Ross Murden - March 1 

 

During this project I have been exploring the post-industrial relationship between water and the city; primarily London and the abandoned infrastructure of the rivers and canals in the Lower Lea Valley. I have investigated changing attitudes towards water and how this has reinforced ideas of a dichotomy between nature and culture; leading to canals and rivers within the city being underutilised and disengaged. As a result of this study I developed a proposal to harness tidal energy in the Chanelsea river - in a way somewhat reminiscent of the nearby watermills - that would create a surfable wave along a canal-like basin of naturally filtered water.

 

By pumping energy into the water; allowing it to flow across the site; allowing it to feed into hydroponic gardens and create activity in London's forgotten waterways my aim was to create a symbiotic and fundamentally sustainable intervention: Instigating a change in our attitude of resistance towards water and exploring an alternative perspective on public space, infrastructure, and the relationship between man and nature.