#
Date
Title
Source
Description
Tags
W5441
20.10.2012
Sp@rt - Mo Abd-Ulla
WWW
Sp@rt is a multifaceted programme set within inspiration of London 2012 Olympic games. It consists of urban interventions within the city of London, exhibition, performances, lectures, discussions, and new techniques for mediating the public’s reactions ...

Sp@rt is a multifaceted programme set within inspiration of London 2012 Olympic games. It consists of urban interventions within the city of London, exhibition, performances, lectures, discussions, and new techniques for mediating the public’s reactions to sport and urbanism. The programme operates at various levels in terms of the size, content and scope with a variety of local contacts and venues both formal and informal. This sustains diversity in the reach and scope of the programme operating with local authorities, colleges, voluntary committees, groups and community organisations. The Programme reinforces the social aspect of sport and urbanism; and promotes further awareness, investment and development. The main objective of the urban interventions is to create sports sites (interstitial spaces) within public and private spaces in the City of London, which will be open for public to participate at various levels in terms of the group size, content and scope. The sport sites could be created within empty lots, abandoned buildings, in between spaces, ruins and building-sites that are in-between states of completion, pavements, median strips, gardens, etc. The character of the chosen spaces and immediate conditions will define the design of the site and the sort of sport that could be accommodated; some sites might incite into a new form of sport. The urban interventions will invent interactive social scenery that marries sport and city. It aims to create places of discovery, intimacy and gathering, they will be seen as eye-catching temporary structure and a prominent feature of the cityscape. This project seeks for adventurous, alternative and even radical impressions of what social interaction and urban design could be. The project demonstrates the spirit of the sport and diverse approaches to the topic and highlighting the changes in sport, arts, culture and society. The art of sport overlays with human presence, how do landscapes—defined in the broadest sense to incorporate the physical contours of the built environment, the aesthetics of form, and the imaginative reflections of spatial representations—contribute to the making of arts? I am interested in pushing the boundaries and experimenting with new spatial concepts intensifying existing urban landscapes in the search of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of arts. The project seeks to define a new urban language that plays with space, function and perception. The research and working process will be thoroughly documented at every step, both technically and graphically, from conception to completion, detailed project descriptions, drawings and full-colour before and after photographs explain the thinking and working process. A team of urban designer, sport expert and I will take the design lead; sites-survey, feasibility process and construction to practical completion. The project requires a variety of research and analysis processes. The project brief will be defined through research, sketches, models and discussion. The engagement of local experts and a variety of local contacts and venues will have significant input.

THE EXHIBITION It is an innovative exhibition of documents and objects that demonstrate the history of sport around the world with particular focus on the history of the Olympic games. I am interested to create variety of ambiences that represent each sport discipline; designing a number of vitrines within the context of displayed documents. The vitrines will be integrated/spread in narrative setting in a suitable venue. An interactive blog will be launched; it will include an introductory page, news and documentations of the project development and details about the project programme, as well as public contributions.

AUDIENCES The project will attract a variety of media and audiences. It will involve people of all ages in every aspect of the project, from witnessing the progress on urban interventions via a webcam, to site visits, participatory activities, and interacting with the exhibition. A number of Pedicabs will be designed and executed for tour programme around the sport spots. A leaflet with information and map indicates the sport locations will be handed.

EDUCATION AND EVENTS POTENTIAL The Education and Community Programme will engage with a broad range of audiences on many levels from guided tours and presentations to a variety of workshops exploring the interrelation between sport and urbanism. The programme will be designed to place participants on an equal footing with the invited experts of sport and urbanism, creating a forum where the experts can meet audience, so that both parties acquire new understandings of issues explored. This can be experienced through practical workshops, dialogue and presentations. Small focus groups will be formed to create learning experiences from which to extract models of significant outcome. This creates a series of ever-widening networks, each working through its own means of communication, thus broadening the involvement of the venue and its activities. The schools programme will engage with primary, second-level and third-level colleges. Guided tours and discussions will be available for pupils and students of all ages. The programme will be available to all community groups, family groups, youth and after-school groups and people with learning and physical disability.

PRESS AND MARKETING POTENTIAL Press releases will be provided throughout the projects phases. The Marketing plan is based on mass production of souvenirs, postcards and posters of urban interventions, games, bags, T-shirts, necklaces, earrings, rings, etc. The souvenirs will be displayed in site-specific designed showcases in museums’ shops in UK and abroad. (…) The many tourists who are brought to S. Maria Maggiore church on sight-seeing tours hardly notice the unique character of the surroundings. The simply check off one of the starred numbers in their guide-books and hasten on to the next one. But they do not experience the place in the way some boys I saw there a few days ago did. I imagine they were pupils from a nearby monastery school. They had a recess at eleven O’clock and employed the time playing a very special kind of ball game on the broad terrace at the top of the stairs. It was apparently a kind of football but they also utilized the wall in the game, as in squash—a curved wall, which they played against with great virtuosity. When the ball was out, it was most decidedly out, bouncing down all the steps and rolling several hundred feet further on with an eager boy rushing after it, in and out among motor cars and Vespas down near the great obelisk. S. E. Rasmussen recall.

Sp@rt is a multifaceted programme set within inspiration of London 2012 Olympic games. It consists of urban interventions within the city of London, exhibition, performances, lectures, discussions, and new techniques for mediating the public’s reactions ...

Sp@rt is a multifaceted programme set within inspiration of London 2012 Olympic games. It consists of urban interventions within the city of London, exhibition, performances, lectures, discussions, and new techniques for mediating the public’s reactions to sport and urbanism. The programme operates at various levels in terms of the size, content and scope with a variety of local contacts and venues both formal and informal. This sustains diversity in the reach and scope of the programme operating with local authorities, colleges, voluntary committees, groups and community organisations. The Programme reinforces the social aspect of sport and urbanism; and promotes further awareness, investment and development. The main objective of the urban interventions is to create sports sites (interstitial spaces) within public and private spaces in the City of London, which will be open for public to participate at various levels in terms of the group size, content and scope. The sport sites could be created within empty lots, abandoned buildings, in between spaces, ruins and building-sites that are in-between states of completion, pavements, median strips, gardens, etc. The character of the chosen spaces and immediate conditions will define the design of the site and the sort of sport that could be accommodated; some sites might incite into a new form of sport. The urban interventions will invent interactive social scenery that marries sport and city. It aims to create places of discovery, intimacy and gathering, they will be seen as eye-catching temporary structure and a prominent feature of the cityscape. This project seeks for adventurous, alternative and even radical impressions of what social interaction and urban design could be. The project demonstrates the spirit of the sport and diverse approaches to the topic and highlighting the changes in sport, arts, culture and society. The art of sport overlays with human presence, how do landscapes—defined in the broadest sense to incorporate the physical contours of the built environment, the aesthetics of form, and the imaginative reflections of spatial representations—contribute to the making of arts? I am interested in pushing the boundaries and experimenting with new spatial concepts intensifying existing urban landscapes in the search of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of arts. The project seeks to define a new urban language that plays with space, function and perception. The research and working process will be thoroughly documented at every step, both technically and graphically, from conception to completion, detailed project descriptions, drawings and full-colour before and after photographs explain the thinking and working process. A team of urban designer, sport expert and I will take the design lead; sites-survey, feasibility process and construction to practical completion. The project requires a variety of research and analysis processes. The project brief will be defined through research, sketches, models and discussion. The engagement of local experts and a variety of local contacts and venues will have significant input.

THE EXHIBITION It is an innovative exhibition of documents and objects that demonstrate the history of sport around the world with particular focus on the history of the Olympic games. I am interested to create variety of ambiences that represent each sport discipline; designing a number of vitrines within the context of displayed documents. The vitrines will be integrated/spread in narrative setting in a suitable venue. An interactive blog will be launched; it will include an introductory page, news and documentations of the project development and details about the project programme, as well as public contributions.

AUDIENCES The project will attract a variety of media and audiences. It will involve people of all ages in every aspect of the project, from witnessing the progress on urban interventions via a webcam, to site visits, participatory activities, and interacting with the exhibition. A number of Pedicabs will be designed and executed for tour programme around the sport spots. A leaflet with information and map indicates the sport locations will be handed.

EDUCATION AND EVENTS POTENTIAL The Education and Community Programme will engage with a broad range of audiences on many levels from guided tours and presentations to a variety of workshops exploring the interrelation between sport and urbanism. The programme will be designed to place participants on an equal footing with the invited experts of sport and urbanism, creating a forum where the experts can meet audience, so that both parties acquire new understandings of issues explored. This can be experienced through practical workshops, dialogue and presentations. Small focus groups will be formed to create learning experiences from which to extract models of significant outcome. This creates a series of ever-widening networks, each working through its own means of communication, thus broadening the involvement of the venue and its activities. The schools programme will engage with primary, second-level and third-level colleges. Guided tours and discussions will be available for pupils and students of all ages. The programme will be available to all community groups, family groups, youth and after-school groups and people with learning and physical disability.

PRESS AND MARKETING POTENTIAL Press releases will be provided throughout the projects phases. The Marketing plan is based on mass production of souvenirs, postcards and posters of urban interventions, games, bags, T-shirts, necklaces, earrings, rings, etc. The souvenirs will be displayed in site-specific designed showcases in museums’ shops in UK and abroad. (…) The many tourists who are brought to S. Maria Maggiore church on sight-seeing tours hardly notice the unique character of the surroundings. The simply check off one of the starred numbers in their guide-books and hasten on to the next one. But they do not experience the place in the way some boys I saw there a few days ago did. I imagine they were pupils from a nearby monastery school. They had a recess at eleven O’clock and employed the time playing a very special kind of ball game on the broad terrace at the top of the stairs. It was apparently a kind of football but they also utilized the wall in the game, as in squash—a curved wall, which they played against with great virtuosity. When the ball was out, it was most decidedly out, bouncing down all the steps and rolling several hundred feet further on with an eager boy rushing after it, in and out among motor cars and Vespas down near the great obelisk. S. E. Rasmussen recall.