BMI by Cedric Price: A Documentary Study - Revision history

Norman Fellows at 11:03, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T11:03:48Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:03, 7 October 2026
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	That seems to me to be the real significance of the page		That seems to me to be the real significance of the page

−	~~===~~ The building is being described as a system of relationships. ~~===~~	+	The building is being described as a system of relationships.

	And that makes the right-hand text particularly important.		And that makes the right-hand text particularly important.

Norman Fellows at 11:02, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T11:02:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:02, 7 October 2026
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	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09426.png\|link=File:Item_09426.png]]		\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09426.png\|link=File:Item_09426.png]]
	\|width="50%"\|		\|width="50%"\|
−	~~===~~ PROPOSITION ~~===~~	+	PROPOSITION

	* ... that BMI is presented as an existing body of activity whose future development requires a new headquarters — BMI-HQ — and the page begins to treat the headquarters itself as an architectural proposition.		* ... that BMI is presented as an existing body of activity whose future development requires a new headquarters — BMI-HQ — and the page begins to treat the headquarters itself as an architectural proposition.
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	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09429.png\|link=File:Item_09429.png]]		\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09429.png\|link=File:Item_09429.png]]
	\|width="50%"\|		\|width="50%"\|
−	~~===~~ PROPOSITION ~~===~~	+	PROPOSITION

	* ...that BMI is conceived not as a fixed building but as a changeable physical system: structure, enclosure, servicing and circulation are separated sufficiently to permit alteration, extension and contraction over time.		* ...that BMI is conceived not as a fixed building but as a changeable physical system: structure, enclosure, servicing and circulation are separated sufficiently to permit alteration, extension and contraction over time.
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	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]		\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]
	\|width="50%"\|		\|width="50%"\|
−	~~===~~ PROPOSITION ~~===~~	+	PROPOSITION

	* ... that “This building would have to shrink physically (see stage 3) for its 15–20 year usefulness to be exploited.”		* ... that “This building would have to shrink physically (see stage 3) for its 15–20 year usefulness to be exploited.”

Norman Fellows at 10:59, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T10:59:42Z

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	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09426.png\|link=File:Item_09426.png]]		\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09426.png\|link=File:Item_09426.png]]
	\|width="50%"\|		\|width="50%"\|
−	BMI is presented as an existing body of activity whose future development requires a new headquarters — BMI-HQ — and the page begins to treat the headquarters itself as an architectural proposition.	+	=== PROPOSITION ===
		+
		+	* ... that BMI is presented as an existing body of activity whose future development requires a new headquarters — BMI-HQ — and the page begins to treat the headquarters itself as an architectural proposition.

	There are really two things being placed together:		There are really two things being placed together:
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	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:Item_09427.png\|link=File:Item_09427.png]]	+	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09427.png\|link=File:Item_09427.png]]
−	\| BMI should be understood as a changing pattern of activities, areas, frequencies, capacities and connections — and the building should be organised to accommodate that changing pattern.	+	\|width="50%"\|
		+	BMI should be understood as a changing pattern of activities, areas, frequencies, capacities and connections — and the building should be organised to accommodate that changing pattern.
		+
		+	We have two different descriptions of BMI on the same page:
		+
		+	1. The upper diagram:<br />
		+	what happens, how much space it requires, how frequently it happens and for how many people.
		+
		+	2. The lower diagram:<br />
		+	how information, communication and material move through the institution.
		+
		+	That seems to me to be the real significance of the page
		+
		+	=== The building is being described as a system of relationships. ===
		+
		+	And that makes the right-hand text particularly important.
	\|}		\|}

−	= • Page 366 =	+	= AD/6/71 — Page 366 =

	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:Item_09428.png\|link=File:Item_09428.png]]	+	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09428.png\|link=File:Item_09428.png]]
−	\|	+	\|width="50%"\|
		+	The page presents four plans of the BMI building at different levels:
		+
		+	* main grade (datum)
		+	* intermediate grade (datum + 4.35)
		+	* intermediate grade (datum + 6.6)
		+	* upper grade (at datum + 9.6)
		+
		+	BMI is conceived as a building whose spatial organisation is distributed across levels and capable of being modified through its internal elements, rather than as a collection of permanently fixed rooms.

		+	Page 366 gives us the first really substantial visual evidence for what CP may have meant by recommending BMI to you. Not because it is an extraordinary building in itself — indeed his own note says that part of it is disappointingly conventional — but because BMI appears to be a vehicle for investigating the relationship between changing activities and a building's capacity to accommodate them.
	\|}		\|}

−	= • Page 367 =	+	= AD/6/71 — Page 367 =

	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:Item_09429.png\|link=File:Item_09429.png]]	+	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09429.png\|link=File:Item_09429.png]]
−	\|	+	\|width="50%"\|
		+	=== PROPOSITION ===

		+	* ...that BMI is conceived not as a fixed building but as a changeable physical system: structure, enclosure, servicing and circulation are separated sufficiently to permit alteration, extension and contraction over time.
	\|}		\|}

−	= • Page 368 =	+	= AD/6/71 — Page 368 =

	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]	+	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]
−	\|	+	\|width="50%"\|
		+	=== PROPOSITION ===

		+	* ... that “This building would have to shrink physically (see stage 3) for its 15–20 year usefulness to be exploited.”
	\|}		\|}

	[[Category:Articles_needing_more_work]] [[Category:Education]] [[Category:Organisations]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Publications_/_reports]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Design]]		[[Category:Articles_needing_more_work]] [[Category:Education]] [[Category:Organisations]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Publications_/_reports]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Design]]

Norman Fellows at 10:42, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T10:42:45Z

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	\|}		\|}

−	= • Page 364 =	+	= AD/6/71 — Page 364 =

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−	= • Page 365 =	+	= AD/6/71 — Page 365 =

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Norman Fellows at 10:40, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T10:40:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:40, 7 October 2026
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	* The five pages examined here are from AD/6/71, the BMI material in Cedric Price's surviving records.		* The five pages examined here are from AD/6/71, the BMI material in Cedric Price's surviving records.
−
−	~~= • Job Number =~~

	{\|		{\|

Norman Fellows at 10:39, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T10:39:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:39, 7 October 2026
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	* The five pages examined here are from AD/6/71, the BMI material in Cedric Price's surviving records.		* The five pages examined here are from AD/6/71, the BMI material in Cedric Price's surviving records.
		+
		+	= • Job Number =

	{\|		{\|

Norman Fellows at 10:38, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T10:38:00Z

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	\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]		\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]
	\|}		\|}
		+
		+	* The five pages examined here are from AD/6/71, the BMI material in Cedric Price's surviving records.

	{\|		{\|
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	\|}		\|}

−	= ~~AD/6/71 page~~ 364 =	+	= • Page 364 =

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	\|}		\|}

−	= • ~~AD/6/71 page~~ 365 =	+	= • Page 365 =

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	\|}		\|}

−	= • ~~AD/6/71 page~~ 366 =	+	= • Page 366 =

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	\|}		\|}

−	= • ~~AD/6/71 page~~ 367 =	+	= • Page 367 =

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	\|}		\|}

−	= • ~~AD/6/71 page~~ 368 =	+	= • Page 368 =

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Norman Fellows at 09:54, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T09:54:37Z

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	\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_27324.png\|link=File:Item_27324.png]]		\|width="50%"\| [[File:Item_27324.png\|link=File:Item_27324.png]]
	\|width="50%"\|		\|width="50%"\|
−	== ~~Contents~~ ==	+	== ==
−		+
−	~~Page 364~~	+
−		+
−	~~Page 365~~	+
−		+
−	~~Page 366~~	+
−		+
−	~~Page 367~~	+
−		+
−	~~Page 368~~	+
	\|}		\|}

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	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:~~Item 09428~~.png]]	+	\| [[File:Item_09428.png\|link=File:Item_09428.png]]
	\|		\|

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	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:~~Item 09429~~.png]]	+	\| [[File:Item_09429.png\|link=File:Item_09429.png]]
	\|		\|

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	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:~~Item 09430~~.png]]	+	\| [[File:Item_09430.png\|link=File:Item_09430.png]]
	\|		\|

Norman Fellows at 09:53, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T09:53:56Z

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−	\|	+	\| [[File:Item 09428.png]]
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	{\|		{\|
−	\|	+	\| [[File:Item 09429.png]]
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	{\|		{\|
−	\|	+	\| [[File:Item 09430.png]]
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Norman Fellows at 09:51, 7 October 2026

2026-10-07T09:51:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:51, 7 October 2026
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	{\|		{\|
	\| [[File:Item_09427.png\|link=File:Item_09427.png]]		\| [[File:Item_09427.png\|link=File:Item_09427.png]]
		+	\| BMI should be understood as a changing pattern of activities, areas, frequencies, capacities and connections — and the building should be organised to accommodate that changing pattern.
		+	\|}
		+
		+	= • AD/6/71 page 366 =
		+
		+	{\|
		+	\|
		+
		+	\|
		+
		+	\|}
		+
		+	= • AD/6/71 page 367 =
		+
		+	{\|
		+	\|
		+
		+	\|
		+
		+	\|}
		+
		+	= • AD/6/71 page 368 =
		+
		+	{\|
		+	\|
		+
	\|		\|