Artist, Kerry Lemon, has been appointed to transform elements of the urban landscape and public realm at the £240million shopping and leisure destination, The Lexicon Bracknell, opening in September 2017.
Working with an array of materials, and inspired by the abundance of local green spaces, natural habitats and flora and fauna around the borough of Bracknell Forest, Kerry will create 36 brass designed paving slabs, five large benches, six brass lanterns and a series of gobo lights that project stencilled images.
Based on plants that thrive in the area, the floral designs for the paving is cut in brass and then inlayed into the dark granite paving slabs, creating a unique nature trail throughout the town centre. The benches also embody the ‘wildness’ theme, each shaped as a birch leaf and inlayed with brass to depict the leaf’s veins. Solid brass insects indigenous to Bracknell are then embedded in each bench.
Six brass drum lanterns, each one metre in height, will be laser cut with local edible flower designs and will line one of the newly created, pedestrianised roads. Another of The Lexicon’s streets will see gobo light projections of moth illustrations, cast onto the flooring, further enriching the evening experience within the new town centre.
Working alongside the project’s landscape architect, Gillespies, and the architects on the 580,000 sq ft scheme, BDP, as well as the contractors, Mace and Knight Highwood, Kerry’s pieces will be placed in key locations throughout the new town centre, to dramatically improve the aesthetic of the public realm
Kerry Lemon, Artist, comments:
“I spent six months researching the local forest and extensive nature found across the borough to introduce a feeling of ‘wildness’ as a contrast to the buildings and formal landscaping. I’m thrilled that my designs will be a part of the new urban landscape for The Lexicon Bracknell, and accessible for all residents and visitors to enjoy.”
The Lexicon Bracknell is being developed by The Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (“BRP”), a 50:50 joint venture between Legal & General Capital (“LGC”) and Schroder UK Real Estate Fund (“SREF”), working in partnership with Bracknell Forest Council (“BFC”), and will bring 580,000 sq ft of new shopping and dining space to the town centre.
Simon Russian, development manager for Legal & General on behalf of the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, says:
“In order to create her artworks, Kerry worked closely with our design teams, exploring ways to combine the urban environment with the green spaces found across the borough. Using brass as the primary material is a great compliment to the metallic materials used across the new town centre buildings. We have no doubt that the resulting works will create fantastic points of additional interest in The Lexicon for customers, as well as enhancing the design ethos of the development. We believe that Kerry’s work will be considered as a great example of how artists can collaborate with architects and developers to create memorable landscapes.”
Jessica Berney, Head of UK Retail at Schroder Real Estate, adds:
“Kerry’s project is certainly a complex one, working alongside our design teams to produce pieces that vary in size and scale to ultimately transform the landscape of the new town centre. These enhancements to the buildings and public realm, teamed with the exciting line-up of brands being signed, will make The Lexicon Bracknell the first choice for shopping and dining in Berkshire.”
Kerry has previously created designs for Liberty London, window installations for Harvey Nichols and international public art and architectural projects. Artscape Management project managed the art programme and Kerry Lemon’s projects for The Lexicon Bracknell.
