Cardiff Design Festival

Brief

TO DESIGN AND MAKE A CROWN TO BE AWARDED TO THE WINNING BARD AT THE PRESTIGIOUS CROWNING CEREMONY AT THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD OF WALES 2010. THE EISTEDDFOD WAS TO BE HELD ON THE GROUND OF THE OLD STEELWORKS SITE IN EBBW VALE AND THE THEME OF THE PROJECT WAS ‘CHANGE’. THE MOST CHALLENGING PART WAS THE REQUIREMENT TO MAKE A CROWN TO FIT ANY HEAD SIZE - SUITABLE FOR MALE OR FEMALE AS THE WINNER IS NOT ANNOUNCED BEFOREHAND. THE WINNER OF THE CROWN THEN HAS TO PARTICIPATE IN A LONG PROCESSION WITH THE CROWN FITTING SECURELY. THE CROWNING CEREMONY ITSELF HAS A HIGH PROFILE IN THE WELSH CULTURAL CALENDAR.

Result

‘THE CROWN DESIGNED AND CRAFTED BY SUZIE WAS OF A VERY HIGH STANDARD. SHE USED THE WORKINGS OF THE OLD STEEL MILLS AT EBBW VALE AS DESIGN INSPIRATION. IT LOOKED TRULY MAJESTIC ON THE WINNER WHO WAS THRILLED TO RECEIVE SUCH A PRIZE’ HYWEL WYN EDWARDS ORGANISER OF NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD THE CLIENT AND I HAD POSITIVE PUBLICITY FROM BBC WALES, ITV WALES, S4C, RADIO CYMRU, RADIO WALES, RADIO CARDIFF, GOLWG MAGAZINE, WELSH NEWSPAPERS, LONDON MAGAZINE’ THE GOLDSMITH’ AND SHEFFIELD MEDIA. THE CROWN WAS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AND SALES OF MY WORK ARE STILL INCREASING AS A DIRECT RESULT.

Solution

I RESEARCHED THE HISTORY OF THE OLD STEELWORKS AREA AND DECIDED TO EMBRACE THE TRADITIONAL AND THE CONTEMPORARY BOTH IN TERMS OF DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE. I DESIGNED A STEEL FRONT PLATE AND TINY HANDMADE SILVER RIVETS TO ATTACH THE PLATE TO THE SILVER BODY. THIS ADDED TO THE INDUSTRIAL FEEL OF THE FINAL PIECE AND THE CORRUGATED SILVER BODY REFERENCED THE ENGINEERING BACKGROUND OF THE TOWN.ONCE RIVETED TOGETHER AS A SINGLE PIECE IT COULD NOT BE RESIZED EASILY. A SOFT VELVET CAP WAS ATTACHED TO THE BASE WHICH ALLOWED FOR FLEXIBILITY IN HEAD SIZES AND KEPT THE CROWN STABLE, SECURE AND COMFORTABLE.

Project website

http://WWW.SUZIEHORAN.COM