Alice Lockley

Coventry’s Environmental Car Crisis: An Electric Car Exhibition

This exhibition focuses on the deteriorating natural environment and how implementing lifestyle changes such as the use of electric cars can affect people. Through an innovative, interactive design response, with a focus on public engagement, the exhibition will:

– Educate viewers about the depleting environment and how electric cars can help,

– While promoting electric cars through the means of sculptures, written boards and artwork.

This will simultaneously create a completely inclusive environment by providing wheelchair access and a multi-media environment by using headsets. In Coventry, the demographic is diverse, with 50 languages being spoken in primary schools, so by including headsets it ensures that the maximum amount of people are engaged. Public engagement is becoming increasingly important because environmental damage is accelerating and without potential change we risk the environmental damage becoming irreversible. 

The concept specifically came from concept models of scaffolding. The model influenced the overall design, so it was important to successfully and professionally translate it into the building. Therefore, the fundamental model concept, that the scaffolding used in the building mimics car factories whilst supporting the building and allowing transparency, would be applied to the concept in The Wave. It was clear that this obvious link between the manufacturing process and the presentation of electric cars would make a more coherent design. To apply this idea into the building, there is a scaffolding cage encasing the interior of the building which interlaces with each floor.  This not only mimics the start of a vehicle’s life but also the development in vehicle history as so much has changed in cars, but warehouse shells appear the same. The most fundamental intervention in the space is the scaffolding which punctures through all floors in certain parts, for example the central reservation pierces through to the ceiling. This will provide divisions through each floor without making the rooms feel enclosed, and to give visitors a sense of mystery when walking past. 

Designed by Alice Lockley.