Category Archives: archictecture

125th Anniversary Architecture Competitions

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In the Community Shop West Waddy ADP, the Architects, are exhibiting the results of two competitions.
New Shop Front
Students of Abingdon’s schools were asked to ‘devise imaginative new shop-fronts and signage to improve the legibility and identity of the town’s retail environment.’ The winning entry was a new shop front for Mostly Books created by Grace Edge from St Helen and Katherine School. Mark from Mostly Books was very pleased with the design.

On the other side were entries to a competition for students at Brookes University to assess the key issues necessary to improve connectivity between Abingdon town and the river Thames.

The competitions are part of the West Waddy 125th Anniversary celebrations.

Halfway up the museum stairs

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Musuem soon to close
At the end of the month the County Hall museum will close for redevelopment. The staircase is not going to be altered, although in the early days the idea to sink a lift up the central shaft was suggested.
Musuem soon to close
The staircase has been used in recent years to display a brief history of Abingdon.
Musuem soon to close
One display says ‘Entrusted to mother earth’ and tells of the collapse of Roman rule and the coming of the Saxons.
Musuem soon to close
Then about half way up the stairs one reaches the Sessions hall where the main exhibition, reception desk, shop and coffee shop are currently to be found …

Where West is East

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West Waddy ADP
Our house has one claim to fame that I know of… It has the same house number as West Waddy ADP – the architects. We often get smartly dressed visitors knocking at the door asking for West Waddy.

West Waddy ADP are in East St Helen Street and we are West St Helen Street. So it is an easy mistake to make. West Waddy are the last house before the river next to the slipway – shown in the picture.

West Waddy have been celebrating, this year, 125 years since their predecessor John George Timothy West began practising in the Knowl off Stert Street. That makes them one of the oldest architectural practises in the country.

Lighting Engineers at The County Hall this evening

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County Hall Museum
During the daylight an artist was seen working on a number of charcoal sketches.
County Hall Museum
When evening arrived a group of lighting engineers took over. Watched by the museum curator, the architect and project team from Ridge and Partners, the lighting engineers tried out various positions under the County Hall …

County Hall Museum
Nothing too fancy. Just up lights trying to arrive at the best way of  showing the museum exterior and undercroft at night.

All part of the impending closure and redevelopment project.

The museum curator apologised that the museum could not play such a big role in Heritage Day this year but the closure is now so close.