walter jack studio: crushed wall

‘crushedwall’ by walter jack studio all photos by simon burt

‘crushed wall’ is the latest architectural installation by british artist walter jack. situated at the entrance of the heartlands project in cornwall, UK, the expansive 40-metre long, 3-metre high wall utilizes concrete in such a way that it appears as soft and malleable, partially wrapping around the perimeter of a building.

artist’s words: ‘when we were installing it one of the client team members asked if they could touch it. concrete isn’t known for its tactile qualities. maybe that’s a first! ‘crushedwall’ is, for me, about two things. it’s about geology and it’s about process, the way that things are made.

geology first. heartlands sits over a very special geology. 19th century miners dug an astonishing 1000 metres down through granite to extract tin ore. this is one of the hidden stories that heartlands will celebrate. when we were asked to design a retaining–wall the geological connection seemed serendipitous. retaining walls hold back the geology. they are the boundary between our above-ground world and the world of mining.

and process… one of the things that interests me as a maker is the way in which made things are so much duller than the processes that got them there. watch glass blowing and you’ll see more beauty there than you’ll ever see in the finished vase! concrete is not noted for its fluid softness. and yet it is a liquid. we wanted our concrete to tell its own story – to retain the liquidness of its process.‘

general view

the 40-metre long wall is situated at the entrance of the heartlands in cornwall, UK

detail

alternative view

artist walter jack standing with ‘crushed wall’

installation by night

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions’  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.