The 1.8 by 1.2 metre mosaic was created for Cala by mosaic artist Joanna Dewfall who took her inspiration from historic buildings in the city to create a colourful tableau of Winchester architecture from the Iron Age to modern day.
Earlier style homes are reimagined, but later properties can all be found in the city including Brethen’s Hall in Cathedral Close, which dates back to 1136, Chesil Rectory built in 1425 and the Stanmore Estate, the first state-built social housing to be constructed in Winchester in the 1920s.
Jane Austen’s former house in College Street also features, along with a Georgian property on Colebrook Street, an area where John Keats is thought to have written his poem ‘Autumn’ 200 years ago. The story of life in Winchester is brought bang up to date with images of the new homes being created at Kings Barton.
Other features on the artwork include a patterned border taken from the Sparsholt Roman mosaic floor, which is on display in Winchester museum. Native wild flowers have also been incorporated into the design, reflecting the areas of green open space, including wildflower meadows, being created at Kings Barton.
The mosaic takes pride of place on Cala’s second phase of the development within public open space on a key walking and cycling route into the city.
Alison Deakin, sales and marketing director for Cala Homes Thames, comments: “We loved Joanna’s initial concept and are thrilled with how the mosaic has turned out. It captures the essence of Winchester through the ages through its historic architecture and brings together the past, present and future beautifully. Hopefully it will be a focal point at Kings Barton for many years to come.”
Joanna Dewfall, who graduated from Winchester School of Art, said: “This was a fantastic project to be involved in and I spent many hours researching local buildings and architecture before designing the final piece. I wanted to create something that payed homage to the city’s rich history and architecture, while embracing the modern new community being created at Kings Barton.”
The mosaic is made up of hundreds of carefully cut pieces of matt porcelain and glass tiles and took Joanna more than 120 hours to produce.
Kings Barton is located just over a mile from Winchester city centre. Once complete, it will be an aspirational new suburb of 2,000 homes around a vibrant centre of shops, leisure and community facilities, a new school and public open space.
The current phase, Kings Barton at Winterbourne Meadows, offers a range of contemporary 2 bedroom apartments and characterful 2 to 4 bedroom family homes, which are all ideally situated within walking distance of Winchester city centre and Winchester railway station. Prices are between £370,000 and £840,000.
For more information and to book your COVID-secure appointment, call 01962 657662 or visit our Kings Barton page.
For further details on Joanna Dewfall’s work visit www.dewfallmosaic.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @dewfallmosaic
