Interview: Cate St Hill — This is Temporary
As part of London Design Festival we’re running an event, This is Temporary, inspired by Cate St Hill’s book of the same name. Within the book (which is excellent by the way) are interviews with 13 young and emerging architectural practices, lots of whom we’re friends with, and/or have worked with previously.
It’s publication was very timely for us. Since 2009 we’ve been carrying out pop ups, events, public art installations and co-working space on a meanwhile basis, the type of projects that are included in This is Temporary.
It felt like a coming of age, a timely reflection on the importance of this type of work.
We’re currently using a building on a meanwhile basis which is due to be demolished as part of HS2 developments at Euston Station, Temperance Hospital.
Its use will hopefully advance knowledge and skills around the design, delivery, construction and funding of other such buildings along the HS2 route in the future.
Something Cate’s book does for this type of temporary projects, and something we hope our event during London Design Festival will also do. We want to get some of the people and projects included in the same room at the same time — to celebrate and promote them.
Anyway, ahead of the event, we caught up with Cate to ask here a few questions about her book and temporary architecture.
Us: Hi Cate, for people reading this who don’t know you, can you introduce yourself?
I’m a London-based journalist and writer. By day I’m the assistant editor of architecture and design magazine Blueprint, by night and at weekends I have my own home interiors blog, catesthill.com.
Us: I suppose we should start asking why you decided to write a book about temporary architecture?
I felt that no one had chosen to write about this particular strand of temporary architecture before.
“There seemed to be a lot of writing on more flashy, show-off temporary architecture by more established practices and designers, such as the Serpentine pavilions for example, but not necessarily much about these young, emerging, socially-minded practices who are using alterative modes of practice, such as collective, participatory design and self-initiated projects.”
Us: You spoke to 13 young and emerging practices in the book, for anyone who hasn’t read it, what were the key themes that emerged?
The themes outlined in the book appeared quite naturally from the ways in which these projects come about. There are young architects programmes that are helping students and young architects find their feet and build their first project, there’s collectives who are building their own projects and teaming up with various practitioners, artists and musicians in a more multidisciplinary approach, and then there’s practices who are engaging the public in every step of creating a structure in order to facilitate long-term change.
“I found that all 13 practices are helping redefine the scope of conventional architectural education and practice, challenging preceding traditions and opening up possibilities for space and communities.”
Us: One of the things impossible to miss is the interdisciplinary nature of the young practices included in the book. Do you have any thoughts on how architectural training could or should, or does or doesn’t, offer society more than just new practitioners?
“I think architectural training, certainly at universities, should have an interdisciplinary approach, to allow the cross fertilisation of ideas and to bring fresh ideas to perhaps stagnant worlds.”
Architecture is concerned with people and places, so any insights from geographers, psychologists, artists or historians can only benefit the practice. You see that with The Decorators work, they met on the Narrative Environments course at Central Saint Martins, which groups students in small multidisciplinary teams.
“They’re made up of a landscape architect, interior designer, architect and psychologist — I think it gives them a more rounded perspective,”
they can approach subjects and places from different angles and it allows them to create more engaging pieces that really understand what a place wants and needs.
Us: Do you think there is value of temporary architecture beyond pop ups and temporary events which (we think) are often used quite cynically to inject coolness and spontaneity into consumerism?
Yes absolutely. A lot of the projects in the book are really about bringing about conversations that wouldn’t normally happen otherwise — grouping people together, inspiring discussion and debate about real issues that are affecting communities or areas.
“Temporary events often do provide a moment of light entertainment or an Instagrammable opportunity,”
but many are trying to engage people to think about, for example, how we live in a city today, how a market could be used for more than just selling food, how communities can take back control of their high streets, how underused spaces can be better utilised etc.
“They all have long-term, far-reaching consequences but it may not be immediately visible.”
Us: Temporary architecture has existed throughout history, whether that is post-war prefabs, disaster relief or new exhibitions. To what extent do you think architecture is merely a symptom and reflection of wider economic and social circumstances at the time?
“It is to an extent, for instance, a lot of temporary architecture in the 21st century has come about because of the recession, because practices were losing work, young architects couldn’t get jobs and had to make their own way, self-initiating projects and taking matters into their own hands.”
Developers in turn had empty sites which could be utilised with meanwhile projects. That’s certainly influenced this do-it-yourself culture that some emerging practices are engaging with.
Us: How do you think the relationship between the temporary and permanent will change in the future?
I think as space in our cities becomes scarcer and public space more precious, temporary architecture will be used to plug-in and offer transient places to live and work in spaces people previously thought couldn’t be used or utilised.
“People can now work anywhere in the world, we’re seeing more co-working spaces so perhaps temporary architecture can create those informal places that are somewhere between the workspace and home, to be able to meet with people, connect and inspire.”
Us: This is Temporary is your first book. What are your reflections on writing it? Would you do another? And what would it be about?
I really enjoyed chatting to these different practices and hearing about their stories. Temporary architecture is popping up all the time so I’m sure there’d be enough material for This is Temporary 2!
Us: And finally, it would be remiss not to ask, what is your favourite piece of temporary architecture, and why?
“I really enjoyed BIG’s Serpentine Pavilion this summer, it had such impact.”
I’ve also just seen Asif Khan’s Forests with Mini Living for London Design Festival, which I thought were fab. He’s created these calm, green oases in underused spaces in Shoreditch where people can relax, connect and work. They’re decked in plants that people can take home at the end of the nine-day festival, I thought it was a lovely concept.
Us: Thank you, Cate!
If you want to hear some of the people included within Cate’s book talk about their projects please register via Eventbrite here.
And, you can buy Cate’s book on the RIBA bookshop here.
