Students:
- Luke Offer
- Sophie Crook
- Zanetor Adonu
- Lojean Yousof
Sesqui by Charles Hadcock
Charles Hadcock
Charles Hadcock is a renowned British sculptor known for
his artworks that explore the relationship between ‘nature
and nurture’. Born in 1965 in Derby, Hadcock’s early years
were marked by a fascination for geology, music,
engineering, poetry and mathematics, all of which
influence his sculpture designs. Hadcock’s artistic
journey began when he trained at Gloucester College of
Arts and Technology before pursuing a degree in Fine Art
at the Royal College of Art in London.
During his studies, he experimented with various mediums
and techniques, but it was the
combination of metalwork and sculpture that captured his
imagination. This fusion of industrial materials with organic
forms would become a defining characteristic of his work
when specializing in sculpture. After training as a
sculptor for 7 years, Hadcock opened his first solo
exhibition in 1996 (continue onto next page)
The Great Hall and Nuffield
About Sesqui
Sesqui is a monumental cast iron sculpture made by
Charles Hadcock in 2002. There are 3 editions of this
sculpture located in London, Buckinghamshire and
Lancaster.
The first edition was made to order for Lancaster
University and placed outside the main reception. It is one
of the first things visitors see for this reason and its large
scale at 2.5m by 2m. This placement was deliberate as it
was made to be interacted with. Hadcock referred to this
sculpture as ‘the silent symphony’ because its shape is
inspired by the musical notation, arch form.
In music, arch form refers to a structural arrangement where the musical sections are repeated, but in reverse order, creating a symmetrical overall form. This is seen in
the base structure, as they are identical but face in opposite directions In addition to musical references, nature has also influenced the sculpture’s pattern.
Hadcock cast the rock texture from rocks found by the river Thames, close to
the art school at which he first started sculpting.
The Great Hall and Nuffield
About the Great Hall
The theatre opened in the 1968 – 69 academic year with one of the first performances being Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair. It was funded in part by a donation of £80,000 from the Nuffield Foundation Professor Tom E Lawrenson, the first head of department for French in 1964, played a significant role in establishing the theatre as a place of practical experimentation. Flexibility was integral to the original concept of the theatre, as it allowed for a life-size replica of a 17th-century Parisian public theatre to be built with original specifications. The Nuffield Theatre’s design featured flexible flooring and seating, no windows and a griddled ceiling, making it perfect for contemporary experimental theatre and for training students in a range of technical skills. The project architects, Shepheard and Epstein drew on theatre designer Stephen Joseph for inspiration. At its opening, the theatre was one of the largest black box theatres in the UK
The university used proceeds from its first Appeal (1964–71) to fund the public arts. These were centred on the Great Hall complex, which was designed to include the Great and Minor Halls, the Jack Hylton Music Rooms, the Nuffield Theatre Studio and adjoining workshop, and the Fine Arts Studio.
Gabriel Epstein and Peter Shepheard
Gabriel Epstein, who died in Paris aged 99 last July, was one of the two founders of
Shepheard and Epstein. He was known for his approach to urban design, as evidenced in
the development plan for Lancaster University and numerous housing projects, and for his belief in a practical, robust, people-focused modern
architecture that was designed to last and integrate with its
surroundings. Gabriel joined Derek Bridgwater, co-author of ‘A History of Cast Iron in Architecture’, and Peter Shepheard (later RIBA president), in their Mayfair office in 1949
The firm became Shepheard and Epstein and later Shepheard Epstein and Hunter. It was known for its schools, universities and public housing, a holistic approach to site and context, and finding virtue in delivering buildings of quality within the challenging constraints of the Housing Cost Yardstick and the University Grants Committee.