Imperial students create new designs to improve the local area

Imperial student teams have designed new and innovative solutions to help tourists navigate the attractions of the South Kensington area.

The Mechanical Engineering students, studying the 3^rd and 4^th year Design, Art and Creativity Module worked on the designs after the Department teamed up with the Exhibition Road Cultural Group to create the brief for this year’s projects.

Each team was tasked with designing a mobile information unit to represent the institutions that form the Exhibition Road Cultural Group (ERCG), including the Science Museum, National History Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum and the College itself. The information unit was required to provide a welcoming point of contact showcasing what South Kensington has offer and helping visitors navigate the area.

Designs ranged from Albert’s Lost Luggage a device inspired by the area’s hidden secrets and it’s connection to Prince Albert and Traction, a multi-faced display unit providing a range of visual information to passers-by.

The winning design, Revolution, created by Doug Anderson, Annabel Felton, Alex Harrison, Ellis Hudson and Michael McCree, is a mobile map and signage device that collapses into a hubless wheel that can be easily transported to locations around the area.

Annabel said: “We tried to come up with a modern design, Exhibition Road is an elegant area and we wanted to reflect that in our project.

At the centre of the piece is a three-dimensional map where visitors can immerse themselves in the area and the activities on offer.”

Revolution

The teams’ methodology included first hand interviews with Exhibition road visitors – shaping the approach taken by each team.

Hawys Tomos, module leader for the Design, Art and Creativity (DAC) module said: “The DAC module is designed to draw on both the students engineering and artistic skills. It’s really exiting this year to have worked with the Exhibition Road Cultural Group to set the project brief in the heart of the local area.

“Although they’ve been studying here for years, the students themselves discovered a wealth of new and interesting things about South Kensington – as did I! I really hope this exhibition encourages others from Imperial to explore the incredible institutions and events on their doorstep and to be inspired to consider a creative approach to their work."

The competition was judged by a panel of representatives from the organisations that make up the ERCG with the awards presented by Peter Dickinson, Head of Communications at the Science Museum.

Peter said: “Exhibition Road is an area full of amazing institutions and great ideas. The Exhibition Road Cultural Group members work together to see how we can share the fantastic things that happen in this area. It is not an easy task and it’s great to see how these designs have tried to meet that challenge.”

The three finalists in the competition are on display in the College’s main entrance until 19 December.

Imperial students have also been involved in a project to re-imagine the South Kensington Pedestrian Tunnel launched by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 and Exhibition Road Cultural Group.

Student teams from the College, as well as the Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Music proposed concept ideas ranging from sympathetic restorations of the tunnel’s structure to the introduction of travelators and new music and performance spaces. The winning ideas will be taken forward to TFL for the next stage of the overall station improvement project’s design process.

South Kensington Tunnel Design Finalist

The competition finalists, drawn from public submissions are now on display at the Royal College of Art Henry Moore Gallery from until 19 December.