Site History

Millbank history of the area includes first being a mill replaced by a mansion built by Grosvenor and later becoming other buildings. Notably a prison, medical school and Tate Britain. The Prison was called Millbank Penitentiary, Jeremy Bentham drew up the plans for the prison to be a panopticon, a watchtower in the middle of a circular prison. From pictures and drawings, the prison above takes the form of a flower which are known to be very pretty, quite the opposite of what happened on the walls of the building.

For my studio work, I am looking into the activity of gymnastics. Some of the facts stood out to me and made me think about my work. One fact was this picture of the chain room at Millbank. Known for being a violent prison the room held all the chains and cuffs for the prisoners to wear. The picture at first to me looked like ropes which gymnast use. The last fact was about it being a panopticon, in gymnastics, you have one person centre of the room performing and the whole room whether it be judges, audience or coaches will be surrounding them in a circle watching. This is the other way round to how the prison worked as the middle was the watchtower, but it links to the fact of people watch in a circle.

Millbank History

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