PROJECT HOLMES AND POLE STAR
HOLMES is the name that the owner of the house was thinking to use to identify the property from the neighbouring buildings. The initial idea was to design a name plate with a unique distinguishing font of lettering with a strong relationship to the architectural design of the house. For this proposal I drew a sample nameplate with different types of handmade graphics and applied them on images of the building in order to visualize the effect of the composition. Finding the dialog between the architecture of the building and the graphics of the sign was the most challenging part of the making.
The first and bigger piece of Holmes was created to be visible from outside the house and from the street. It is fixed on the main front facade.The casting in bronze was done in two segments following the drawing and fixed on the wall keeping to the same measurements of the original design pattern.
The second nameplate of HOLMES is located beside the main front door. Out of two samples I designed, only one was selected using the same created font and cast in one piece. It is a vertical plate located on the side of the entrance door and fixed on a rectangular slab of iroko wood as a base for support.
POLE STAR is a large ceramic sculpture made of white stoneware clay with a number of different coloured glazes. The piece has been built in seven sections which are interconnected for assembly the finished piece. The sculpture is anchored in a platform of rusted iron. This is welded in a style that is a reminiscent of the Rose of Winds. The client’s proposal was to incorporate elements of astronomy in the piece and blend symbols related to spirituality and the afterlife from ancient cultures. The design that was selected is an abstract form supported by a square column with a symmetric double arch as a base. An elongated round shape on top with a triangular cap pointing the sky contains all the allegoric representations associated with the theme. These include Alpha and Omega, the symbols of infinity and representations taken from the Tibetan book of Dead. Small stars incisions around the column are part of the imagery of the sculpture. “Pole Star” also known as the North Star or Polaris appears to remain in the same position in the sky as the Earth rotates. I have found this name to be a very inspirational title for this unique creation.
