four rotors, with two on each wing.
It can fly horizontally when moving from one location to another and hover vertically around 40 to 60 metres when dropping off goods, while also taking off, landing and resting upright – alleviating the need for a runway.
The packages are attached to a connection point and lowered on a wire, which detaches when the parcel touches the ground and retracts back into the body of the vehicle.
In the first test in Australia, a package of chocolate bars was successfully transported one kilometre and dropped to the recipient. Subsequently, over 30 deliveries were successfully made during the week-long test period.
Google admits that the project is nowhere near ready for commercial distribution, but believes that the model has potential for further development. “It’s years from a product, but it’s the first prototype we want to stand behind,” said Teller in the video.
Further research and testing is required to ensure the technology is safe. Google said the next steps are to teach vehicles to navigate around each other, creating precise navigation for efficient delivery routes and reducing the noise from the machines.
Google is looking for partners to help develop the technology for widespread use and has requested anyone interested to complete an online form.
The company recently hired automated aviation expert Dave Vos to lead the team working on the product.
In December last year, retail giant Amazon presented a similar proposal for unmanned aerial delivery that could deliver packages just 30 minutes after ordering.
A Sydney company also launched a book delivery service earlier that year, which it claimed to be the world’s first.
The safety of drones and their use in public is still under scrutiny. An installation of the flying machines planned for this year’s London Design Festival was cancelled last month over fears for “safety of members of the public”.
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drone delivery service appeared first on Dezeen.
London artist Pablo Bronstein has created a combined lighthouse and beach hut for the Folkestone Triennial, incorporating exaggerated features that reference the work of 18th century architect Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Located on the beach of the English seaside town, Beach Hut in the Style of Nicholas Hawksmoor was designed as an homage to the architectural vocabulary of the Baroque architect.
Related story: Boscombe Beach Huts by a:b:i:r Architects and Peter Lewis
Bronstein, who was born in Buenos Aires, chose this particular style to fill a gap in Folkestone’s architectural history, which he says includes only buildings from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, up until the present day.
“Essentially it is a monument made of wood that evokes various other periods in architectural history,” explained the artist in a video interview.
“If you look back at the history of architecture and you think that there are certain buildings that should have been built but weren’t, or certain sorts of building that would have been fun if they had been around but weren’t,” he said.
“One of these is the lighthouse, which really wasn’t around during the early 18th century.”
Positioned alongside the colourful beach huts that are typical of English beaches, the grey-painted structure features a bright red door, yet visitors aren’t able to go inside.
“Its not a functioning lighthouse, it not even a functioning beach hut, but within that there’s a sort of history of architecture that I’m very interested in” said Bronstein. “It’s a sort of history of impossibility somehow.”
The structure was built using a steel frame construction a marine plywood. It is the artist’s first major public sculpture in the UK.
The Folkestone Triennial runs from 30 August to 2 November and also features work by Yoko Ono, Andy Goldsworthy and Krijn de Koning, who will present his labyrinthine Dwelling installation in a new location.
Main image is by Thierry Bal. Other photography is by Stuart Wilson.
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pays tribute to Nicholas Hawksmoor appeared first on Dezeen.
There are two layers to this residence in Tokushima, Japan – the first is a living room that looks like a miniature house, while the second is a perimeter wall that encloses extra rooms and patios (+ slideshow).
Designed by Japanese firm Y+M Design Office, the two-storey family home is located on a city-edge site in the shadow of Mount Bizan, a mountain named after its resemblance to an eyebrow.
Related story: Stairs-House by Y+M Design Office
The residence, known as Backstage House, is likened by the architects to a theatre, with the central living room acting as the stage and additional rooms providing the behind-the-scenes areas.
The building’s central structure looks more like a standard house, with a gabled roof and traditional windows. This is surrounded on all four sides by a wooden wall that features both curving and angular profiles.
The central living room is a double-height space, but other rooms are stacked up on two levels, interspersed amongst the open-air terraces.
“We set the big wall to cover all the client’s site, so that we can utilise the area of the site and keep the family’s privacy, not only inside the house but also outside in the garden,” said the design team.
Criss-crossing wooden beams brace the exterior walls. Internal partitions were built using a mixture of Japanese cedar and corrugated fibre cement, helping to create a hierarchy of different spaces.
“The living room is like a stage for play because it is enclosed by cedar, and it has an organic and warm style,” said the team.
“On the other hand, rooms such as the bedroom, entrance and garden are like the backstage areas because they are enclosed by corrugated panels, with an inorganic and cool style,” they added.
The dining area and kitchen are positioned in the south-west corner of the ground floor. Three bedrooms are housed upstairs and a small study can be found alongside the entrance.
Numerous doorways and windows connect every room with the living room. There is even a ladder against a wall, offering an alternative route upstairs.
Floor-to-ceiling glazing allows rooms to open out to the two patios. By contrast, small arched windows offer framed vistas of the surrounding neighbourhood and nearby mountain, while a larger arch creates a driveway.
Photography is by Nacasa and Partners.
The post Multi-layered home by Y+M Design Office hides
a house-shaped room behind wooden walls appeared first on Dezeen.
The Iron Throne room (image courtesy of Gemma Jackson)
In the September issue of CR, we speak to a range of people with inspiring and unusual jobs in the creative industries, from Kanye West’s creative director to an animator on Guardians of the Galaxy. Here, Gemma Jackson, former production designer on HBO series Game of Thrones, outlines her experience of working on the show and offers some advice for recent graduates…
Based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. The show is HBO’s biggest hit, surpassing The Sopranos in viewing figures, and is allegedly the most widely pirated in the world. Much of the series is filmed in Northern Ireland, as well as Croatia and Malta, and features lavish sets and costume designs.
A production designer for television and film, Gemma Jackson worked on Game of Thrones’ first three seasons and was awarded an Emmy for outstanding art direction and an Art Directors Guild Award for excellence in production design. Since leaving, she has returned to freelancing and is now working on a film about King Arthur.
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you came to be working on Game of Thrones?
I went to art school and studied painting before doing a postgraduate degree in theatre design. I worked in theatre for about nine years. Around 1980, I worked on a small political film with an all-female cast, and my film career began when I scored the job as art director on Neil Jordan’s Mona Lisa [a 1986 neo-noir mystery about an ex-convict who becomes a driver for a female escort, starring Michael Cain, Bob Hoskins and Cathy Tyson].
Before Game of Thrones, I did another TV series with HBO, John Adams, which was very successful [the show won four Golden Globe Awards and 13 Emmys, one of which was awarded to Jackson]. HBO is very loyal to its staff, and I had made good friends there, so I suppose I was a natural choice for Game of Thrones … I still went through the usual process though, meeting with the director and discussing ideas.
Red Keep (image courtesy of Gemma Jackson)
The Sept (image courtesy of Gemma Jackson)
What made you want to become a production designer after studying painting?
I loved painting, but I didn’t feel I had the philosophical drive to become a painter. What I love about theatre, TV and film is the collaborative element, and the interpretative aspect of it. That, and the fact that every job is so different.
Could you describe the scope of your role on the show?
When it started, we weren’t really sure how the show would grow or develop. It was a normal job, reading the script, interpreting what George had written, working out what the directors wanted and building up images and designs for each set. By the time I left, we had six huge stages and warehouses full of sets, and it’s getting bigger every year.
It was a large team; I worked with an art director, a decoration department, a wonderful construction manager, Tom Martin, and a huge amount of painters and plasterers. With each new series, we’d have a new set of things to design, as well as developing the worlds we’d already established.
What did you most enjoy about working on Game of Thrones?
I loved creating the contrast between each of the different worlds; it was very important to have a clear distinction between the North and South [northern regions are cold and wintry, while the south appears warm and exotic]. You could find influences for these different stages almost anywhere – with Castle Black, I was inspired by Tibetan buildings, high in the mountains, while King’s Landing had a much more Mediterranean feel to it.
One of the most challenging sets was Harrenhal [a fictional castle], which we built brick by brick in Bambridge. The Sept [a large building used for worship] was a huge one too. It was seven sided, which was important as the characters’ religion is the Faith of Seven, and we built a third of it. It was quite a job working out how to repeat the set, but it looked quite stunning in the end.
With others, we would refashion bits from old sets with new graphics, or dress existing structures. To create the Iron Islands, we dressed the harbour at Ballintoy, near Belfast, with mud and moss, as the harbour structure itself was perfect. For Craster’s Keep, [a small homestead in the wild north], we used huge logs and trees to build this beautiful set in the middle of the forest.
It was an extraordinary job, really, and I feel terribly proud of it. Being in Belfast, I loved walking past the docks and the sea and into these lavish worlds we’d created. I miss it a lot, but I think after three seasons, it was a good time for me to leave – as a freelancer, it’s the longest I’ve worked on anything and once I’d set up the look and the roots of the show, I felt it was time to move on and do something else.
Craster’s Keep (image courtesy of Gemma Jackson)
And what advice do you have for people who want to work in production design?
You’ve got to have gall – you have to be able to deal with so many different people, and have a wonderful imagination, and I think you have to be quite fearless. Those qualities have to be inherent. Getting into this kind of work is very different now than when I started but today, I think you just need to get out there and do your own thing. Do small projects, student films, anything you can, and take every opportunity that’s available.
King’s Landing – image via Game of Thrones’ Pinterest account
Castle Black – image via Game of Thrones’ Pinterest account
Gemma Jackson is represented by Independent Talent Group. For more info on Game of Thrones, see hbo.com/game-of-thrones. To find out more about the September issue of Creative Review, click here.
While there are a multitude of festivals devoted to the business and ideas sides of advertising, its craft can fall a little by the wayside. Not at Ciclope Festival, however, which is entirely devoted to the celebration of ad craft. The latest edition of the festival takes place on November 6-7 in Berlin.
Ciclope Festival has been running since 2010 and for its first three years took place in Buenos Aires, before moving to Berlin in 2013. This year’s event is the second to be held in the German capital, and will consist of a conference and networking events, as well as an awards ceremony, celebrating the best work in advertising craft this year.
Among those lined up to speak at this year’s festival are Andreas Nilsson, the director behind the Volvo Trucks Epic Split commercial; Mike McGee, creative director at Framestore; and Guido Heffels, co-founder of Heimat ad agency. There will also be top creatives from agencies including Wieden + Kennedy, Droga5, Saatchi & Saatchi, 72andSunny, and many more taking part in the networking events. For a full list of guests and more info on attending the festival or entering the awards, visit ciclopefestival.com.
Earlier this year, unsigned singer Sivu and director Adam Powell made a mesmerising video for single Better Than Me using an MRI scanner at London’s St Bart’s Hospital. To celebrate the single’s release next month, Sivu has released a short film revealing how the promo was made…
Better Man Than He features footage of Sivu singing into an MRI machine, which uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images of the body. The three-minute film offers a fascinating glimspe at the singer’s brain, muscles and movements, with additional effects added in post production:
The video was released in January this year and has since received more than 600,000 views on YouTube. As Page explains in a new film on the making of the project, Powell, then his flatmate, suggested using an MRI scanner as a cheaper alternative to using costly cameras and filming equipment.
He contacted doctors Marc Miguel and Andrew Scott, who had spent a year researching how to capture moving images using MRI machines in an attempt to learn more about cleft palates and agreed to help make the film at St Bart’s. As Miguel and Scott explain, Page was required to wear a large head covering, known as a coil, while inside the scanner, which allowed it to generate detailed images depicting ‘slices’ of his head.
It’s an innovative technique – the video is allegedly the first to use real time MRI scans – and the result is visually striking. Since its release, Sivu has been signed to Atlantic Records, while Powell has since directed promos for The 1975 and Example. The film has also been screened in medical conferences and university lectures.
Better Man Than Me is released on September 29. Page’s debut album, Something On High, is released in October.
New book TM is the result of eighteen months of research to expand our 2011 ‘logos’ issue into a collection of in-depth case studies on 29 of the world’s best examples – from British Steel, Centre Pompidou and ERCO, to the Musée d’Orsay, Pirelli and UPS…
The seeds of the book were sown in the special issue of CR we devoted to the 20 logos that we felt represented the best that the form had to offer. In it my colleagues and I attempted to unravel how these various symbols and marks had been created and, where possible, talk to the designers behind them. (As a result the new book also contains writing and research by Patrick Burgoyne, Gavin Lucas and Eliza Williams).
CR readers can save 30% off the price of TM by using the code ‘TMCR30’ when prompted at the checkout – go here for more details.
The logos for the Woolmark, Deutsche Bank, British Rail, Michelin and the V&A Museum had topped our list in the magazine and warranted the most coverage. But what if a book of essay-length pieces could further explore some of the highlights from the issue (Canadian National, CBS or London Underground), while extending the reach to include a range of other great examples from around the world?
The result led me to conduct detailed interviews with well known designers such as David Gentleman (British Steel), Mike Dempsey (ENO), Bruno Monguzzi (Musée d’Orsay) and Ben Bos (Randstad); while tracking down lesser known practitioners who had nonetheless created designs with remarkable back stories – like Coordt von Mannstein, the designer given the challenge of reworking Otl Aicher’s original symbol for the Munich Olympics in 1972; or Ignacio Vasallo, Spain’s then junior minister for tourism who hit upon the idea of asking artist Joan Miró to create an abstract sun design for the country’s fledgling tourist industry.
(A full contents list is on the back cover of the book, shown at the bottom of this post.)
The case of the Woolmark, however, proved unique in that the new research would lead to a definitive statement of authorship through the designer Franco Grignani’s daughter, Manuela. She explained how she had witnessed her father create the famous design on a tablecloth. The design went on to be voted in as a new symbol of the International Wool Secretariat, but the fact that Grignani was one of the jurors on the committee to decide the Woolmark complicated matters considerably, and his creation of the logo was a secret he held onto for decades. (This essay is republished in the current issue of CR.)
Other than interviews the history of many of the logos – such as Coca-Cola’s – involved working with company collections and archives (in this case early twentieth-century court records). While others – Manolo Prieto’s 1956 design for the Osborne Bull, the famous roadside silhouette in Spain, for example – meant contacting a range of people from collectors to photographers (the ‘bulls’ are particularly well documented on Flickr).
Amid debate in recent years as to whether ‘the logo’ is finished altogether, it also seemed appropriate to examine what work still caught the imagination of designers and the public alike; what logos and symbols had lasted; and what designs would continue to work, indeed, evolve into the future. As the book progressed it became apparent that the logo for the V&A would become a key example of something that could move with the times.
Designed by Pentagram’s Alan Fletcher in 1989 (and still in use) it is a sublime example of the form. But far from remaining a static creation, it was given a new lease of life only a few years ago when a kinetic version of the logo was unveiled by Troika studio at one of the museum’s subway entrances: A palindromic sculpture in which the letters twist on their own axis, deconstructing and remaking the logo each time it revolves (shown in the book, below).
One can imagine that Fletcher would have enjoyed the celebration of his work in this way, and would also have been pleased that his design contained another surprise within its form, which was just waiting for the right moment to appear.
That capacity for renewal added to the case for its status and inclusion in the book and my hope is that the stories behind the other 28 will, in their own ways, offer similar revelations.
TM: The Untold Stories Behind 29 Classic Logos by Mark Sinclair is published by Laurence King; £28. My thanks go to Patrick, Gavin and Eliza for their help throughout the project and to Nathan Gale of Intercity who designed the book.
CR readers can save 30% off the price of TM by using the code ‘TMCR30’ when prompted at the checkout – go here for more details.
As part of a series profiling new and newly signed illustrators, we spoke to Dan Matutina – a graphic designer and illustrator based in the Philippines.
Matutina’s artwork is inspired by science fiction, folklore and comic books. He has been commissioned by Airbnb, Wired, Fast Co and Google, is co-founder of Manila design studio Plus63 and received an ADC Young Guns award in 2013. We asked him a few questions about his career so far…
Could you tell us a little about your background and career so far?
I grew up in a province an hour away by plane from Manila, where I’m now based. My time in high school was spent studying science and engineering, but I was already doodling and drawing then. In my final year, I finally decided to pursue a degree in fine arts and major in visual communication.
When I was at university, my first love was filmmaking. But because it was really expensive to make one at that time, I focused on graphic design and illustration. After I graduated, I worked as an art director for an advertising agency for three years and after that, I started my first design studio with four of my friends. We went our separate ways five years later and I started Plus63 Design Co. I did a lot of freelance illustration in between design work [and] this is when I started getting commissions from different magazines and publications.
Animation for Lovaganza 2015, art directed by Matutina
How would you describe your illustration style?
It’s very geometric and angular. It features clean shapes and lines combined with textures, brush strokes and spatters. I use a limited palette, but I do add a new set of colors from time to time.
You also run a design studio, Plus63. Could you tell us a little more about it?
I started with Plus63 with some friends three years ago. Plus63’s name came from an area code of the Philippines. We’re a very small team – there’s only four of us – but we work with writers and other specialists when needed. Our projects are mostly brand identity, print and cause-oriented design projects. We did the Design Co.Mission last year [the studio sent out ‘mission packs’ to studios in the Philippines, in an attempt to encourage designers to collaborate on design solutions to improve public services, health and education in the region] and we’re working with an international organisation for a Disaster Preparation project.
Plus63’s DesignCo.Mission kit, sent to design studios in the Philippines
How do you balance freelance projects and running the studio? Do you focus more on one or the other?
Working in my design studio is my day job while illustration is my night job, but I do try to pace the projects I accept so I don’t overwork myself. It’s almost an even split – I get more illustration projects, but I log more hours on design projects.
And what is the creative/design scene like in Manila?
The creative scene in Manila is very exciting right now. It might not be as advanced as the creative scenes in Western countries but it might be as vibrant. People like to go to design events and conferences, like Graphika Manila, collaborations between different industries and disciplines are happening, and companies are starting to invest more in design. A lot of good young designers and illustrators are also cropping up. The industry, compared to advertising, is still fairly young, but that’s what makes it exciting. People want to be part of the movement.
Illustration for IBM
Who or what are your biggest creative influences? And where do you look for inspiration?
I have a lot of creative influences. A whole group of them are national artists from the Philippines. One is Arturo Luz, another is Vicenta Manansala, for whom I recently made an illustrated tribute for a local magazine. I used to see his works in my high school textbooks and loved them even then. There’s also Ang Kiukok and HR Ocampo.
I love the works of Eyvind Earle, Erik Nitsche, Paul Klee, Syd Mead, Charley Harper, Hayao Miyazaki, Fortunato Depero, Eduardo Chillida, and a whole lot more – I’ve been inspired by the works of my contemporaries and friends. I’m also inspired by film, science and technology, manga and anime, folklore, myths and legends.
Illustration for Wired UK
When did you first develop an interest in illustration?
When I was a child I drew a lot of cartoon characters. I grew up watching Thundercats, Voltron, Mazinger Z, Disney films, Robotech, G-Force, Silver Hawks, Adventures of Tintin, TMNT and other cartoons and comic books, including local ones. So most of those characters were always in my sketches and doodles. When I got a bit older, I made my own characters, comic series and stories.
Artwork for FastCo & the Guardian
You grew up in Tacloban City [in Eastern Visayas, the Philippines], which you describe as an area ‘rich in folklore’. Has this influenced or inspired your work at all?
I’ve always believed that part of a person is defined by where he/she’s from. Growing up in the province and hearing all of the different folklores and myths influenced me when I tell and write stories. We have a ton of islands in the Philippines (about 7,107 to be precise) and each has its own unique cultures and legends. The Leyte and Samar provinces, of which Tacloban City is the capital, are rich with stories of flying people, monsters, big dogs, witchcraft and magic. Some of those elements can be found in my personal projects. I rarely use them for client work, but I sometimes insert them as graphic elements when I can.
Illustration for Paypal
Which project have you most enjoyed working on, or is most special to you?
I’m really proud of my Versus/Hearts project [an illustration series depicting rival game, TV and comic characters embraced in the shape of a heart]. It’s a simple project that made a lot of people happy. I think it’s my most popular project as well. It’s been on hiatus for quite some time now, but I plan to make new posts soon.
Another recent favourite is the animated piece I made for Colin Hesterly and The Academy for Lovaganza 2015 [above]. It was a collaborative project and I was very happy with the result – I did the design and illustration, while Colin directed and animated it with Jordan Scott.
Who or what would be your dream commission?
Some of the projects I’ve worked on recently were dream projects/clients of mine. Right now my dream illustration commissions would be from either Xbox, The New Yorker or Disney/Pixar.
And finally, any projects coming up that you’re particularly excited about?
I’ve been forever working on a personal book project that morphed countless of times already – I’m still finishing the manuscript right now. I’m also working on a really short animation project with a friend of mine, and just finished a cover illustration for big tech company to be used in one of their events.
Artwork for Wired Italia
Rogue magazine
Dan Matutina is now represented by Agent Pekka (and YCN in the UK). You can see more of his work at twistedfork.me or plus63.com.
On September 18, Scotland will hold a vote on independence which could herald the break-up of the UK as we know it. If the Scots vote yes, will the UK need a new flag? If so, what would it look like? Atelier Works‘ Quentin Newark and Kevin Denoual have some suggestions
If the vote for independence is successful, we will no longer be a United Kingdom, they write. Although the legal position is unclear, the worst aspect of this may be that we can no longer legally be known as such, so if there is no immediate back-up idea, just like the Former Yugoslavia, we might become the Former United Kingdom. Or fUK.
And it is possible that the Union Flag of the UK, created in 1707, to symbolise the “United Kingdom of Great Britain” will have to go.
The Union Jack (above), as the flag is colloquially known, is an amalgam of the flags of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the sequence we show here: Scotland’s saltire of St Andrew, England’s cross of St George, and Northern Ireland’s saltire of St Patrick. Wales … simply doesn’t exist. The two saltires have been made thinner so they don’t cancel one another out, hence all that geometric complexity.
Although David Cameron calls the UK “countries within a country” the countries are not equal. England is a kingdom, Wales was a Principality, with Prince Charles as its Prince [In 2012 the ISO officially redesignated Wales as a country], and Northern Ireland is described variously as a “province” and a “territory”. Somehow Wales fails to appear in any form on the flag, Ireland gets thinned out, and Scotland trumped by the big red cross of St George. Back in 1707, the other kingdom, Scotland was profoundly unhappy, and produced their own design with the white saltire dominant, which they cleverly wanted to use north of the border.
This issue of dominance is an old issue, it’s interesting to look at the sketches of the Earl of Nottingham, four hundred year old design ideas, trying to reconcile two crosses (always with the red dominant), dating as early as 1604, a hundred years before the Union Jack, when James I first wanted to unite Scotland and England.
There is another interesting effort of amalgamation, dating from 1653, when Britain had no King. Much like France, which needed a new flag when it rid itself of King Louis XVI in 1793, Oliver Cromwell wanted the Commonwealth to have a new start. (That wonderful word Commonwealth, with its prototypical egalitarian implications, dates from this time.) The lion in the centre is Oliver Cromwell’s own coat of arms … he went on to act almost as a king, even being succeeded as Lord Protector by his son Richard Cromwell, who by all accounts was not what his father was, and fell from power, being known ever after as “Tumble-down Dick”.
At last the point of this post: a piece of thinking about what the design of the new flag replacing the Union Jack could be.
We aren’t the first. There is some background and some ideas on The Guardian site. And if your interest is really peeked, googling will reveal more. (But I doubt anyone has been as thorough as us.)
We have, in reverse order of popularity here in the studio, five potential designs for the fUK (Former United Kingdom).
Design one: Three countries in one
The simplest – and least imaginative – solution to Scotland disuniting, is simply to lift the saltire of St Andrew out of the flag. So just two red crosses. Quite nice. But wait, where is Wales? Where was Wales in the Union Jack? Why didn’t they have an alternative version of the Union Jack that they presented to Queen Anne in 1707?
Our first design uses the cross of St George, and adds emblems from the flags of Northern Ireland and Wales. (The Red Hand of Ulster [dates back into the mists of time] and the Red Dragon of Wales [dates back to at least 800AD].) The great advantage of this flag is that for the first time, it represents the actual number of countries. Three. Wales gets a showing.
Design two: Joining Napoleon’s Europe
As he conquered countries, Napoleon replaced their ‘old’ flags with the new tricolore. Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy… I imagine he had a plan to reflag all of Europe. Several countries in Europe have subsequently adopted a tricolore.
Napoleon didn’t design the tricolore, though. He just brought it unequivocal prominence as France’s only flag.
Somehow a whole crop of countries have gone for the horizontal tricolore. Starting with the Netherlands. Perhaps its a Protestant or Teutonic thing. (And those countries under Teutonic influence.) Loving the modernity, the simplicity, but not wanting to pay any acknowledgement to Catholic France.
For the purposes of our messianic redesign project, we have brought these horizontal deviants into the vertical fold.
So, proposal two is: do what works. We have the logical internationally agreed units of measurement, the metre, the kilogram, we comply in all significant areas with shipping and flight paths, currency valuations, contract terminology, interlocking legal codes, lets add one more area of interconnectedness: our flag.
There is also the neatness that the tricolore is three bands of colour, one for each of the fUK’s three countries.
Three countries, three colours: red for England, green for Wales, red for Northern Ireland
Design three: Three lions
The three lions has been an emblem for England for a thousand years. It began in France. (Don’t tell the Daily Mail.) In the deep middle ages, a set of lions was the heraldic symbol for the Counts of Anjou – the numbers of lions varied, sometimes four, sometimes six, probably according to what they were displayed on, more space, more lions. Here is an image of Geoffrey Plantagenet, who married King Henry of England’s daughter, Matilda. Through convolutions too lengthy to ever remember, his son became Henry II, King of England and the Plantagenet family with their crest of lions came to rule England (and Wales) and some of the time Scotland for three hundred years.
It is already used as the “royal banner of England” (pic source here).
Our proposal is the the flag come to represent the fUK. The Irish and Welsh are (presumably) happy to be known as the British Lions when it comes to rugby – the Lions is the team with players from each of the countries within Great Britain. Could they be happy to be one of the metaphorical lions on a new flag? We think this solution particularly suits British pugnacity – our willingness to fight with anyone, anywhere. Drunk or sober.
Design four: The white cliffs of Dover
The white cliffs of Dover were used in their campaign for the recent European elections by the maverick political party UKIP, as a symbol of all that is most precious to our “country”.
(There are exactly matching white cliffs of Normandy too. No one plonked in front of them could tell them apart, they are made of the same chalk.)
Our fourth design is a flag based on the white cliffs – the bit of Britain that faces out towards the ‘rest of the world’.
This version was chosen by the designer here in the studio who drew it, Kevin, who is French, because it looks like Britain seen from France.
Design five: Rose Rising
More history.
A word on flags, countries, and history. I think you ignore history at your peril. People need to feel that their flag represents something communal that they can (literally) look up to. Something that represents an essence of the history and relationships that they share with their fellow countrymen, something that can be shared even with their ancestors. Something that has been dug out of the shared nationality like the most concentrated diamond.
Not something that has just sprung from an artist’s or designer’s capricious imagination, and can only be understood in terms of that individual. Flags are about what is common. In the wonderful word of Oliver Cromwell’s era: the Commonwealth.
Even a very modern flag design like the tricolore, which is so reductive and timeless it is simply three colours, is explained with reference to what the colours represent, deep strains of French culture.
So.
If the Tudor Rose is unfamiliar to you, read here. It’s been a potent symbol of Britain for five hundred years. Long enough for its association with one particular family to be forgotten. What most people fail to realise is that it is actually two roses combined, a white fused with a red. It is a symbol of unity. Of two opposing sides, being at peace and united.
We love the fact that the symbol seems to cover so many aspects of the fUK.
It represents:
– unity: people of opposing views happily living alongside one another
– the fruitfulness of the British Isles: the verdance, the countryside, the gardens
– did we mention gardens: Britain’s favourite activity
– the meandering, wiggly, organic paths that human lives and human interaction takes
– growth
– different petals, but one shared heart
– the cycle of life: constant renewal
We think this says so much more than something so reductive like the tricolore, which can only be about the association of colours. (Kevin agrees.) With the rose we get colours, and we get symbolism that works for the past, and the future. Whether it is rendered with more drawing and more detail, or flat and graphically, we aren’t sure. Beautiful, memorable, unique in the world of flags.
It makes us feel slightly better about living in the fUK.
This post was originally published on the Atelier Works blog and is reproduced by permission.
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