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	Forward
	The Walsall Gallery - A design set square in the tenets of modern architecture and at the confluence of events which shape the evolution and development of Walsall. The story of Building is complex. Architecture reflects the multitude of forces which shape our lives. It celebrates a myriad of decisions made by large numbers of people over long periods of time. The New Art Gallery in Walsall is no different. Here a distinctive addition to the skyline of the town is taking shape. The fabric of the building is nearing completion and fitting out is proceeding. What aggregate of ideas and histories is seen here? What passions drive the New Art Gallery? How has the past influenced what we experience? Where did the money come from? Who decided what the New Art Gallery would look like? What is its place in contemporary architecture? Buying a building (or having one built) is rather like purchasing new clothes. There are choices to be made. What sort of style should it be? How much should it cost? Will it wear well? Does it fit? But people usually buy clothes for themselves. Public buildings like galleries are more often created for organisations. They are paid for by public money. Decisions are taken by committees or an individual representing and responsible to a committee. Today there are more styles of architecture and ways to create a building than ever before. Indeed, never has there been such a rich palette from which to choose. James Steele, in his book 'Architecture Today' (Phaidon 1998), classifies architects and their work under a series of themes ranging from Contemporary Vernacular to the New Moderns, describing their philosophies and illustrating them with examples. Steele's categorisation of contemporary architecture can be summarised as: * The New Expressionists, who respond to the need to stress the spiritual rather than the rational and purely functional aspects of buildings, often incorporating bold personal statements and 'organic' forms. Included in these are Will Alsop's Hotel du Departement in Marseilles and CZWG's China Wharf in London Docklands. * Ecological (also referred to as 'sustainable' or 'green') architecture which is driven by concerns for an environmental sensibility that goes beyond energy issues to include more pervasive attitudes to social interrelationships, international interaction and resource depletion and their aesthetic implications, such as Short Ford and Associate's Queens Building at De Montfort University, Leicester. * The New Moderns whose stylistic and formal loyalties link them directly with the modernist mainstream of the early 20th century and include I. M. Pei's Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris and Colin St John Wilson's New British Library in London. * Contemporary vernacular which reflects trends that can be found in many countries to find a more authentic regional voice for their architecture growing out of their individual roots and cultures. Hassan Fathay in Egypt is a good example of someone adopting this approach, as is Sri Lanka's Geoffrey Bawa. * High-tech which reflects a passionate commitment to the use and expression of contemporary technology as a prime generator of architecture and the visual appearance of building. Examples of high-tech buildings include Nicholas Grimshaw's Waterloo Station extension and Michael Hopkin's Schlumberger Centre in Cambridge. The arguments and exposition range across other styles such as the Classical Revival, Minimalism, Deconstructivism and Post-Modernism. The importance of the debate, whether we like it, or are aware of it, is that architecture influences everyone to some extent in their daily lives. Buildings can be uplifting or depressing. They could make you feel like jumping for joy or alternatively throwing yourself off them. This is why it is so important that architecture is debated as widely as possible and that clients, the people who 'purchase' buildings know what can be achieved. A client without vision will almost certainly lead to a building with no spirit. The more communities are aware of the potential for good architecture, the more they can demand of the politicians and clients. But creating architecture takes time as well as an awareness of what is possible. Five years from having the idea for a new building to appointing the design team and completing the construction process is a typical period. But the events which give rise to the conditions in which a building is constructed span far greater periods of time. Their influence will last many years into the future. The process requires an imaginative client, a supportive political context, a planning authority willing and able to recognise quality issues and take risks about the future. The right funding conditions have to be in place. The builder or contractor must be able to complete the work to a high standard. Above all, of course, an architect and design team capable of delivering an outstanding design and achieving the desired results at every stage of what is inevitably a long and drawn out process is essential. Ultimately, a building may be greatly loved or widely disliked. It may become a landmark influencing events for years to come or quickly fall into disrepute. So how does the process begin? How are the risks minimised? How can a client achieve the best results? There are all sorts of ways to commission a building. Holding an open competition is one. Selecting a design team through a process of competitive interviews is another. A private individual or company may know an architect they want to work with or have seen a building they like and found out who designed it. The decision at this stage is most important. Choosing the design team will influence everything that happens thereafter. Anyone commissioning a building should spend time looking at what is possible and making sure they are selecting the best team for their project. Whatever process is used to make the appointment the critical factors are the individual judgements made by the selection panel, jury, or individual client. The most sophisticated process in the world will not generate outstanding results if the people making the decisions lack the ability to make informed, imaginative judgements. All architecture reflects the wider social, political and economic context. The New Art Gallery in Walsall is no exception. Here there are five storeys to be told about the Gallery's creation: * The Client - The vision and approach of the gallery project team * Placing Walsall - The context of Walsall, its history and evolution * The Big Picture - The political and economic background and sources of funding * Selecting the Architects - The way in which the design team was selected * An Art House for Walsall - The design philosophy of the professional team in realising the project goals Each of these is a separate storey but they all interlock. There are other storeys as well, but none as important as these five. References and Bibliography: STEELE, JAMES, Architecture Today, Phaidon, 1998
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