Greenpeace Airplot

In 2009 the Government announced that there were to be plans to build a thrid runway at Heathrow airport. Just two days before this, Greenpeace had bought a plot of land right in the middle of the proposed runway site. The airport expansion means the destruction of the entire village of Sipson, which lies just north of the current runways at Heathrow, along with many more losses & environmental issues.
Greenpeace have released an open ideas competition to architects, landscape architects, engineers, artists & architectural students to help fortify the Airplot site & aim to prevent expansion of the airport.

As our Semester 2 project we are complying to the Greenpeace brief to create a 'fortress' on the Airplot site. You must design a structure, or landscape, or anything really that will withstand pressure from airport security, police & anyone else that tries to stop Greenpeace from protesting against the expansion, & that allows dozens of protesters to live on site for a series of weeks. I have looked into the defensive systems that occur in nature; from animals nests/habitats to carnivorous plants. Below are some images of natures defenses that gave me inspiration for this project.

'Strange Worlds' by Matthew Albanese

From looking at the photography Matthew Albanese produces you have to think what a lucky guy he is; always being in the right place at the right time. His photos have captured such things as volcanic eruptions, raging tornados, a burning room & many more. But how does he know when he will be able to catch these incredible rare occurances on film???.....


.....He doesn't, all of the photos above are fake. He is not only a photographer but a very detailed model maker. He creates small-scale miniature landscapes, which he calls his 'Strange Worlds', & then he photographs them.

Landscape Photographer Of The Year 2009

Here are a selection of the winning & runner up entries for the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards, held at the Royal National Theatre on Southbank, London. There were some very interesting entries, the following photos are the ones that particularly grabbed my attention. It was apparent that the majority of the photographs had been edited using photoshop, mainly using the curves tool. The top image is my favourite, it reminds me of a runaway train. Sadly the photo quality is not 100% so it may not convey as well as it did at the exhibition

Pier disappearing into fog

Straight road curving off lens??

The River Thames, clearing skies after a storm

Driftwood

Abandoned in the Thames

Sheep after being colour sprayed

Snowy track at sunset

I love the images that capture two different, contrasting elements, such as this one; the sheep grazing in a field, backed by a 100 foot wind turbine

Stranded sailing boats

Underneath the Millenium Bridge

Mountainous landscape with strange blackened circles

Deep rocky crevases