Demonstrating how effectively HIMACS solid surface can transform any setting, the high-performance, ultra versatile material has been used to illuminate the history of EMI records in Hayes, where it now lines the walls of a widely-used pedestrian underpass.
A fine example of an urban regeneration project that is sensitive to its local community, the tunnel leads from the train station towards the Old Vinyl Factory (now a housing development) where once so many chart-topping discs were pressed. The renovation was led by design studio The Decorators, with graphics by Bandiera to represent the grooves on vinyl records. Multiple panels of HIMACS in the translucent colourway Opal have been customised with these CNC engravings celebrating the heritage of the prestigious British music label.
The cladding is constructed from steel, aluminium and HIMACS, with LED lighting fitted behind each separate panel – which have not been seamlessly joined in this case to allow for maintenance access to the electrical systems. The once painted walls now become a playful interaction of texture, tone and light, echoing in stereo the sound of local people passing through on their daily commute. The installation also recognises the contribution of Alan Blumlein, one of the most prolific British inventors of the 20th century, who pioneered stereo sound recording and was a senior sound engineer at EMI in Hayes.
The new wall cladding has a dynamic quality, not only through natural light changes at different times of the day and the year, but through the LED backlighting enhancing the patterns of the panel design, which grows more evocative as daylight dims. This is enhanced by the ethereal translucency of HIMACS in Opal, a neutral colourway which comes to luminous life with light diffusion through the material. The cladding was fabricated and fitted by The White Wall Company who specialise in such complex, artistic, public installations.
Strong, sleek, durable and easy to maintain, HIMACS is ideal for public projects such as this. Its design versatility makes it eminently adaptable and its non-porous, homogeneous composition makes it resistant to staining. Furthermore, any damage – whether accidental such as scuffs and scratches, or deliberate such as graffiti – can in most cases be removed or repaired. Used widely for high-impact exterior cladding and facade projects, HIMACS is also UV resistant in the colours earmarked for such applications.
Reviving a starry past for present and future generations:
The Sound of Hayes project was commissioned by the London Borough of Hillingdon. Councillor Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, comments: “Reviving our town centres is a key part of our council strategy and we’re committed to supporting projects that ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come.”
As part of these infrastructure projects, over £8.5 million has been dedicated to the improvement of Hayes town centre, including part of Transport for London’s new Elizabeth line station. Funding includes section 106 contributions from land and property developers, which have paid for the transformation of the underpass.
So, the residents of Hayes now have an elegantly lit and decorated pedestrian facility, and one can’t help wondering whether recording artists from Queen to Kate Bush, Pink Floyd to Kraftwerk may have once walked through a formerly drab and gloomy underpass on their way to EMI in their early days… and what they might think about the homage paid to their label on the walls of the tunnel today.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Location: Hayes, London Borough of Hillingdon
Design: The Decorators www.the-decorators.net
Graphic Design: Guglielmo Rossi Bandiera www.bandiera.co.uk
HIMACS Supplier: James Latham www.lathamtimber.co.uk
Fabricator: The White Wall Company www.thewhitewall.co.uk
Material: HIMACS Opal S302
Photo credits: Josh Cameron, Feed Me Content
Project website: https://www.lxhausys.com/eu-en
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