Assignment 3

Buildings in use - Mary Rose

P914:  F3.5 @1/320  18mm  ISO100

I can't say that I'm really won over by the exterior design but it is dramatic and as such lends itself to a very dramatic retelling of the high drama story that is the Mary Rose.And that said it is in itself an important feature of the building design.

The interior design to my mind is by far more interesting and imaginative in concept. I spent some time walking around the museum trying to gauge which important features I wanted to capture photographically. To my mind these were the galleries which were for the most part a creative use of space.

The  context galleries within the virtual hull are shaped to follow and match the curve of the remaining hull. Retrieved objects are sited in their correct placing in these galleries which correspond to the original deck levels.Opposite on the other side of the darkened gallery are more prosaic and less dramatic windows allowing views of the remaining hull - an interesting approach where the drama lies with the timbers not the design of the gallery wall. 

Low lighting and a ban on flash photography made taking clear images a challenge.I used a tripod but using a high ISO increased the noise levels in the four images below:

P911: F3.5  @ 1/4  18mm  ISO 3200

P910:F3.5 @1/4   18mm  ISO 1600

P912: F4.5 @ 2.0sec  22mm  ISO 1600

 

P912: F4.5  @ 0.8sec  18mm  ISO 1600

The Mary Rose Museum was designed to  showcase one of the most ambitious preservation projects undertaken in this country. Its very design takes a creative lead from the lines and curves of the ship itself. Within the design footprint, the use of space works best and most effectively within the context galleries that create a real feel of the lines of the ship and its working spaces. Less successful, I feel are the smaller galleries at the end of each context gallery which to me felt a little cluttered.