The control room at Didcot A is in an octagonal structure which is linked to the turbine hall by a walkway. The faceted design connects it to all parts of the site, but it's main aspect is the switchgear compound where high voltage electricity connects to the national grid.
Gibberd's lively pencil sketches for the control room, which we saw in the RIBA archives held at the V&A, are suggestive of a hand reaching out to grasp something.
When we exhibited for "where clouds are made" at Cornerstone in 2013 we were given
fragments of switches and lights to include in our installation (shown below).
It is amazing how dated the control panels seem only 40 years after they were installed at the power station. The diagrams, dials and bakelite switches look quaint now, unusually tangible in a world of digital technology and touch-screen. The futuristic layout and space of the control room seems to suggest a reverence for technology whereas now technology is something we take for granted as part of everyday life.
Comments
Post a Comment