Orfordness

The ex-military test and research site at Orfordness on the Suffolk coast is an ongoing point of reference in my work . The combination of the wide-open landscape interspersed with an assortment of intriguingly shaped buildings and the footprints of structures long gone has resulted in a unique and fascinating mix of natural and man-made forms.

View across to the A.W.R.E site

Nic Pehkonen, Lab4a, 2009, Emulsion on unstretched canvas, 200cm x 60cm

For those who like their facts and figures, Orfordness is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe (approx 2000 acres in size and 10 miles long) and is also home to a lighthouse but it is more popularly associated with the history and architectural legacy of its military past.

Brick building with Orfordness lighthouse in the background

Land at Orfordness was purchased by the War Department just before the Fist World War and evolved over the years as a classified research and test site. Experiments were carried out on ballistics, camouflage, aircraft weapons lethality and vulnerability and also aerial photography. 

Bomb Ballistics Building

Orfordness also played it's part in the early pioneering development of radar and from the 1950s it played host to the Atomic Weapons and Research Establishment (AWRE) where a variety of unique buildings (laboratories) were constructed to perform tests on the (non-fissile) components of nuclear bombs. These buildings are arguably the most visually striking structures on the site with their unique, concrete forms decaying slowly in the surrounding shingle landscape.

Lab 4

Lab 4 roof

Nic Pehkonen, Lab4c, 2010, Emulsion on unstretched canvas, 200cm x 60cm

Inside one of the Test Laboratories

Nic Pehkonen, Inside Lab4, 2010, Emulsion on unstretched canvas, 183cm x 183cm

During the Cold War another part of the Orfordness site was developed in a collaborative effort between the US and UK governments to construct  a huge and massively powerful "Over-the-Horizon" radar designed to monitor military activity beyond the Iron Curtain. This project was codenamed "Cobra Mist" and although construction was completed (at enormous cost), it never worked properly and following a series of trials which failed to eliminate persistent background noise, the project was abandoned in early 1973.

Lab 1

Nic Pehkonen, Duct Pipe, 2009, Emulsion on canvas stretched over plywood (3 panels), 120cm x 120 cm

The AWRE site was also wound up in the early 1970s and apart from a very brief period of activity shortly after the Falklands War, Orfordness was effectively finished as a test establishment although a considerable amount of work was carried out to clear large amounts of live/unexploded ordnance left behind from decades of testing (and which is still being uncovered to this day!)

Lab 2 Blast Door

The site was eventually purchased by the National Trust in 1993 and was officially opened to the public in 1995. In my opinion the National Trust has done the right thing with the site. They have an enlightened approach and employed a zero restoration policy on most of the buildings and mercifully there is no horrible trademark shop or tearoom - just a very basic lavatory block in the way of facilities.

Lavatory Block

For those who want to find out more about Orfordness, I would definitely suggest a visit in the first instance. General opening times can be found on the National Trust website and I think there are still occasional guided tours where access is allowed to parts of the site not normally accessible to the general visitor. 

The Black Beacon - one of very few restored structures on the site.

I would also strongly recommend one of the very few books written about Orfordness. "Most Secret - The Hidden History of Orfordness" is by Paddy Heazell and published by The History Press in association with the National Trust.  Despite the fact that a lot of the work on Orfordness was secret he has nevertheless carried out a great deal of research and succeeded in putting together a fascinating history of the place, based on available information.
  

New Painting (work in progress)

I suppose it is more usual to photograph works only on completion but I thought it might be interesting to document a painting in progress. So, here are a few images (taken today) of the painting I am currently working on.

The starting point for this painting comes from the interior of one of the A.W.R.E test laboratories at the ex military test site at Orfordness on the Suffolk coast. Here is a photo of the building in question.

Lab 1 at Orfordness

The painting is at a fairly early stage but if I can capture the something of the essence of the place I will be happy.

A closer view

The edge of the painting and the studio floor which is an ongoing painting in it's own right!

Whitbread Tower Demolition

Following my previous post, here are some photographs I took of the Whitbread Tower looking good in the process of being demolished. I can't remember the year but I think it may have been 2005 or maybe 2006. The site is now occupied by a 2-storey NCP car park which actually doesn't look too bad.

Cheltenham Architecture - Part Two

Here are a couple of buildings not more than a few hundred yards apart. One is a Cheltenham landmark and the other I had never noticed until quite recently but both are worthy of attention.


First up is the Eagle Star Building or Eagle Tower, as it is currently known.

The only high-rise building in Cheltenham since the Whitbread tower was demolished several years ago. (I think I have some photos of this in the process of demolition).

A bit of basic online research reveals that the building was completed in 1968 and functioned as the administrative head office and computer centre for Eagle Star Insurance. Its central lozenge-shaped tower set on top of slender polygonal columns offers great ground level views from just about every angle.

Nice columns

Satisfying angles and fantastic parapet with "cut-out" design.

Positioned at right angles to the main main tower there is a secondary, low-rise annexe. Again this follows a similar lozenge-shaped design but the defining feature of this part of the building is the amazing exterior concrete decorative work which you can hopefully make out from the image below.

© Copyright Tom Jolliffe and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence 

On the other side of the tower is a third, slightly more regularly shaped block. Altogether, they add up to a fine looking building complex (from the outside anyway). 

The tower was open to the public last year as part of the National Heritage Open Days scheme and for one day the public were allowed access through the building and up onto the roof. I recall taking the fast lift up to a floor near the top and walking up the service stairs to the roof. Not only do you get the distant views to the edge of town and beyond but because of the building's central location it affords really interesting aerial views of other nearby buildings. For instance you can see the layout and size of gardens which are hidden from view at street level. I don't know if it will be open again this year (the scheme runs from 6-9 September) but if it is, I would highly recommend a visit.


Just a few streets away from the Eagle Star Tower is the Montpellier Retreat electricity substation. Even at a glance this building has a satisfying simplicity to it but when you take the time to stop and take a closer look, it reveals some amazing details.

Montpellier Retreat Substation. (looks good even on a grey wet day!)

Here are some of the things you can see on closer inspection.

Shallow curved concrete porch cover with scalloped edging.

If you are going to design doors for an electricity substation
they may as well be super stylish

And don't forget to include cut-out metal lightning bolts
 on the railings outside.

Satisfying proportions and clever use of materials combine to
create a small but perfectly formed building.

Does anyone know who designed this building? Whoever it was, they did a fantastic job!

Sizewell

The Suffolk coastline is packed with interesting (and often unusual) places and buildings. Sizewell is definitely one of those places, where the two huge nuclear power stations (A and B), dominate the surrounding area. 

Sizewell A - main reactor building - view from the beach

I particularly love the imposing structure of the main reactor building of Sizewell A with it's massive concrete and metal clad walls. Whatever thoughts you may have regarding nuclear power and technology, this is certainly impressive architecture and it is a recurring point of reference in my own work.

from another angle...

 a closer view.

Nice, rusting exterior walkways

so much lovely concrete.

In fact, it is amazing just how close you can get to the site from the beach. You can walk right up to the perimeter wall and in some places you can get a reasonably good vantage point from which to look into the site.

Perimeter wall

There are also some handy signs to alert you, should you be unaware that you are approaching a nuclear site.

Not forgetting the notice at the beach car park with useful advice on what you might like to do in the event of a nuclear emergency.

Sizewell A was finally shut down in 2006 and is currently a few years into it's lengthy decommissioning process about which you can find out more on the Magnox website.


Or you can visit the Nuclear Decommisioning Authority website.


There is also an interesting Daily Telegraph article relating to both Sizewell and nuclear power in general.


Of course you can always visit for yourself and find out what a wonderful place this is!

Sizewell beach

Greenham Common Bunker

I have just completed a new painting based on the bunkers at Greenham Common which were constructed to house the infamous US Cruise missiles for a period in the 1980s.

Nic Pehkonen, Greenham Common Bunker, 2012, w 169cm x h 179cm
Household emulsion paint on unstretched canvas hung on 4 x tarpaulin clips.

The idea for this painting came from looking at some aerial views of the bunkers which revealed them to be almost square (in terms of their footprint) and something of a letter 'H' shape which I thought would make for a satisfying composition.

Greenham Common Bunkers

Cheltenham Group of Artists - Spring Exhibition

I should really have posted this last week but I currently have a couple of paintings in the Cheltenham Group of Artists Spring Exhibition at the Gardens Gallery in Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham.

Nic Pehkonen, Cam Long Down, 2012, Acrylic on Canvas

Nic Pehkonen, Concrete Wall (Sizewell A), 2012, Household Emulsion on unstretched canvas

The exhibition runs until Tuesday and the gallery opening times are 10 - 5pm daily (including today, Sunday).