SimplymeCWB: Pickett Cotton Mill + The People + The Machinery

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pickett Cotton Mill + The People + The Machinery

My initial thoughts of Pickett Cotton Mill was that it was a place that meant so much to a lot of people and that the building itself held countless memories. Upon entering PCM one word dominated my mind "rhythmatic". The columns, the pilasters, the windows and even the machinery that once defined the space. I since learned that the people who worked here were accustomed to very systematic and routine lifestyles. Inside the doors of PCM as well as within the community, there was a sense of order and structure; which provided a wonderful life for so many. Success of the mill and the cotton manufacturing process was definitely one that required skillful flow each day. One of the most critical and important stages of this process was spinning. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabrics, which undergo finishing processes such as bleaching to become textiles.

The People and the machines were just as interwoven as the fibres were to one another. Once that idea resonated I became fascinated with how well the two blended. You just can’t have one without the other. I continued to research the spinners in particularly and discovered that there are generally one or two types:

· The mule was an intermittent process, as the frame advanced and returned a distance of 5ft.It was the descendant of a 1779 Crompton device. It produces a softer, less twisted thread that was favored for fines and for weft.

· The ring was a descendant of the Arkwright water frame of 1769. It was a continuous process; the yarn was coarser, had a greater twist and was stronger so was suited to be warp. Ring spinning is slow due to the distance the thread must pass around the ring, and similar methods have improved on this; such as flyer and bobbin and cap spinning.

I am certain that PCM used ring spinners. I am also certain that to capture the heart of the mill in my design, I must pay homage to the two most essentials of PCM’s time…The People + The Machinery. I want to do so with the same rhythmatic, systematic, symmetry, and verticality as they once did. And as always, there a softer side of things, image 4 depicts another essential element of the mill, cotton! It is also one that I will be careful to infuse in my ideations of an industrial design to the revitalization of PCM. I will be certain that there is a sense of authenticity!