Status - What must a town do to become a city?

Introduction: 'Status' is an animated short film exploring a speculative future for Southend-on-Sea which I completed for my Postgraduate degree in Architecture at the University of Greenwich in 2016. As my major design project I was responsible for every aspect of the production, from research, concept design, and storyboarding, to 3D-modelling, compositing, and sound design. Description: In the United Kingdom the honour of city status continues to be publicly misunderstood, persistently pursued and ambiguously attained. Associations with royalty are key civic features, raising into question the relevance of contemporary city status recognition. This short speculates an alternative future for Southend-on-Sea, positing the question of what a town must do to become a city. Exploring the notion of architecture as a placeholder for desirable futures, the proposed royal pier acts as enabler for victory in a civic competition marking the Queen's 90th birthday. 'Status' follows the Queen's visit, immersion and eventual approval of the town’s new status. Korean (Translation by Hyun Jun Park): 영국에서 ‘도시’의지위는공공연히잘못이해되어왔고, 끈질기게추구되어왔으며, 막연히 획득되어왔다. 왕족들과의연관관계는도시적특성의중요한요소이며, 이는현시대에서도시지위의 인식에대한질문을던진다. 이짧은애니메이션은영국의남쪽끝에위치한사우스엔드지역의 바다에가상의미래상을제안함으로써, ‘마을’이어떻게하면 ‘도시’가될수있는가에대해묻는다. 바람직한미래상을제시하기위한건축적실험으로제안된이에니메이션의주요무대는왕립 항구이다. 왕립항구는여왕의 90주년생일을기념하는도시개발공모전에서당선을위한주요 프로젝트로써작동한다. ‘스테이터스: 지위’는여왕의사우스엔드방문여정을따라가상의작은 마을에서그들의새로운지위승인을축하하기위한다양한이벤트를조명함으로써 ‘도시의지위’란 무엇인가에대한물음을던진다.