All images © 2022 Choi+Shine Architects
Fabrication & Installation
The Trees
Stockwood Discovery Center, Luton, UK
April - December 2022
Screen shots from Project’s digital platform during crochet
Design
Jin Choi and Thomas Shine
Special Thanks to:
Karen Perkins
Marie Kirbyshaw
Chief Executive, The Cultural Trust Luton
Sam Javid
Creative Director, The Cultural Trust Luton
Hafiza Mohamed
The Cultural Trust Luton
Jacqui Harding
NPO Project Coordinator- Museum Makers
Structural Engineering
Thomas Shine
James Axley - PhD, MS, MArch, BS
(Emeritus) Professor Yale School of Architecture
Kirsty Sutherland BEng CEng MIStructE
James Parker CEng MICE MEng MA
EXPEDITION
Installation
Unity Contracting Company
Crocheters
Angela Adams
Angela Davis
Angela Paz Robins
Anne Kermarrec
Anne-Marie Prior
Anne-Marie Prior
April Stokes
Barbara Shapiro
Beth Hart
Caroline Melia
Catherine Bishop
Charlotte Lord Broome
Christine Cotterill
Claire Davis
Clare Brown
Clare Fitzpatrick
Debbie Brown
Debbie Warner
Diane Bell
Dilara Turkan
Elaine Baines
Eleanor Outram-Rees
Elizabeth Roberts
Emma Butcher
Fiona Peel
Gabriella Caulfield
Gail Bennett
Gemma Hutton
Gill Woodbridge
Gillian Berg
Gisele Cortese
Gitta Irmer
Hafiza Mohamed
Hayley Baines
Hayley Chrenko Porthouse
Helen Lovell
Ilana Rinkoff
Isobel Vick
Jacqui Rowbotham
Jasmina Mistry
Jean Nunn
Jenny Dukes
Jenny Nockles
Jilly Sharratt
Jin Choi
Joanne Hudson
Jody Swain
Johanna Arola
Judith Kingham
Julia Bretnall
Karen Bradshaw
Karen Perkins
Katie Bird
Lesley Shrosbree
Lily Kennedy
Liz Roberts
Lucy Brown
Lucy Brown
Lucy Miller
Lynne Montford
Mary Elaine Hearne
Mary Randell
Melanie Smith
Nicole Murray
Nina Glencross
Pauline Lloyd
Pauline Lloyd
Rachel Tomlinson
Rebecca Becky Spiller
Ruth Lutt
Sam O’Dell
Samantha Rose
Sara Dagdelen
Sarah Dawes
Sarah Hodges Hale
Sarah Wheeler
Shaleen Jonas
Sue Clark
Suse Keay
Suzanne Thompson
Sylvia Becker
Tash Bentley
Tracy Routledge
Tricia Whitmarsh
Val Martin
Vanessa Bates
Vanessa Ramsey
Vick Bishop
Victoria Walker
Viv Tew
With the help of Museum Makers, the project called for local volunteers, first to crochet segments of the Trees, then to sew the crochet pieces together. While crocheting, the volunteers posted their progress to the dedicated social media webpage, sharing their work and communicating with each other. Through the virtual and real time interaction and collaboration, everyone shared their crochet progress, checking if they are following the detailed instructions and patterns created by the artist. Once all the lace pieces were crocheted, local volunteers worked together in person to join the crocheted pieces forming large segments, ready for installation. Through the process, the volunteers bonded closely and created a true sense of community, while everyone shared ownership of the work to achieve a single goal: to create a beautiful work together. Skills learned from generations before connected us with the memories from the past and also with the people from the area whom we have never known.
From Judith Kingham’s speech at the opening of the Exhibition
“I have to be honest and say I did not find the crochet straightforward because I didn’t understand it and spent many hours unpicking and redoing, but I can say that on the day we handed the finished work in, it was with both relief and a sort of sadness. I missed it. How I wish I could re-do the work as I am sure I would be able to make a better job of it now.
Some great friendships have been set up. Crochet becomes slightly addictive and it is so hard to walk into Hobbycraft and not look at yarn and patterns”.
“This has been an amazing project …… gave us the most amazing welcome, encouragement and confidence and made us believe this could really happen”.
“I can imagine that it’s an emotional and proud moment for them as indeed for all of us as we are all proud to have been associated with The Trees”.
“This project has created such as bond within our community bringing together not only those who crocheted and sewed, but those who supported in many other ways”.
“Thank you …… for trusting that we could actually get through his project - even with Covid interfering and making it much more difficult”.
Assembly
Jin Choi
Jacqui Harding
Hafiza Mohamed
Soulat Riaz
Shanaz Sawal
Elaine Baines
Lesley Saulsbury
Jacqui Rowbotham
Sara Dagdelen
Monika Madalinska
Ruth Lutt
Hania
Jayne Boyd
Liliana Oniceag
10 volunteers
from Luton Womens Aid
Nawaratne
Emma Caswell
Jan Sexton
Farhat Noreen
Karen Mulholland-McGroary
Kathleen McGroary
Anne-Marie Prior
Jan Sexton
Corinne Brant-Wilcock
Victoria Celac
Melanie Smith
Karen Perkins
Bobbi
Emma Caswell
Helen Huson
Melanie Twigg
Yuzuhua
Annmolanil
Sreakeposrolo
Thelma Raymond
Janice Jarrett
Cathy Pritchard
Beverley Bothwell
Kiran Ferretti
Andreea Nica
Emilia Kochanowska
Chandi
Dana
Tiernan Wandji
Luliana Sava
Hasseemah Arshad
Catherine Bishop
Margot Stroud
Debbie Warner
Maria Lepore
Angela
Anna Stanton
Dawn Hesketh Joslin
Agnieszka Slominska
Rose Kuhlenbgisa
Raluca Petrariu
Julia Tawrel
Paulina Wolna
Nesma Badawy
Asheika McHardy
Margot Stroud
Thelma Raymond
Suzanne Ions
Jan Sexton
Tracey Price
Thelma Raymond
Gill Woodbridge
Elaine Baines
Viv Tew
Lesley Saulsbury
Monika Madalinska
Helen Huson
Sue Munn
Eileen Reid
Clare Franklin
Shanaz Sawal
Bee Millar
Jan Sexton
Lesley Saulsbury
Monika Madalinska
Isobel Vick
Lynne Bowden
Liliana Oniceag
Liz East
Clare Franklin
April Stokes
Monika Madalinska
Christine Morvan
Farhat Noreen
Theresa Middleton
Stacey Dickinson
Kelly Dye
Elisabeth Chapman
Sam Hayton
Yvonne Wolsey
Monika Madalinska
Sue Munn
Beryl Hobbs
Hila Rubin
Taron
Arbel
Emma Caswell
Julia Bretnall
Christine Morvan
Jacqui Rowbotham
Isobel Vick
Liliana Oniceag
Melanie Twigg
Hina Ali
Abdul Haqq Qureshi
Gita Behrooz
Zenis Begum
Joanne Hudson
Sue Munn
Emma
Melanie Smith
Thelma
Melanie Twigg
Jan Sexton
Iwona
Liliana Oniceag
Zenis
Sue Munn
Suzanne Ions
Sarah Wheeler
Katherine Hart
Lesley Saulsbury
Monika Madalinska
Fatima Choudhry
Rumena Rahman
Donna Basquille
Julia Bretnall
Penny Picken
Photo Credit ©Eduarol Stoleru
If you would like to participate
in our future crochet projects,
please send us an email to:
skim [at] choishine.com
The design and images of The Trees are copyright 2019 - 2022, Choi+Shine Architects and may not be used without written permission.
