These workshops are shared by MA Fine Art and Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students. There are 3D Large workshops on the ground floor of Archway, with improved facilities for wood work, plastics, light metal work, casting and outside support. Technical staff work across the King’s Cross and Archway sites on rotation.
Ask a technician
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Image courtesy of Central Saint Martins,
Questions answered by Adrian Di Duca, Technical Coordinator – Archway
What can students do here?
You will find bandsaws, chopsaws, tablesaws for cutting, pillar drills, sanders and linishers for shaping wood. Plus a full range of hand-held power tools and every hand tool you would expect to find in a well equipped workshop. As we work with students from all courses - Fine Art to Industrial Design we have a flexible approach that allows all students the chance to explore the technical side of their practice in a supportive environment.
What is the most common request you get?
This would have been easier to answer years ago but today the requests are as varied and diverse as the wider contemporary Art and Design world.
Is there a particular project you remember?
There really has been so many, too many to single one out. What I would say is that there is always something new and innovative happening and this makes the 3D Large workshops an exciting place to work for students and staff alike.
Have you ever had to say to a student that a project was impossible?
It doesn’t really work like that, an outright no is not an option. If an initial project seems undo-able it is only because every factor has not been taken into account. Issues such as timeframe, expense, size, difficulty, can all be realistically “negotiated” after talking to the student and finding exactly what the student wants.
An example: a few years ago a student said they wanted to make a two metre glass cube, create a vacuum inside and suspend objects. Their budget was £40.00, needless to say this was not going to happen, but in the end the student was more than happy with the results they got out of plastic sheeting, a timber frame and fishing wire.
How does the workshop fit into the overall history of CSM?
The 3D Large workshops incorporate Central Saint Martins and what was the Byam Shaw and the Back Hill Foundation course. A lot of investment and planning has created modern well-equipped workshops that benefit everyone.
What makes this workshop a special place at CSM?
The dedicated team of technicians.