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This year the Association of Jersey Architects are celebrating their 60th Anniversary!
AJA60 will be taking place from Sunday 7th to Friday 12th November 2021 with a series of walks, talks and panel discussions.
Over the years the Association of Jersey Architects has been a voice commenting on the original Island Development Plan - ‘The Barrett Plan’, in 1964; an initial review and schedule of listing of buildings of special interest from 1965; saving La Rocco Tower in 1967; the Future of Fort Regent over numerous incarnations, and provided a voluntary Architects Advisory Panel which influenced the creation of the now Jersey Architecture Commission. It has provided analysis and commented on the 2001 and 2011 Island Plan and is participating in the review of the 2021 Draft Bridging Island Plan.
The AJA has championed for locally relevant, locally generated quality design in a range of aspects of development across Jersey including future development in St Ouen’s Bay, the masterplanning of the Waterfront, development of the Village Schemes, and Imagine Jersey 2035. It has looked to raise the debate on the ‘Greening of St Helier’ and continues to research and implement sustainable designs through its membership’s commitment to the architecture of the Island.
It has run an annual schools competition for a number of years looking to engage and inspire primary and secondary school children in architecture and the built environment, and has enjoyed some great moments with the children testing out their designs for bridges, towers and shelters to support the most chocolate bars! These are potentially the architects of our future! The 60 years 60 buildings exhibition and accompanying publication provide a glimpse of what the Association of Jersey Architects and its members have created and achieved over the years, collected together and documented as a cultural legacy of this achievement for future generations. There are significant challenges ahead for the Island, with so many large projects planned and to be delivered; and the engagement of the Island with the climate crisis, to build sustainably in line with the 2030 Carbon Neutral Strategy. The world has seen vast changes in the last two years with the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, the Island will need to adapt to a new way of living and working. Having this opportunity for the AJA to reflect on its past 60 years should give confidence for the future ahead. The Association of Jersey Architects looks forward to serving our Island and the local community for the next sixty years.
9 - 11 November
The focus of the week will be the exhibition at the Town Hall, entitled 60 Years 60 Buildings, where each year will be illustrated by a Jersey building, with commentary on what the AJA was doing during the year.
“The underlying theme of this exhibition is to stimulate an understanding and appreciation of the architecture of this period, especially in the earlier decades, where the passage of time now enables a greater degree of objectivity. The images and commentaries hopefully demonstrate that while the modern buildings around us might sometimes be difficult to understand, they are the result of careful thought, considerable design skill and creativity, and they deserve much closer scrutiny and appreciation." Stuart Fell – Exhibition curator/creator.
7 November, 1:00pm and 3:00pm, Royal Square
Stuart Fell will be leading a walk around St Helier featuring buildings from the AJA60 60 Years 60 Building exhibition. There will be 2 no. 1 hour tours scheduled at 1pm and 3pm, which will start promptly at the Royal Square. Tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! In the event of poor weather, we will notify those registered that this talk will take place at the Société Jersiaise instead.
Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aja60-town-walk-with-stuart-fell-tickets-182064197917
9 November, 12:30-1:30pm, Town Hall Assembly Room
Looking to the future of St Helier - enticing shoppers back into the town. 3 A panel discussion about the reimagining of St Helier through improvements in transport, urban design, the arts and innovations in retail. This event will take place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, surrounded by the AJA60 60 Years 60 Buildings Exhibition.
Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aja60-lunchtime-panel-reimagining-st-helier-tickets-186162044687
10 November, 07:30am for 08:00am, Town Hall Assembly Room, includes coffee and bacon rolls
Breakfast talk entitled Decarbonising Jersey’s Housing Stock - Why electricity is the perfect fit to enable life’s essentials and inspire a zero carbon future. Kindly sponsored by the JEC, the presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, addressed to a panel. This event will take place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, surrounded by the AJA60 60 Years 60 Buildings Exhibition. Bacon rolls & coffee will be available from 7:30 for an 8am start.
10 November, 5:30pm for 6:00pm, Town Hall Assembly Room
Le Rocco Tower - an early masterclass in crowdfunding and how it was saved in 1968. Richard Le Sueur recounts how the AJA was instrumental in saving Le Rocco Tower, after the States washed their hands of the collapsing tower. Q &A to follow. This event will take place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, surrounded by the AJA60 60 Years 60 Buildings Exhibition. Drinks will be available from 5:30 for an 6pm start.
Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aja60-evening-talk-saving-le-rocco-tower-tickets-186181252137
11 November, 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Town Hall Assembly Room
A discussion with a panel consisting of Simon Crowcroft and other invited panellists (to be confirmed), discussing housing in St Helier. This event will take place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, surrounded by the AJA60 60 Years 60 Buildings Exhibition.
11 November, 5:30pm for 6:00pm, Town Hall Assembly Room
Sky Arts’ series The Art of Architecture has won plaudits from the national press. ’Treats architecture with the seriousness it deserves’ said The Daily Telegraph. ‘Delves into the minds of some of the greatest architects of our time’ wrote The Times. Now, producer Alastair Layzell shares clips of his interviews with Norman Foster, David Chipperfield, Santiago Calatrava, Liz Diller, Daniel Libeskind, David Adjaye, John Pawson and others and asks if Jersey should be aspiring to a higher standard of architecture. This event will take place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, surrounded by the AJA60 60 Years 60 Buildings Exhibition. Drinks will be available from 5:30 for an 6pm start.
Schools competition 2021
12 November, afternoon (closed judging)
Invite only
