royal academy of arts

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Bureau de Change was shortlisted by the Royal Academy of Arts to design an installation, which would welcome the commencement of the Burlington Project - a masterplan by David Chipperfield that will join Burlington House and Gardens. The Fourth Arch is a proposal, which will change the visitors’ perception of the existing architecture.

The signature arches in the entrance hall are echoed in double vision, disrupting the formality of the existing architecture. They pinch the desire path from entrance to staircase, creating an enclosed centre within the lobby. This vantage point offers the visitor an opportunity to pause and anticipate the new life of the building. This anticipation is dramatized in the motion of the new staircases to a void destination.

The rich history of colour in Turkish ceramics inspires the palette within the space. The installation cites the dominant use of blue and turquoise, in the embellishment of buildings by Seljukid Turks in the 12th Century, and the more vivid hues the Ottoman Empire brought, including greens, corals and tomato reds. More recent digital printing and casting innovations are exposed on the outer surface of the arches. A river of colour slithers up the stairs, graphically tempting the eye of the visitor towards the site which will unite the two buildings.

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