15 minute read
pondering days
from gsa fyp pf
by Alvin Quek
Location; singapore Principle use; mix-use Stage; built size;
One of Chinatown Complex’s kept secret is its basketball court, on its roof. Who would think a basketball court will exist on a rooftop?
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This space might be trendy for being an instagram-worthy spot, it beats the conventional use of rooftops; which typically functions to shed water, to protect building interiors or for industrial assemblies.
Spaces like that are ; we question to occupy them or not. Utilization of space in Singapore sometimes demands to not let things go to waste. How much is enough, and when do we not overdo it? c via t y - like
How can we value the emptiness of such missed opportunity spaces?
emptiness
Spaces like that are ; we question to occupy them or not. Utilization of space in Singapore sometimes demands to not let things go to waste. How much is enough, and when do we not overdo it?
Above: Image of Chinatown Complex basketball court. https://www.ricemedia.co/culture-life-stfu-guide-singaporepeople-who-cant-stand-people/
Location; manhattan new york Principle use; urban public park Stage; built size; 6.7 acres, 1.5 miles
After the railway line retired, the train track structures were left abandoned and nature took over. After years of debate to retain the beauty, the state of New York and the New York Central Railroad agreed on the West Side Improvement Project, which included the High Line. What makes it significant in terms of its adaptive reuse is the effort to integrate new designs and its historical past. It is admirable to build something new and still retaining the old. The florishing nature elements on site gave cues to what possible new designs to speculate.
What makes it significant in terms of its adaptive reuse is the effort to integrate new designs and its historical past. It is admirable to build something new and still retaining the old. The florishing nature to what possible new designs to speculate.
What cues can we space designers take from the site to value our designs?
Left: Bird’s eye view of Highline. https://dsrny.com/project/the-high-line Top: Old functioning tracks of Highline in 1930s. http://cargocollective.com/Uofanycstudioarch/HIGH-LINE-ARCHITECTURE Below: Integration of old and new elements on the Highline. https://www.archdaily.com/24362/the-new-york-high-line-officially-open
Location; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, united states Principle use; religious, non-specific Stage; built size;
Completed in 1955, the MIT Chapel is a simple cylindrical volume that has a complex and mystical quality within. Saarinen’s simple design with materials and light awakens the spirituality in the visitor.
Located in a small forested area on campus, the brick wall creates an ‘insulated space’ for its visitor to dwell in their emotions. Above the white marble altar, a metal sculpture that hangs from the skylight shimmers in the sunlight; reflecting and distributing light into the interior of the chapel. Using the natural uncontrolled elements of nature at site, the sculpture appears as a cascading waterfall of light that is constantly adjusting, moving, and redefining the interior of the chapel.
Below: Interior space of MIT Chapel. https://www. archdaily.com/112682/ad-classics-mit-chapel-eerosaarinen Right: Skylight opening and sculpture. https://www. archdaily.com/112682/ad-classics-mit-chapel-eerosaarinen
How can we create an intimate space, be isolate while celebrating the
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elements of nature?
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esplanade bridge (under)
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activating spaces natural occurences
Above: First firework display at Esplanade bridge. https:// mothership.sg/2019/08/singapore-first-ndp-1966/
The cavity-like space under esplanade bridge fits a missed opportunity space. The opening in-between the highway allows rain to pass through, keeps the space under well-ventilated, and gives a good source for natural lighting. However it is an urban interior typology that will not even be considered for space-making.
To occupy or not? What does the occupation means in an interior design realm.
esplanade bridge (under)
In Singapore chronicles: Environment (p. 28-29), it explains why highways in singapore are designed and built with a split opening. Concrete is a harsh (and ugly) material to exist in a garden city. When light passes through, it allows greenscape to grow and soften the concrete in a biophilic manner.
The natural occurences at sight is momentarily. In order to embrace the ‘passing by’ qualities, one need to observe for prolong periods. A mere chanced upon moment makes the encounter fleeting and temporal.
How can i use the uncontrolled conditions to
natural occurences; rain, light, wind
How can i use the uncontrolled conditions to highlight such insignificant spaces, but with greater intentions?
Above: First national day parade; fireworks display at esplanade bridge; founding father’s farewell; bicentennial experience 2019 .
Rain seeems to mark many significant events in singapore. In the bicentennial experience exhibition, ‘rain’ was used to commerate marked events in a nostalgic way. Why do rain have to follow with a sad or moody connotation? How can we celebrate the existence of rain?
overcast dim
~1100hrs ~1400hrs
rain; jumps, goes up and down, quiet, makes noise, make mist acoustics of rain: therapeutic, rhythmic, intensity
(but we always avoid it)
Respecting the site’s qualities; On rainy days, the scenery is different from the usual. Rain becomes the dramatic protagonist of the performance. In an urban scale, rain is miniscule: like walls and partitions of a building to create rooms. Rain can create small spaces amid the bigger space of the urban interior.
If the architecture or urban qualities cannot be autonomous and can only exist as relationships, then how are the relationships to be designed?
Whereever rain come from, little puddles of water are formed.
These puddles were the initial inspiration for the intervention.
The shallow pond on the ground resulted from a natural sighting achieved an unformatted space for users to embrace the quality of water.
A diagramatic view of how rain will fall through the opening and into the to site.
These puddles were the initial inspiration for the intervention.
The shallow pond on the ground resulted from a natural sighting achieved an unformatted space for users to embrace the quality of water.
In natural phenomena, subtle differences are reflected closely. Compared to convential scale of architecture or an urban interior space, rain droplets are extremely small. However, the effects of it gives form to the space as some thing substantial. It is far smaller than any everyday scale. In fact we can almost unable to sense that it is actually there, only when it is in massive agglomeration. Water vapor in the air condenses, forms a cloud, and causes rain to fall. This cycle is transparent. It is neither delib erate or permanent. When in collective, in can be perceive as a natural phenomena or as a landscape in our daily life.
In natural phenomena, subtle differences are reflected closely. Compared to convential scale of architecture or an urban interior space, rain droplets are extremely small. However, the effects of it gives form to the space as something substantial. It is far smaller than any everyday scale. In fact we can almost unable to sense that it is actually Water vapor in the air condenses, forms a cloud, and causes rain to fall. This cycle is transparent. It is neither deliberate or permanent. When in collective, in can be perceive as a natural phenomena or as a landscape in our daily life.
Water trinkles, flows down by drop. by roughening the texture, it amplifies rain.
Rain then makes noise, jumps up and down, and becomes the supporting actor of the performance.
Rain, is uncontrolled. By covering up the openng on the roof, it controls the uncontrolled con ditions of rain. Rain as a subject is curated in the space.
Rain, is uncontrolled. By covering up the openng on the roof, it controls the uncontrolled conditions of rain. Rain as a subject is curated in the space.
Without eliminating the uncontrolled conditions of light, it is used as a tangent to amplify the natural occurences at site. The explorations figured out that the varietions were almost considerably unnecessary. The main intention is to control how rain flows and enter the space.
On a non-rainy day, the show goes on. Rain steps away from the show while light supports the act. Using light as a tangent condition, the effects of rain is replicated and cascaded it on the site.
On a non-rainy day, the show goes on. Rain steps away from the show while light supports the act. Using light as a tangent condition, the effects of rain is
Light and rain work hand-in-hand in this performance.
The concept models put together is a visual representation of the intervention. The designed intervention focuses on three key aspects: the roof, the slanting wall and the ground plane.
Rain, is uncontrolled.
Rain as a subject is curated in the space. On a non-rainy day, the show goes on. Rain steps away from the show while light supports the act.
The concept models put together is a visual representation of the intervention. The designed intervention focuses on three key aspects: the roof, the slanting wall and the ground plane.
By covering up the openng on the roof, it controls the uncontrolled conditions of rain. Rain as a subject is curated in the space. Water trinkles, flows down by drop. By roughening the texture, it amplifies rain.
Rain then makes noise, jumps up and down, and becomes the supporting actor of the performance.
On a non-rainy day, the show goes on. Rain steps away from the show while light supports the act. Using light as a tangent condition, the effects of rain is replicated and cascaded it on the site. Light and rain work hand-in-hand in this performance.
In my pondering, chasing rainy days that are, simply temporal.
The haiku was inspired by the serpentine pavillion 2019 by Junya Ishigami. In his words, he described his design as ‘A black bird flying in a rainy london sky’. It was poetic and beautifullu described; which sums up his pavillion design very simply.
The haiku is formed using 3 key words, pondering / rainy / temporal, as these were the words that best describes the user experience in the space.
Like a landscape amplifier, the experiential design under esplanade bridge is amplify the natural occurences observed.
In order to ‘perform’ the design outcome without defunctioning what is established, I knew I had to be sensitive with the activities at sight: passing by humans, cyclists, runners or merely people gathering in the space.
The tangent pond stretched over a few metres, is detailed down to the 10mm. The detail is almost negligible, but yet makes the space when activated by rain.
The tangent pond stretched over a few metres, is detailed down to the 10mm. The detail is almost negligible, but yet makes the space when activated by rain. 6000mm 10mm
10mm
500
In my pondering, chasing rainy days that are, simply temporal.
Interior perspective of intervention under esplanade bridge
Under the esplanade bridge, a performance is screened, but only activated by rain. From this simple and humble gesture, a new landscape amplifier is born. Neither closed nor completely open, it is a space in itself but it is part of its environment at the same time. Inside, rain becomes the protagonist of the performance while light supports it. The space sanctifies a small portion of the urban landscape but respectfully deny its confinement. Thus, the concepts of interior and exterior, in a diffuse and ambiguous spatial experience.
nego tiable
Inside, rain becomes the protagonist of the performance while light supports it. The space sanctifies a small portion of the urban landscape but respectfully , in a diffuse and ambiguous spatial experience.
nego tiable
Light enters through the opening. Inside it, we ponder, chase after rain and finds shelter and protection. ‘Pondering days’ coexists harmoniously with the urban interiors, letting in winds. In some way, there is a reminiscence of the most primitive of architectures. One that reunites humans, urban landscape, and matter of earth.
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