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Mark McGowan's trip to the Salvo Fair
Dates: 10am Friday 16th June 2006 - July 2nd 2006
Mark McGowan, artist-in-residence for this year's Salvo Fair, will be somersaulting from the Gherkin in London to Knebworth House in Hertfordshire June and he hopes to arrive by the start of the fair on 1st July 2006.
Route: From the Gherkin St Mary Axe, Lloyds Building, Temple Bar, Guardian in Faringdon Road, Clerkenwell Prison Sans Walk, Kings Cross Station, canal to Wembley, Greenworks, Neasden Temple, Ikea, RAF Museum, Watling Street, salvage yard, BRE, St Albans Cathedral, then up to Knebworth.
Why the Gherkin?
Mark is starting at the Gherkin because the Baltic Exchange, that used to be on the site, will for sale at the Salvo Fair. The Baltic Exchange was a no-expense-spared Beaux Arts extravaganza which contained the finest materials the world's biggest shipping companies could buy and was probably the last building of its type ever built. When the building's structure was damaged in an explosion the exterior marble cladding and fab interiors were carefully dismantled and stored prior to the rebuild, but the rebuild never happened. Instead the decision was taken to build the Gherkin. Eventually an architectural salvage dealer bought the remains, which were shipped from Reading to Manchester and finally to Kent. And yes, they will be taken to the Salvo Fair at Knebworth this year where they will be displayed by the current owner, Dennis Buggins of Extreme Architecture.
   
Above left to right: Baltic Exchange main trading hall in use (319KB) copyright unknown; Baltic Exchange interior before demolition (236KB) copyright Extreme Architecture; Baltic Exchange facade (759KB) copyright unknown; Dennis Buggins astride dismantled columns and stonework from the Baltic Exchange in a barn in Kent (1.9MB) photo may be used free, credit 'Salvo 2006'
Why the somersaulting?
Mark McGowan is going head over heels to Knebworth as his way of saying that more salvage should be reclaimed and reused and less recycled and destroyed. This is what he says: 'In an extraordinary art performance environmentally conscious artist Mark McGowan is intending to roll head over heals on top of a door for 40 miles. Sponge will be strapped onto his head and back he will then attempt to dive over four household bricks which are placed on top of a door which has hinges in the middle and then move the door along, this incredible feat of endurance will be repeated for 40 miles from London to Knebworth.'
What's wrong with recycling?
Recycling old buildng materials means destroying them. Reclaiming old building materials means saving them for reuse. If the Baltic Exchange had been 'recycled' the thousands of tons of fabulous materials would have been crushed for hardcore, not reclaimed and saved for reuse. Recycling is increasingly happening to salvageable materials. So less is being reused, more energy and resources are being wasted, and global warming continues. Neither the government, nor heritage groups, greens or policy makers seem to be interested in, or aware of, the issue. Perhaps the reuse of the Baltic should have been facilitated when a decision was made to demolish it, so that its future was secure. Should SwissRe have paid the costs of the Baltic's careful dismantling, storage and the location of a site and customers for its reuse? Or should taxpayers pay? Or is there another way?
How will Knebworth help?
Salvo is inviting construction professionals to a special afternoon on Friday 30th June where they can hear what is going on and meet the salvage trade to discuss what might be done to improve the situation throughout the UK. We are hoping for a huge response, but will settle for something small and meaningful. Any construction professional man or woman, architect, interior designer, landscaper, developer or builder is welcome to come. Please apply for a free ticket from Salvo. The event is being sponsored by the BRE and will see the launch of a new book about reclaiming more by Bill Addis of Buro Happold.
PICTURE EDITORS: A gallery of 150 copyright-free photos available as 2.5MB jpegs, of Mark McGowan and Dennis Buggins taken on Sunday 30 April.
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The Salvo Fair at Knebworth: A unique buying experience!
Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire SG3 6PY (30 miles north of London).
Sat 1 July 11am-5.30pm
Sun 2 July 11am-5.30pm
£7 Adults and children. Free parking and access to Knebworth's facilities including kids play areas.
How to get there
The sixth Salvo Fair...
is set to be the biggest Salvo fair yet. On the 1st and 2nd of July Knebworth house will be the back drop for a gathering of exhibitors in all kinds of architectural and garden objects. The focus is antique and reclaimed, but there will be plenty of room for modern, eco-friendly and traditional alternatives. Old doors, stained glass windows, antique fireplaces, original pews, reclaimed stonework, gates, railings, baths, kitchenware and the paraphernalia of everyday living from Victorian times to the 1960's will all be exhibited for sale. Look out for traditional building material demonstrations and samples of reclaimed building materials like old bricks, flagstones and wood flooring available for ordering. Salvo have been promoting the trade since 1992. See www.salvoweb.com for dealers, items for sale and wanted, directories, Salvo Code, Theft Alerts and more.
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