(in)shadows

esala year 3 / semester 1 / 2011.12.09 / module code arch10001 / architectural design / explorations / (in)proximity

(in)shadows a project by olle blomquist

13500416-07.00AM 14910416-07.00AM 15280416-07.00AM 20110416-07.00AM 14911011-0251PM-14911117-07.47AM 15281023-08.00AM-15281112-08.14AM 16510212-12.15PM-16510224-03.15PM 15570103-09.45AM 19500811-07.35PM 20090526-12.31PM

cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximity

exploring the project through new and interesting mediums.

a reflection

this portfolio covers the work i have developed over the past few weeks in the unit module ‘(in)proximity’ within the course ‘explorations’. we started the project in september not knowing where we were heading. not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel might for some people be frustrat-ing. i decided early on that i would embrace the lack of knowledge and make my decisions solely on what felt best for the moment. through this attitude, which in no doubt have been beneficial, i have taken the chance to fully explore my architectural ideas through a brief designed by myself for myself and with different mediums appropriate to the atmosphere of my project.

this project is about shadows and not only in the obvious way of using light to create shadows. it is considering so much more. it is about the qual-ity, the atmosphere and the characteristics of shadows. The first site visit enhanced what i had already felt when being introduced to the project. i felt this project had to be something very personal, a poetic and mysteri-ous project with dreamlike qualities in theory but also within every single drawing.

inspired by hiroshi sugimoto’s photography series ‘architecture’, i asked myself if a building can be recognised by its shadow and if certain buildings survive the translation from three dimensions to two. in this translation it loses texture, colour, scale and sometimes even its recogniasable features but i believe shadows hold information, all we need is some imagination to be able to picture it.

i have, based on my design attitude stated halfway through the project, re-versed this translation and created a composition of three dimensional forms from a two dimensional image.

introduction and contents

esala year 3 / semester 1 / 2011.12.09 / module code arch10001 / architectural design / explorations / s0954531 / olle blomquist

unit 4 / (in)proximity / chris lowry and clare slifer

(in)shadows

part i: cataloguing (in)proximity

part ii: clarifying (in)proximity

part iii: developing (in)proximity

part iv: executing (in)proximity

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16-31

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityvisual acuity and tantallon castle

initially we did research covering a large amount of precedents and concepts. my group focused on ‘visual acuity’(left) and as a trigger text we were handed antonio bragaglia’s manifesto ‘fotodinamismo futurista’ (middle) from 1913. this part of the project concluded with a presentation in week 2 and gave everyone a rich platform of knowledge to base further concepts on. one of the topics we covered as a group and which sparked my idea was the work of japanese photographer hiroshi sugimoto and specifically his series called ‘architecture’ (right).

esala year 3 / semester 1 / 2011.12.09 / module code arch10001 / architectural design / explorations / s0954531 / olle blomquist 5


apparatus 1 - site: walking along the shore all the way from north berwick to tantallon castle, i got close to the rocks of the coastline and admired the views towards bass rock. Once at the site I was struck by the vastness of the castle but then started to notice tiny interesting details within it. the idea of birds and other crea-tures inhabiting the castle was at first a key interest for me that lost its importance as the project went along.

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityalliances and initial clarifying drawing

inspired by sugimoto i wanted to test if tantallon castle was such an iconic piece of architecture that it could be recognized by its shadows. shadows are an important feature in any atmospheric and sensual architecture and this was an appropriate main theme for the site and project. starting at visual acuity in generally and shadows specifically, alliances were made with other research themes. most impor-tant is the link to ‘duration’. shadows changes over time but also gives a sense of time and can even tell time, as with a sundial.

shadows also conform to the landscape or object that they are cast upon and wraps them in darkness. this concept was considered even in the earliest drawings but became more important throughout the project and would later on be used as a tool to solve design problems.

in the translation from three dimensions to two dimensions the object loses many of its characteristics such as col-our, texture and scale and sometimes even its location.

iconic shadow cast upon a landscape of buildings.a shadows give away some information but hold on to some. location of shadow.



initial clarifying drawing. keywords: shadows (undulation, wrapping, shape, location, translation), moments, inhabitants (birds - gannets) (man - 1950am), sea, coast-line, prison, dovecot, dispalying information.

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clarifying models

developing clarifying model



final clarifying model. the model is testing different types of shadows and materials. it also explores how they can interact with undulation.

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13500416-07.00AM 14910416-07.00AM 15280416-07.00AM 20110416-07.00AM 14911011-0251PM-14911117-07.47AM 15281023-08.00AM-15281112-08.14AM 16510212-12.15PM-16510224-03.15PM 15570103-09.45AM 19500811-07.35PM 20090526-12.31PM

claryfying drawing and mid-term summary statement

overlaying change over timecastle over the centuries: 13500416-07.00AM 14910416-07.00AM 15280416-07.00AM 20110416-07.00AM

collecting shadows

the final drawing is the result of me mapping shad-ows of the castle at important times in the his-tory of the castle taken from a virtual model and overlaying them. It emphasies my main alliances and conceptual ideas and also introduces other key interests.

my main concept for this project is that shadows are translations from three dimensions to two and in the process some information is hidden. The clarifying drawing is in many ways a study of the change in the castle’s shadows over history. These historic shadows could never be reproduced again because the castle is now partly in ruins but I wanted to take these imaginary shapes and traslate them back to three dimensions to construct a modern interpretation of the iconic parts of the castle.




13500416-07.00AM 14910416-07.00AM 15280416-07.00AM 20110416-07.00AM 14911011-0251PM-14911117-07.47AM 15281023-08.00AM-15281112-08.14AM 16510212-12.15PM-16510224-03.15PM 15570103-09.45AM 19500811-07.35PM 20090526-12.31PM summary statement (written in week 5)

a shadow is a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface. in this process of translation, details, texture and color disappears. you loose a third dimension as the untouchable image becomes flat but you gain the forth. time.

the concept of architecture and time is not new, nor is the notion of a sundial, but the idea of the latter can be used to explore the former. tantallon castle is not what it once was but it is rich in history and tales of mystery. it has gone through sieges and seen people and other beings come and go. the presence of shadows has been consistent and they can tell stories.

‘Deep shadows are essential, because they dim the sharpness of vision, make depth and distance ambigu-ous, and invite unconscious peripheral vision and tactile fantasy’

juhani pallasma, the eyes of the skin

using mapping as a tool to explore the site through time and dimension while paying attention to the specific shapes, patterns and relationship that are created I want to use these in combination with the ‘atmosphere’ of the emotive titles to create space and touch the untouchable.

sieges - period of time: 14911011-02.51PM-14911117-07.47AM 15281023-08.00AM-15281112-08.14AM 16510212-12.15PM-16510224-03.15PM moments: 15570103-09.45AM 19500811-07.35PM 20090526-12.31PM

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step 1 - drawing: location and scale step 3 - Final (current): clarification of spacestep 2 - itn progress: extrusion

moving on from the conceptual stage of the project i started laying out a plan based on the ideas specified in my statement and taken from the shapes produced in the drawing. the shapes were then made into three dimensional forms following the landscape.

diagramatic plan and final locating drawing

diagrammatic plans made for mid-term review explaining progression of siting development



locating drawing

the location is primarily the result of a respectful atti-tude towards the castle. visitors should have the opportu-nity to only experience the castle if so wanted. the loca-tion is also a result of studying where you can improve the site experience. this part of the site is less explored and less interesting because there is nothing built in contrast to the northeast part of the site, which is overloaded with potential ‘experiences’. it is also the most undulated part of the site that allows for interesting forms created by the concept. views towards bass rock was also essential and highly informed the exact direction of the building.

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week 6: original plan week 7: different types of shadows week 8: contrasting light and shadow week 9: finalising details week 9: testing ink on card week 10: final cad week 12: final plan

most development work was made by hand on tracing paper and in my sketchbook. this is a sample of the work on the plan and the long section. please see sepa-rate folder and sketchbook for more detail.

developing a plan and section (nts)



week 6: original long section

week 7: beginning to explore the possibility to excavate. making section more interesting while still letting the roof line follow the landscape. this was a key moment of the project.

week 10: working with materiality and contrasting light and shadow.

week 12: final section in full context.

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityintroduction to the brief and apparatus 2: historic scotland

(in)proximity concluded with a third project starting at mid-term and involved the development of a design proposition for historic scotland’s ‘scottish castle initiative’ agenda. we were asked to design a building that could amplify the awareness of scottish heritage to the public but also work as a meeting point for scholars.

the brief we were given had a client, a site and a main concept but it lacked a detailed program and requirements. instead our response was to be informed by ‘emotive titles’ and our conceptual design attitude. the titles suggested spaces but were free to interpret.

it has been my main aim to produce a dynamic design that offer a vide range of experiences. hence, i have treated the emotive titles quite contrasting to each other. the emotive titles and their built response can be seperated into three different buildings.

- vault of tales and reconstructing inquiry (460 square meters)- reaching heritage and memory chamber (35 square meters)- dénoument (19 square meters)

The academic part of the building is a very functional building and operates in a normal way. it has been designed through following my own methodology based on the overall attitude towards the site and my conceptual ideas. The two towers stands in stark contrast to it not only in their iconic forms but also in the way i saw the emotive titles. From the very beginning my thoughts on these spaces has been very simple, a very strong sense of atmospehere adn experience but not necessarily very ‘functional’ spaces for the visitor. a poetic response that is a reflection of the activities taking place in the castle and the academic part.

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site roof plan 1:1500 (locating emotive titles)1. reaching heritage2. memory chamber3. academic building a. library b. reconstructing inquiry c. vault of tales4. dénoument

group site model 1:200


unit 4 / (in)proximity / chris lowry and clare sliferreaching heritage and memory chamber

roof plan 1:500 ground flor plan 1:500

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1. reaching heritage2. entrances a. main b. staff3. memory chamber4. reception and office5. accessible toilet6. exit

the first impression you get of the castle is size. walking from north berwick you should know what you are aiming for, a massive monumental tower (douglas) echoing the glorious days of the castle and amplifying its massiveness. when approaching the site the castle appears as a big block but once in it you start noticing the details and the freedom you once felt disappears while you enter the narrow doorways and staircases. reaching heritage is the starting point of this feeling. the backside of the tower is ‘in ruins’. you arrive to a modern interpretation of the original tower, and you leave in a contemporary ruin. this adds a sense of duration.

the memory chamber is the inside void of the tower. it is the most poetic part of the program that can be interpreted in any way. several huge skylights bring sufficient light down to the chamber and services, including reception, office and an accessible toilet but it is also trying to spark a certain atmospheric feeling to the coming experience and an enthusiastic attitude towards tanta-llon castle and other projects of ‘the initiative’. the vast, open and empty volume with its thick surrounding walls is a metaphor for the state of scottish castles and is trying to make visitors aware in a extreme yet subtle manner.

reaching heritage: arriving at tantallon

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityplans 1:500 (note that this layout had to be modified, original layout for hardcopy was a three pages gatefolded verison)all my development drawings were handrawn (see seperate folder) and i wanted to include the handcrafted elements into my final design. the plans are drawn with pen and ink on card. using the ink in different ways i have tried to convey different aspects of my project.

the conceptual roof plan is locating the building within its undulated context. The pen strokes bleeds through the ink to suggest that there is hidden information within the building.

conceptual roof plan 1:500



underground floor plan 1:500

1. entrances a. south (accessible lift) b. east (library) c. west (library) d. north (reconstructing inquiry)2. library3. vault of tales4. accessible toilet5. reconstructing inquiry a. meeting room b. private study6. Dénoument

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ground floor plan 1:500 (clarifying entrances)

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final model. The exterior form and material of the building represent the obvious qualities of shad-ows. dark and matt shapes lacking a strong sense of texture is achieved by the use of dark con-crete. The building’s roof line follows the land-scape and where they meet, one follows the other.

exterior articulation



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visiting the castle for the first time is about exploring, people should explore the new building too. there are no signs of where entrances or different rooms are. it is my intent that you should know by the atmospheric feeling if you are in the right place. there will be several entrances but they will not be obvious. The whole building is accessible by wheel chair. the hinged doors are thick (60mm) and they are made of steel. they are designed to be flush with the exterior wall and raised up (200mm) to keep weath-er out of the building. the sound of the steel doors slamming against the concrete, echoing throughout the whole ‘bunker’, is an important detail in this piece of architecture.

above: exterior view approaching west entrance.

Precedents: abandoned yugoslavian post world war two monuments, photos by jan kempenaers.

left: final model. aerial view of end studies of ‘Vault of tales’ and ‘reconstructing inquiry’ with ‘dénoument’ in background. the two former underground structures articulates themselves as very long and quite narrow volumes that ends with large windows projecting out from the cliff face with views towards the sea and bass rock.

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityinterior articulation - vault of tales and reconstructing inquiry

the shadows hold information secret so when moving from the exterior to interior another ‘translation’ is happening. the ‘shadow ruin’ form of the roof plan extends to take shapes that are similar to what the shadow would have looked like when the castle was intact. in addition, the material of the interior is much richer in its texture, colour and touch. The material of the walls is rammed concrete. this can also be seen as a metaphor for being underground and being surrounded by sediment rock. the floor is made out of polished dark con-crete and furniture and details are made from dark timber. on the inside the play of natural light becomes a very important feature, just as in the memory chamber. strips of roof lights are running along the building next to specific walls and at the place where the change from roof volume to underground volume occurs. this enhances the richness of the material and crates a mysterious play of light and shadow dimming the nar-row corridors but illuminating important features with direct light.

the vault of tales is a place for the public to get involved in historic scotland and its different ‘projects’. a huge col-lection of books, drawings, maps, photos, surveys, stories, screenplays can be stored. there is efficiency to this con-tainer of knowledge through sharing it with the more private and professional part of the academic building (reconstructing inquiry). the shape has its origins in the shadow of the east tower. it articulates itself as very long and from the outside narrow but is more spacious once inside. it is intended to be a quiet space with 5-6 single person tables. the corridor ends in a large glass window, which overlooks bass rock. visitors will automatically be drawn towards the window and so produce the sounds of steps against the stone floor echoing up in the narrow, dark and tall roof space, this acoustic intervention is very important for the atmosphere of the ‘vault’.

reconstructing inquiry is the largest space where scholars can do research alone or in a group. the space is connected to the vault of tales for practical reasons but also to open up a discussion between visitors and scholars. the primary space is the sky lit meeting room with seats for 12 scholars and it stands in stark contrast to the rest of the building because of the brightness, this is emphasising its importance. as the vault of tales it is long and fairly narrow and takes it shape from the shadow of the ‘the great hall’ and the library from the douglas tower. the end study is overlooking the sea and bass rock. this academic part of the complex is laid on the most undulated part of the site: creating the greatest varia-tion in external and internal feeling and where the conceptual ideas are most clearly used. the form of the vault of tales is following the shape of reconstructing inquiry as a ‘shadow’ to emphasise the hierarchy of these similar spaces.

interior view of the library and east entrance seen from accessible lift.



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cross section 1:150

perspective cross section 1:100

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityfolded long section 1:200 (note that this layout had to be modified, original layout for hardcopy was a three pages gatefolded verison)

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityfolded long section 1:200 (end part)

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cataloguing/claryfying/developing/executing (in)proximityplan split in halves 1:200 and a series of cross sections 1:500 through academic building



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final model. model can be taken apart to further eplore the contrasting relationship between interior and exterior.

final model



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worm’s-eye view college of dénoumentit is expected that visitors would end their experience of tantallon castle and its surround-ings in this tower just as they started in one. this lower tower that was inspired by daniel libeskind’s holocaust tower at the jewish museum in berlin, in combination with the superior tower anchors the project to the site giving it reference points and a major axis. it has many similarities to the idea of the memory chamber and is reminding you and emphasizing similar ideas. in plan this space, that takes is orignal form form the gatehouse and the barbican, might seem complicated. however, on the other side of the walls is a simple space, open to the air, its only furniture is a small concrete bench to sit down on and think about the ex-perience you have had. it is a very serene space for reflection and contemplation and it is intended to be used by few people at the same time, preferably only one, which the lock on the door can assure if wanted. The enclosed walls closes you off from the outside views but the lacking of a roof opens it up to weather and wind giving the opportunity to experience the atmosphere with other senses in focus than just sight. birds could also inhabit this space and this represents the modern state of scottish castles. the door is located so that when entering the room you get a last glimpse of the castle, the same feeling is repeated as you exit and start walking away from the building.

dénoument

(in)shadows

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Transcript of (in)shadows