XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

Modern architecture can definitely amaze your imagination. If you take a look at some of the buildings and constructions, you can find yourself questioning in disbelief “Is what I see real?” Architecture affects on the mood and feelings of people every day. It is no wonder, because most of our life we are surrounded by various buildings. The variety of architecture are to be seen in Britain from prehistoric monuments to the modern skyscrapers. Human’s imagination has no boundaries in creating ideas for new architectural projects. One of these remarkable people is a British designer, sculptor and architect Alex Chinneck, who is known for his urban surreal architectural installations. All of his projects are notable for the elements of optical illusions. The main goal of the British architect is to reconstruct the old buildings in London. He began working in 2012. One of the most famous of his artworks is a sliding house in Margate. The project, which is called “From the knees of my nose to the belly of my toes” give such impression as if a facade is slipping off the building, revealing a top floor usually hidden behind brickwork.

Perhaps one of Chinneck's most compelling pieces came in 2014. This was a two-storeyed melting house, made out of 7,500 wax bricks, disappearing over two months. The project was called “A Pound of Flesh for 50p”. After some time, in 2014, Alex Chinneck performs a “magic trick”, constructing a floating house. Called “Take My Lightning But Don’t Steal My Thunder”, the installation paid attention of many tourists. It appeared that the upper half of the building was floating, and had been ripped apart from its base. The newest of the artworks of the architect is a building with its facade being unzipped.

In 2019, Chinneck has presented the building with a giant zipper on its facade in Milan. In addition to the incredible exterior, the building's interior is also filled with several installations that carry through the zipper theme. A floor "unzips" to reveal a bright white light, and an internal wall is similarly disrobed to reveal another glowing light. All these astounding works have earned the British architect a reputation as a master of urban illusion. Alex Chinneck unites the disciplines of art, architecture, theatre and engineering, the works of British architect have colossal impression, that make the public stop, wonder, and smile. Alex Chinneck is a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and a trustee of the Royal British Society of Sculptors. His works have been featured extensively by international media with selected projects welcoming over one million visitors.

Sources:

1. Томахин Г.Д. Великобритания: Лингвострановедческий словарь / Сост. Г.Д. Томахин. – М.: ООО «Издательство АСТ»: ООО «Издательство Астрель», 2001. – 336 с.

2. Кушнер М. Будущее архитектуры. 100 самых необычных зданий / М. Кушнер; пер. с англ. Е. Валкиной. – М.: «Издательство АСТ»: CORPUS, 2016. – 176 с.

3. Robertson C. Alex Chinneck: Architectural Sculpture and Illusion [Электронный ресурс]: 2018. – Режим доступа: http://www.hastastandrews.com/features/2018/1/23/alex-chinneck-architectural-sculpture-andillusion, свободный. – Загл. с экрана.