NEWS RELEASES
Horsham - A Model Future
16 April 2008
In 1988 Horsham town was about to undergo its greatest transformation since its foundation. Whole areas of the old and decaying town centre, including a Victorian church, were going to be raised to the ground and transformed into a town fit for the 21st Century. In an age before computer generated graphics and virtual worlds, how could this change be shown? In 1988 they went back to a 1,000 year old technology - the architect’s model. But this was to be no ordinary model: this was to be a model so detailed in scale and design that it could be photographed to give a ‘street level’ view - a model world, rather than a virtual world, of post-development Horsham.
This stunning model, created by Sun Alliance in 1989, is now being presented by Iain Robson, Senior Change Programme Manager of Royal & Sun Alliance, to the Chairman of Horsham District Council, Cllr Roger Patterson. It will form the centre piece of a temporary exhibition ‘A vision for Horsham’ before being moved to a permanent location in a specially created space within the museum.
The large scale model seen at the time of the town centre exhibitions in 1989/90 has since then been a feature of the entrance into the Royal and Sun Alliance Offices. Now, for the first time, it can be viewed by the people of Horsham, a town transformed by the changes. Not only will the visitor be intrigued by the architectural detail, but will be amused by the model creators’ sense of fun, with cars almost colliding on the new road layout. It is a remarkable example of the model-makers’ craft.
On 24th April at 4pm, when the model is being presented to Cllr Paterson, the Horsham Society will also be launching their newest publication A Journey through Horsham’s Changes by the late John Buchanan and Annabelle Hughes. This remarkable book not only sets out what happened, but more importantly explains why it happened and the reasoning behind various designs and actions. It will help to solve future historians most asked question - why did they do that? A separate press release explains all about this publication, profit from which will go towards the conservation of Horsham Museum’s Town Centre development archive, a superb collection of documents, plans, photographs and now this model that tells the story of how Horsham transformed itself.
The exhibition, ‘A Vision of Horsham,’ the town centre model and the book A Journey through Horsham’s Changes are launched on 24th April at 4pm at Horsham Museum and opens to the public on 25th April. They provide a fascinating insight and account of the town’s changes. The model itself now has a new future, explaining to generations of Horsham folk how the town changed.
Editor please note: The presentation and launch of the book will take place at 4pm on Thursday 24th April at Horsham Museum. Cllr Roger Patterson will be presented with the model by Iain Robinson Senior Change Programme Manager Royal and Sun Alliance. The late John Buchanan’s widow Margaret will be presented with a copy of A Journey through Horsham’s Changes by the Chairman of Horsham Society John Steele.
For further information please contact Jeremy Knight, Curator.
Horsham Museum,
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: (01403) 254959 Fax: (01403) 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
www.horshammuseum.org