Edinburgh College students create commemorative mural to celebrate National Library of Scotland’s historic anniversary
A group of Edinburgh College students recently saw their designs come to life after creating commemorative murals for the National Library of Scotland to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The centenary murals, located on the archway at the main entrance to the library on George IV Bridge, were unveiled by the students last week as part of a project organised in partnership between the College’s School of Art and Design and the National Library of Scotland.
Students from across the College’s HND Graphic Design course were set a brief by the National Library to revitalise some of the public areas in the library, by creating a piece of art that would celebrate its rich history and commemorate a century since the formation of the national institution.
HND Graphic Design students Claire Clifton Coles, Paul Early, and Damian Ferenc formed the team that developed the winning design. The group then worked closely with representatives from the library to bring their vision to life.
Claire Clifton Coles said: “We were tasked to revitalise some of the public areas, with a specific attention on certain areas such as the arches at the main entrance, to celebrate their centenary. It was a brilliant experience! It was a learning curve at times and we tried to be even more meticulous than usual since we were working with a live client.”
Paul added: “We were initially given the brief by the library last year and then were approached by them to produce one of our artworks and make it a reality. I’ve been at the College for three years now, starting from the NC and now to the HND course, and it’s been a really good experience. I’ve always enjoyed graphic design and being able to do it full-time is a really rewarding and fun experience.”
The inspiration behind the group’s design stems from their love of the art deco elements in the building. Using art deco with a modern twist as their concept, they aimed to celebrate the library’s history while also highlighting the building’s use as a contemporary space.
Damian explains: “Since the early research stage, we more or less knew what we wanted to do – merge the art deco style of the building with a modern approach. Given the historical nature of the building, we didn’t want the project to be too jarring, so thought a contemporary art deco concept would work well. This was my first group project on the course and I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone has their own approach to design, but I think we managed to blend our unique tastes quite well.”
Edinburgh College Art and Design lecturer Iain Lauder said: “Working on this project with the National Library of Scotland is right up there with one of the best experiences our HND2 Graphic Design students could possibly have. They got to see behind the scenes in one of the city’s most fascinating places and later present their ideas to senior people within the organisation. To be then told the client liked one of your ideas so much they would like to showcase in the entrance is amazing.”
Martha Burns Findlay, Head of Public Programmes at National Library of Scotland, said: “We are blown away by the quality of the students' work. The Centenary Murals beautifully reflect the origins of the National Library in our centenary year, whilst also showcasing our evolution into the vibrant cultural organisation we are today. Our core purpose as the National Library of Scotland is to safeguard Scotland's stories and memories for current and future generations. It is therefore fitting in our centenary year to collaborate with the next generation of Scotland's talented designers to produce our new Centenary Murals, which herald our next 100 years to come.”