Kings Cross Map // Emily Burke
What is this piece?
The 'TOG Map' is not only a piece of art but also a functional map of the area of Kings Cross.
Who commissioned it?
This piece was commission by The Office, a London based serviced office provider.
What was the brief from the client?
The client wanted us to produce a piece of art that highlighted the advantages of working in their building in Kings Cross. Being a serviced office they are looking to attract new tenants all the time. They wanted to Illustrate the main tourist attractions in Kings Cross right down to the small individual cafes that bring character and charm to the area. It was also important to indicate where the Office Group building was in relation to everything around it. Although the map isn't 100% geographically correct, each of the four sections represent the areas surrounding Grays inn Road. In terms of the aesthetics of the map, we were pretty much given free range, which is always exciting for us as artists.
How did you approach the project?
It started with a day out in Kings Cross! We visited and researched all the places we felt would attract the demographic of existing and potential occupants. Landmarks such as St Pancras International were visited, as well as 'Sam Widges' the local cafe a few doors down from The Office Group. Back at HQ, we plotted each place using old packaging boxes to signify the buildings. Using Gray's Inn Road as our centre point, we arranged the buildings into 4 sections which covered not only Kings Cross but the surrounding areas, such a Hatton Garden and Bloomsbury. We originally envisaged the different buildings would be made from 3D blocks as we wanted to create different heights for the buildings, but as the process developed we decided using flat pieces and raising them at different heights created great shadows and drama to the piece.
How did you make it?
We first designed each block individually as we wanted each place to have it's own design identity. Although each block is different, we grouped the stations, cafe's and coffee houses together and gave them a uniform design, much like a map, so they could be easily identified. For instance the cafe's and restaurants all have a red and white tablecloth motif as a background making them instantly recognisable at a glance similarly the coffee shops were given a hesian coffee bean bag background. We originally wanted to print directly on these materials, but decided printing straight to metal would give a better effect with the natural light. There are 54 different designs on the map including astroturf to represent the parks. The best part of what we do here at acrylicize is actually making the artwork ourselves. The large metal canvas turned up ay HQ late one night, along with 54 smaller metal prints and over 60 custom cut acrylic rods and we got to work sticking! There were three different levels of acrylic rod, so we stuck the panels according to height, Accuracy was key to the process, as the slightest wrong move and a panel wouldn't be straight and would be stuck! The finishing touch to the map and probably my favourite element is the miniature models of people, trees and transport. They really create scale, fun and life to the piece. I like the fact that you need to go up close to the piece to really see them.
What has been the response to the piece?
We've had a great response to the map, from both existing tenants and potential clients looking to move into the area. As it is situated in reception, it gives you a chance to explore the piece in its entirety and find all the hidden touches along the way while you wait to be seen. It also attracts attention from the outside as it sits right next to a large window onto the street. What's nice about this piece is that it directly helps the sales team at The Office and has now become part of the tour of the building!
