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ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: EARTH S1, 2015 Secrets and Mythology

Emily Thomas760281

Scott Woods, Tutorial 5

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Contents

Techtonics 1.0 Point, Line and Plane................................................................8 1.1 Precedent.........................................................10 1.2 Ideation.............................................................12 1.3 Narrative............................................................14 2.0 Mass........................................................................................16 2.1 Precedent.........................................................18 2.2 Ideation.............................................................20 1.3 Narrative............................................................22 3.0 Frame and Infill.......................................................................24 3.1 Precedent.........................................................26 3.2 Ideation.............................................................28 3.3 Narrative............................................................30

Herring Island Secrets 4.0 Site..........................................................................................32 4.1 The People........................................................34 4.2 The Senses.........................................................36

5.0 Conceptacle...........................................................................38 5.1 Precedent.........................................................40 5.2 Ideation.............................................................42 5.3 Narrative............................................................44 6.0 Secrets.....................................................................................46 6.1 Precedent (Mythology)...................................50 6.2 Precedent (The Night Circus).........................52 6.3 Site Choice ......................................................54 6.4 Asphodel...........................................................56 6.5 Fields of Punishment.........................................58 6.6 Fields of Punishment Explanation...................60 6.7 Elysium...............................................................62 6.8 Elysium Explanation..........................................64 6.9 Plan....................................................................66 6.10 Collage...........................................................68 6.11 Model..............................................................70 7.0 Reflection.................................................................................72 8.0 Bibiliography...........................................................................76

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The TechtonicsA thick, heavy sense presses against your every being. It is suffocating, dark, you cannot see, smell, hear, your senses are blocked. Nothing, not even the beats of your heart are violent enough to break out. You take in your final breath of thinning air andlight. But you are not free. Cracks form and create a tangled mess, jutting out, drawing blood. Confusion floats before you, a haze of ideas. But as you take a step towards the fog, it begins to clear. Your eyes begin to take in what they don’t see. The ground dissolves and your newfound understanding of direction is shattered. You attempt to take in the mess before you, but it is a familiar stranger. Forms cloud your vision but the lines are not defined. Confusionthen you scr

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1.0 Point, Line and Plane“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations” - John Green

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1.1 Precedent The precedent for my point, line and plane exercise is Laszlo Moholy-Nagy’s ‘Light,-Space Modulator’ (1922-1930). The kinetic sculpture only makes its mark in a darkened room when its lights create moving shadows (Bahaus Online). The seemingly random placement of metal elements are seen when the model is in a light room and the main effect of the design is not revealing until the sculpture is placed in a darkened room. This moveable and adjustable effect informed my point, line and plane model.

(Image: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Light Space Modulator, sourced from: http://www.photoree.com/photos/permalink/3257993-19549886@N00)

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Plane

Points

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1.2 - IdeationThe brief stated that the point, line and plane model must demonstrate the idea of moving from standing to sitting to lying down. Therefore, I created a piece that represented a person’s thoughts while they are in these three positions. While standing (the point), a person’s thoughts would be difficult to access as they are focusing on their surroundings too much. This is why the points are non existant or implied in the model. While sitting (the line), a person can focus more on their thoughts but not entirely which is why the lines fade in and out of exsistance with the shadows and thin string. Finally, while lying down (the plane) a person can truly focus on their thoughts which is why the planes are physical structures that are easily defined.

(Image: highlights the points, lines and planes in the model)

Lines

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1.3 - NarrativeYour thoughts fly about you like butterflies you cannot catch. A white noise drowns out everything making it difficult to concentrate but when you sit, your the blurred film over your eyes begins to fade. Filled with excitement, you catch glimpses of lands you have never visited and feelings you have never felt. Then you lie down and everything becomes clear...

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2.0 Mass“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious” - Albert Einstein

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2.1 - PrecedentThe first thing that comes to mind when I look at any of EduardoChillida’s work is ‘what is it?’. The work can be interpreted in many different ways and the artist does this by simply using geometric shapes and black and white textures. The mystery is also in what is the mass in the drawing. Is it a white object floating a night sky or paths cut out of the ground? There is no right or wrong answer in this case.

(Image: Eduardo Chillida, sourced from: https://www.galeriajoangaspar.com/eshop/en/chillida-eduardo/1-chillida-eduardo-sala-gaspar-1971-historical-poster.html)

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2.2 - IdeationThere is a box with a cat inside and unless you open it, you can never be sure whether that cat is dead or alive. Schorodinger’s theory is applicable to my idea as without the artist telling you about their piece or making sense of it for you, you will never truly know how to interpret it. Hence, many ideas and interpretations start to form and the mysterious will remain a mystery.

(Image: Jie Qi, Schrodigner’s Cat, sourced from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jieq/2371783536)

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2.3 - NarrativeNothing makes sense. Every time you tilt your head, or move your eyes, or take a step, your understanding changes. Suddenly, you can never be sure of what is real and what you have fabricated in your mind. Endless possible stories flood your head, drowning you in a myriad of ideas. When you try to take one, your hand is repelled and the ideas multiply...

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3.0 Frame and Infill“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” - Oscar Wilde

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3.1 - PrecedentLeetroy Waller’s art ensures everyone who views his painting percieves it in a different way. This art is not about the myriad of ideas but the singular way that one person views something. In this painting I see a very untradtional frame and infill language, something that would be expected for this third task.

(Image: Leetroy Waller, Visual Perception Art, sourced from: http://www.artsrow.com/product/visual-perception-

art-17/)

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3.2 - IdeationWhile an unprecedented exploration of frame and infill is expected, I chose to challenege perception and create something that could be a simple cube with a contained infill element, or a cube that is not exactly perfect with infill elements that move outside of the frame in the mirror. The model should be percieved according to your own beliefs and the mirror should force you to challenge this perception.

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3.3 - NarrativeA mess of lines cover your eyes, but you can only see one thing. That image is burned into your mind, perceived only by you and nobody else. But when you look down, you see an endless repetition of that image; never will the mess cease. Until you can finally gain a sense of clarity and decide on what you truly see...

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4.0 Site“Herring Island”

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4.1 - The People

The FamilyThe most common group of people to be seen on Herring Island during the observation period. These people were interested in picnicking and exploring the site while spending time together on a scenic island. Families often consisted of two parents and some younger children who were always under the age of ten. Some families included grandparents or were combined with two sets of parents and children. These groups of people are primarily interested in having fun and have a focus on the children of the group. The Retired GroupThese people were less common around the island but prominent in the art gallery of Herring Island. They usually consisted of three or more people and were older, always carrying a camera. The camera expounds that they are more interested in seeing the sights of the island whether it is the art or the nature which are both prominent features. The Young CoupleThe young couples were less common than other groups but were still prominent on the site. They held camera phones and took photographs of sculptures before standing or sitting in one place for a long period of time, talking and watching the scenery. They were always in pairs, never with more than two people and were aged between twenty and thirty years. Their interests were enjoying the peace and quiet of the site and would slowly make their way through the island, not as fast as some of the other groups of people. The TouristThe least common group of people on site. The tourist always had a proper camera and a bag and would be the most likely to travel singularly unlike the others who always travelled in groups. These people took the path slowly taking photographs of every sculpture and animal they saw along the way. Their interests were clearly in capturing the landscape and the island and never sat or stood still for a long period of time. The Barge OperatorThis person was the same during all visits and always seemed bored by the site. He has been on the Island and knows his way around well, but no longer visits for leisure and does not think he ever will again. He is interested in earning money but also enjoys his job as he talks to many people as they enter the island. He would visit the site again if anything changed but would not be interested unless the site was constantly changing. He only moves from the dock to the site.

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4.2 - The Senses

Sensation Study:Underfoot, the site is very diverse and though this may not be a main focus as the user moves through the site, it is apparent subconsciously. Along the paths, the small rocks often serve as a clue as to which paths have been walked more. The loose rocks indicate the path is not as worn. In some places, timber is used underfoot and gives the impression of the user discovering something worthy as a real path has been constructed there. Scent Study:A less prominent feature, but still and important one; the smells of the island differ as you move through the place. Near the barge, the smell of the café stands out the most but as you move into the site, the smell of plants takes over. At the edge of the site, there is always the constant smell of musty water which appears when you get too close to the Yarra River. Sound Study:The island is quiet (save for the sound of rustling trees and birds) mostly throughout. However, in some places on the island, the sounds of cars can be heard as well as constant chatter and the sounds of moving water. Sight Study:Herring Island is made up of naturally occurring elements such as trees, rocks and plants and these colours drive the pallet for the sculptures and even the visitor’s centre. The site appears to be natural, and all the materials used are unfinished in the sculptures, giving this sense of nature surrounding you, even in the middle of the city.

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5.0 Conceptacle“Ideas come from everything” - Alfred Hitchcock

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5.0 Conceptacle“Ideas come from everything” - Alfred Hitchcock

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5.1 - PrecedentThe secrets come from how people represent secrets without having them lose their power when they shared. I used symbolic constellations to reveal the times of the year. These are as follows: Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries (Novermber-April)This secret is not revealed unless the author tells the viewer what their intent is. Without this explanation, the viewer simply sees random stars, or perhaps patterns of their own.

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Mass

Point/Line/Plane

Frame and Infill

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5.2 - IdeationThe design of my conceptacle comes from the ideas in my three techtonic excersises and my initial idea of secrets. The conceptacle demonstrates the relationships between mass, point, line and plane and the frame and infill tasks. None in the model can exist without the other. Mass is evident in the model as the bottom section holds a mysterious quality. The holes are too small to see in and the viewer can only imagine what is inside. The point, line and plane elucidates understanding as there is a clear piece of perspex on one corner. This reveals what is inside the model to some extent, however, the view is somewhat obscured. The frame and infill element demonstrates perception as from different perspectives, the model looks different because of this section.

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5.3 - NarrativeLook upon the void and you see the endless constellations, endless possible meanings enveloping you. Come closer and see what appears to be one thing and is actually something else. What you are expecting is not what it is. Nothing is revealed easily.Nothing is revealed at all.

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6.0 Secrets“Secrets have power” - Erin Morgenstern

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The Secrets Erin Morgernstern wrote in her novel, the Night Circus that “secrets have power... And that power dismisses when they are shared so they are best kept and kept well.” But it is in human nature to share secrets and so a way to do that while preserving the power is through symbolism. Myths and parables allow the author to expressed meaning without it being obviously clear and that is what drove my pavilion design at Herring Island. And now I’m going to wrap the site in another layer of secrets and tell you a story...

You stand on the edge of the Yarra, looking over at Herring Island when your vision distorts and everything changes. Colours grow more intense, people start to disappear and the river turns a bright blue. Someone wearing a dark, hooded cloak approaches you and begins to speak.

Don’t just stand there... Please, come forth and present your drachma to Charon for he will take you across the river Styx. No, no, do not waste my time with frivolous questions, I am quite busy... But if you must know; you are at the threshold of the underworld, of course. Where else would you you be?

Please do not stare at the other passengers, they are in the same boat as you. Yes I know, bad time for a pun, but I’ve been here such a long time, can’t I have some fun?

Please sit down or... Too late. I did try to warn you, but never mind. You know, the others were smart enough to sit down themselves, even that child with the Pinocchio nose and those two old ladies with the drooping skin about to fall from their bones...

I can say what I wish, I am in charge around here. Now

please, we shall get going...

No, they could not pay, those souls on the edge of the river will stay there for an eternity. Never you mind, swimming will not help them; they will only drown and their strangled cries will fade out of existence when they take their last breath...

And here we are, Asphodel! Where only the ordinary reside for all of eternity. Please step onto the never ending path of Sisyphus and may you begin trudging like the rest of them. This path will never take you to a destination, only back to the beginning where you will be forced to continue your task forever. You are foolish if you think you can escape, You can never break my cycle, will only catch a glimpse of an end before that Boulder comes rushing back down the mountain for you to push it up again. Only those who are deserving make it out of asphodel and you are not one of them.

But maybe you are? I see the shimmer caught your eye and now you lust after the treasure so plentiful you can only imagine. You wish to leave Asphodel for this? If that is what you want. Yes, the man with a camera for a face and the couple with their lips glued together will come as well. You all have something in common. Please watch your step!

I did warn you this time, the incline is quite steep and slippery. Do not despair! Only those who are deserving make it to the fields of punishment. Those lights will forever flash and that sound will continue until you go insane like the others. Do not claw at the web, the blood is difficult to

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clean off. Arachne spent many hours weaving that and you disrespect her? This is why you deserve to be here, hearing the incessant clicking sound as a punishment for your sins. You say you do not belong here? But it was your choice! Those who enrage and disregard the gods and goddesses deserve their torture...

Oh, very well...

Back on the path of asphodel you go. Yes, yes, your gratitude is humbling but you must remember I am not merciless. The God of the underworld has some emotion. And you are lucky I like you. Now perhaps you have learnt your lesson...

And there you go again, asphodel is never good enough is it? You and the Pinocchio child cannot be contained by the endless cycle of walking, can you? Fine. Attempt to climb all you wish but you will never make it. I know the weaving is particularly beautiful, Arachne did a wonderful job of articulating the impossible realm above the ground, but Only heroes make it to Elysium. Heroes and myself as I have the key! I will never let you in and you will never compare to heroes like Hercules...

Yet you made it. I have never in my thousand year reign seen someone make it from the fields of punishment to Elysium before. Never. Yet here you are, unlatching the trap door and letting yourself into heaven.

Save your awe for another time! I never enjoy seeing the heroes make it to paradise, if it were up to me, most would not even be allowed here. Embrace the paradise and that peace you feel because you will not be here for long. Let the beauty caress you, the array of coloured lights

dance across the sinuous curves and perfect space within. Okay, enough. Close your eyes and when you open them, you will reincarnated.

You leave my realm as someone else entirely.

And the secret you tried to discover will still be unknown.

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6.1 - Precedent (Mythology)Mythology allows secrets to be shared without them losing their power and so I used this to drive my design. Based on my analysis of the people on the site, I chose the Greek Underworld as a precedent as the Barge Operator reminded me of Charon the Ferryman who, for a drachma, would take souls across the river Styx. The underworld is made up of three main sections:The fields of punishment (where the most despicable souls are tortured), asphodel (where the ordinary reside) and elysium (where the heroes live in paradise. These three areas inspired the placement of the below ground, on ground and above ground pavillions respectively. The form of the design is also inspired by greek myths. The path (asphodel) resembles that made by Sisyphus as he pushed the boulder up the mountain after he was sentenced to eternal punishment for insulting the gods. The tangled wire design is based on the web woven by Arachne, who was a woman who challenged Athena to a weaving contest and upon losing, she was turned into a spider.

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“The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones.”“People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told to see.”

“There are many kinds of magic, after all.”

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

“People don’t pay much attention to things unless you give them reason to.”

“I couldn’t tell the difference between what was realand what I wanted to be real.”“Because I do not wish to know,” he said. “I prefer to remain unenlightened, to better appreciate the dark.”

“You prefer not to see the gears of the clock, as to better tell the time.”

“Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars.”

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“People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told to see.”

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

“People don’t pay much attention to things unless you give them reason to.”

“I couldn’t tell the difference between what was realand what I wanted to be real.”“Because I do not wish to know,” he said. “I prefer to remain unenlightened, to better appreciate the dark.”

“You prefer not to see the gears of the clock, as to better tell the time.”

6.2 - Precedent (The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern)The form of my design is also based on the ideas appropriated from the novel, The Night Circus. One of the themes of the novel is magic and mystery which describes how the visitors of the circus experience the circus. This is why nothing in my design will be what it seems. The pavillions will be made of lightweight timber, covering in a steel veneer and the wires will be as thin as possible so the structural design seems impossible. Everything in the design will be designed carefully so the experience of the visitor is emphasised. The experience is the most important element of the entire design.

“Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars.”

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6.3 Site ChoiceIn order to make the experience on the site more immersive and to stick to the symbolism and metaphor, I have chosen to place the main architecture close to the middle of the site, hidden behind many trees. The path will make a complete circle from the barge to the site and back again, symbolisng the repetive and neverending nature of the underworld.

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6.4 - AsphodelWhere only the ordinary reside for an eternity. You have done nothing special with your life, so you are destined to walk the path of Sisyphus forever. You are foolish if you think you can escape, only those who are deserving make it out of here and you are clearly not one of them. You will endlessly push that boulder up the mountain until you catch a glimpse of the top before it comes rushing back down again. Nothing can save you from this fate. But it could be worse...

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6.5 - Fields of PunishmentHere is the worse. You deserve this fate, only those who have sinned in life will be tortured in death. You probably disrespected a god or stole from the poor. Perhaps you murdered an innocent or beat a child? This will be your punishment. It is only when you are standing on the flat steel surface hidden beneath the web woven by Arachne that the lights start to flash. You hear a click. Then another click. Click. Click. Click. The incessant sound will never cease. Fearfull, you claw at the web and attempt an escape but you cannot! You will now suffer your eternal punishment...

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Scale- 1:50

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6.6 - Fields of Punishment ExplanationThe main function of this area is for one family at a time to listen to a recording. This is the clicking sound that was described in the narrative. The other spaces underground in the Fields of Punishment are the large lockable store as this has direct access through a door leading to the punishment ramp and the cleaner’s room, as those in the underworld who are to be punished are often given repetitive, slave like tasks, like that of the cleaner. This space is access through a trapdoor in the roof of the store.

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6.7 - ElysiumThere are only two ways to enter Elysium and neither are easy. One is to hold the key of the underworld and only Hades has that privilege. The other is to be strong and defy the impossible. But what awaits cannot be described for beauty like this has no words. This paradise that can only be visited by the heroes is the sought after place. Not one being will say they wish to leave this place. If you made it here, you are truely a hero...

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Scale- 1:50

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6.8- Elysium ExplanationThe above ground pavilion is very different from the one below ground. This pavilion has the wire elements on the exterior which make them seem magical rather than threatening. Inside the structure is the machinary room where a figure (Hades) controls everything on the site. There is also a small lockable store for this person’s possesions or anything else they may need to maintain control. There are also three toilets which represent the paradise in Elysium. Clean public toilets are the most sought after in apublic space and therefore, one can only reach these toilets through a trap door in the roof or through Hades’ ramp which remains locked until he opens it.

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Scale- 1:100

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6.9 - PlanThe plan demonstrates how each of the elements come together to represent the Underworld and the constructed mythology.

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6.10 - Collage This drawing expounds how people interact with and are effected by the pavilion.

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6.11 - ModelThe model demonstrates the relationships between the three different areas on the site and how one would get there.

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7.0 Reflection“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Soren Kierkegaard

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7.0 Reflection“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Soren Kierkegaard

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7.0 - ReflectionMy designing skills have clearly moved fowards from the point, line and plane techtonic model. The three techtonics forced me to think conceptually which helped me begin to think outside of reality for the final design. Creating something that was not architecture and then turning it into architecture was very helpful and this process ensured the final design became something different to what I would have designed had I been told to design a pavilion for people. It was challenging at some stages in the process to develop ideas conceptually with narrative rather than simply follow the breif. The lack of parameters was concerning at first but I eventually got used to it and in the final design, was able to twist the brief into something that matched my narrative and ideation. It is clear at the beginning I was less ambitious with model making materials. Towards the end, the models were more difficult to craft but ended up looking much better than the initial designs. After presentation in week twelve, it was obvious that I needed to think more logically about the final design and how it would be built and so I altered the sections and plans in order to created a more realistic design. This grounded my ideas allowing me to imagine the design finally intergrating with the site and its surroundings. And now, as you take your final steps through this book, you look back, over your shoulder and see a copy of yourself. Yet they are different. They are what you were before you began this journey. Because now you are someone entirely new.

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8.0 - Bibiliography

Bauhaus Online, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, viewed 3rd June 2016, <http://www.photoree.com/photos/permalink/3257993-19549886@N00)>

Greek Mythology 1997, The Underworld, viewed 3rd June 2016, <http://www.greekmythology.com/>

Morgenstern, E 2011, The Night Circus, Doubleday, USA.