By Jamie Agnew & Brianna Kuhl
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Connection to Harringay Warehouse District
The ‘Haringey House of Cards’ is a play on the current fragility of our environment both from the risk of gentrification and the climate crisis. The analogy of the house of cards is one that appears to be unstable and at risk from the outside – however once inside – the community can feel safe, stimulated and uplifted. The artwork that faces each of the cards will be extracted from the spirit and artistic anarchy of the Warehouse District. We hope to engage with you to explore a relevant and inspiring suit of cards that represents this community.
Proposal Outline
After visiting your inspiring studios and colourful warehouses, we initially struggled to find a concept that would do justice to the sense of community. Once the recent pandemic struck home, it suddenly became evident just how fragile our local ecosystem is but also how strong the bond of the local community is.
The Haringey House of Cards aims to provide a place of solace from external forces, whether global pandemic or local gentrification.
The playing cards forming the walls will be designed to represent and celebrate the local community of Haringey and beyond. Each suite of cards will be dedicated to telling the rich stories of the artists, residents and wider community. We have shown the potential appearance – but hope to have real engagement with the warehouse community to design each of the cards and celebrate the innate creativity within.
At the entrance to the site, we have indicated a ‘totem pole’ of cards – one that appears unstable (reflecting the current mood) and catches the eye of passers-by. We envisage the totem to be formed of community murals in the form of playing cards. The bottom card will deal the story of the pavilion and history of the Haringey Warehouse District to visitors on arrival, helping to orientate and set any ground rules.
The shape of the pavilion deliberately has the impression of a traditional church with a steeple to the front. This faintly sacred appearance is not for any religious meaning but to provide a familiar atmosphere – one with an air of openness and welcome.
As a self-build project, the structure has been designed to be simple to source and to assemble. The walls are formed (as a house of cards) by placing sheets of structural OSB board at 45 degrees and tying them together with simple brackets at corners. The OSB boards are created from the waste products of forestry and we are in discussions with a local supplier and hope to have a supply arrangement minimising delivery distances. This ensures a minimal carbon footprint for the pavilion materials.
The pavilion has been carefully designed to allow the size to be adapted depending on the level of funding achieved. In our images we have shown an ambitious scale to give an idea of the potential – however we have also designed a more compact version that we are happy to explore.
In summary, the Haringey House of Cards is a humble and engaging showcase of the diverse and creative community around us. The house will be made from – and by the community, giving the area a breath of renewal as we pick up the pieces and build a stronger ecosystem together in a post – COVID-19 world. Our budget-friendly strategy inspires collaboration in design; giving artists, residents and the wider community an input during assembly and a communal safe haven once constructed.