Riverside Pods For 'Tides And Times' Festival

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 176 months ago
Riverside Pods For 'Tides And Times' Festival
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Alsop pod design at Somerset House, constructed by FACIT
Alsop pod design at Somerset House, constructed by FACIT
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The pod was designed with help from pupils at Christ Church School, Kensington and Chelsea
The pod was designed with help from pupils at Christ Church School, Kensington and Chelsea
The pod was designed in conjunction with students from Peter Hills School, Southwark
The pod was designed in conjunction with students from Peter Hills School, Southwark
Amenity Space pod design at Southwark Cathedral
Amenity Space pod design at Southwark Cathedral
View through the roof of Southwark pod
View through the roof of Southwark pod

After temporary structures at the Serpentine, Bedford Square, and the Barbican, are these the last of the summer pavilions? In advance of September's Thames Festival, the Tides and Times exhibition opened last week, with three pods located at Southbank Centre, Somerset House and Southwark Cathdral.

A celebration of the River Thames, Tides and Times is the brainchild of BBC 21CC, which united 15 primary schools and 17 attractions along the stretch of the river that ran through London. Kids from the schools developed multimedia content in response to workshops at places like HMS Belfast, Hampton Court, and the Globe.

In conjunction with SCABAL, pupils from St Edmunds' school in Tower Hamlets devised a path along the river that links all the attractions. Pupils from other schools helped to design three 'pods' at key stages along the route: the Amenity Space pod at Southwark Cathedral with Peter Hills School, Southwark; the Alsop pod design at Somerset House with Christ Church School, Kensington and Chelsea; and the Urban Salon pod at Southbank Centre, with All Saints, Hammersmith and Fulham.

The pods contain touch-screen TVs which show the fruits of the kids' work and allow visitors to explore the route digitally, and delve into the history of this collaborative project. You can see examples of their work here.

The pods are free to visit, and they are open until 13th September. The Thames Festival takes place 12-13 September. Check out RIBA's photo gallery for more pics, and scale models of the Southbank Centre design, which is awaiting approval from Lambeth Council.

Last Updated 22 July 2009