John RylANDS LIBRARY
The building we chose to recreate was the John Rylands Library on Manchester’s Deansgate road. A noticeable location in Manchester, this building is a distinctive part of the architectural fabric of the city. This building was built at the turn of the 20th century and is a potent example of Victorian neo-gothic architecture. In 1994 the English heritage body - Heritage England - upgraded the building’s listed status to grade one.
The architecture of the building is a mixture of Gothic and Arts and Crafts details. This is evident in the section of the building we have chosen to recreate. The railings are cast pieces of decorative Arts and Crafts, whereas the stone wall shows the prominent linearity of Gothic styling.
We chose this building because we originally wanted to test out lots of different techniques and focus on casting and the buildings forms and materials offered this potential. We chose a section of the building that exhibited its character and the nature of the detailing.
Ornament is often neglected in contemporary architecture and through this project we have given thought to the value it adds to a building.
