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Victoria House

Squint/Opera

Flashing artificial lights and noises reveal the birth of an astonishing new architectural body.


Like a living organism, Victoria House (Bloomsbury Square, London, UK) seems to react - from its ground floors to its top floors - to the insertion of the new elements from Alsop Architects‘ refurbishment design.

In this 16 mm video made by Squint/Opera, a surreal tour permits to explore, from the nighttime to the early morning, the deserted spaces of the historical building. First completed in 1932, the stunning neoclassical landmark is in the heart of one of the most historical areas of the City and reconfigured in 2003 by Garbe on Alsop's design.

At night, when offices, retail and leisure spaces are still empty, the video makers imagine artificial lights and their noise and sounds - almost an involuntary concert - suddenly animating as the camera enters the inner modern spaces.

Squint/Opera's imaginary tour highlights the intersections between the old and the new parts of the building, while showing how the traditional facades and structure of the building hide and contrast with the renovated internal spaces, such as the staircases, the entrance hall and, most of all, the spectacular surprise of two egg-shaped pods suspended in the atrium from the cantilevered floors.

The video was commissioned by Garbe UK Ltd. for presentation use in various circumstances including MIPIM Awards 2004.

Credits

Metioned project: Refurbishment of Victoria House (2003)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Sound design: Isambard Khroustaliov

United Kingdom 2004
Duration: 5'49''

Selected for SCRIPT, the 2005 edition of the BEYOND MEDIA Festival organized by Image.