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What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
What About Happiness on the Building Site?. Installation view, 2017
In 1973, following the strikes that beset the British construction industry during the early 1970s, Alistair McAlpine commissioned a design program for his construction company, Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons, that aimed to increase production efficiency and improve labour relations. Cedric Price’s proposal took the format of a two-volume report and a Portable Enclosures Programme (PEP) which, while presenting a critical view of building sites, also demonstrated his ambition to go beyond the immediate brief, employing architectural knowledge and thoughtful design to respond to pressing societal issues and human necessities.
Today, the report can clearly be seen as an anticipatory contribution to current discussions surrounding working environments, job satisfaction, and company ethics. While primarily a thorough investigation of how to increase work efficiency, the report is also a witty proposal to improve labour conditions—one which assures happiness and well-being, both mental and physical, for employees by prioritizing a low-stress, boredom-free building site.
Curator: Giovanna Borasi, CCA, and Andre Tavares
Curatorial team: Émilie Retailleau, Ariana Revilla, CCA
Exhibition design: Anh Truong with Sébastien Larivière, CCA
Graphic design: COCCU Christian Lange, Munich
Selected objects
Cedric Price. View of the construction site with fuel tank and fire hydrant, McAppy, c. 1973. DR1995:0263:032:014:002
Cedric Price. Fantastic Boot Sale! All Sizes, McAppy, c. 1973. DR1995:0263:032:014:003
Cedric Price. Cartoon drawn over an aerial view of a McAlpine construction site, McAppy, c. 1973. DR1995:0263:032:014:001
Cedric Price. Work Programme, McAppy, 27 February 1973. DR1995:0263:032:002:005
Cedric Price. Diagram illustrating Portable Enclosures Programme, McAppy, c. 1974. DR1995:0263:032:005:006
Cedric Price. Diagram illustrating McAlpine’s present condition, McAppy, c. 1974. DR1995:0263:032:005:005
Cedric Price. Diagram illustrating McAlpine’s future condition, McAppy, c. 1974. DR1995:0263:032:005:003
Cedric Price. Diagram illustrating safety and health, McAppy, c. 1974. DR1995:0263:032:005:001
Cedric Price. Diagram illustrating the flow of information between employer and employee, McAppy, c. 1974. DR1995:0263:032:005:002
Cedric Price. Illustration of a portable enclosure and vehicle used for first aid, McAppy, c. 1975.
Cedric Price. Interior perspectives of “Terrapin” portable buildings used for drying and changing, McAppy, c. 1975. DR1995:0263:032:011:001
Cedric Price. Interior perspectives of portable buildings used for first aid, McAppy, June 1975. DR1995:0263:032:009:001
Cedric Price. Folder of Trade Unions Organization Handouts, McAppy, 1963-1975. DR1995:0263:032:013:001
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