Themes and Metaphors

In the planning meeting of Creative Partners we started by looking at the image of the symmetrical White City exhibition with its extraordinary pavilions. We discovered that there is a wonderful linking of themes and metaphors across this project. 

Concentric circles

-         Thinking about the starting point and limits of the exploration in this project, we drew circles starting at the circular bandstand of the White City exhibition, moving out to embrace the Olympics, the whole White City area, then Hammersmith and Fulham, then considering the people who visited the exhibition from across the country, then considering the way the rest of the world is shown in the exhibitions and symbolised in the Olympics.

-         We remembered that the BBC is now at White City, carrying on the role of broadcasting public information about the world. The symbol of broadcasting is sonic ripples.

-         We thought about the circular courtyard at the BBC, now on the White City site, and how courtyards are important places in public or shared buildings. We thought about the importance of courtyard living in other countries and cultures.

-         We remembered the five Olympic rings

-         The circular or concentric forms of the oriental towers

-         Concentric rings as a way of folding away and opening out a structure 

Symmetry and folding

-         Pavilion means butterfly

-         Relationships or joinings between two countries (e.g. Britain and France)

-         Japanese folding books

-         Concertinas as ways of folding away and opening out a structure

We want to enable the children to discover this symbolism for themselves, through their own questioning, but also by designing the activities to use those shapes and symbols.