ArchiBoard for Studio:Earth

STUDIO EARTH 1/14: A PLACE TO HOLD SECRETS

HERRING ISLAND 1:1000

PUZZLES AND GAMES: A PLAYGROUND FOR ADULTS

HERRING ISLAND IS A SMALL MAN-MADE ISLAND LOCATED ON THE YARRA. THE PLANTS ON THE ISLAND ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY NATIVE.

1. A PLACE WHERE A SMALL OBJECT CAN BE VIEWED BY ONLY ONE PERSON AT A TIME, FOR A MAXIMUM OF 5 MINUTES. 2. SECRET SPACES AS CHILDREN WOULD IDENTIFY THEM

FOR MOST OF THE YEAR THE ISLAND CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY PRIVATE BOAT, BUT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS IT CAN BE VISITED BY MEANS OF PUNT.

3. SECRETS IN THE ARCHITECTURE THE BRIEF ABOVE INSPIRED ME TO TRY TO CREATE A SPACE FOR “PLAY” BUT IN ADULT TERMS. I WANT THE USERS TO BE REMINDED OF THAT SENSE OF DISCOVERY TYPICAL OF CHILDHOOD. MY AIM WAS TO INCLUDE ALL THREE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS COHESIVELY SO THAT THEY DIDN’T FEEL

AROUND THE ISLAND SEVERAL SCULPTURAL ARTWORKS BY LOCAL ARTISTS CAN BE FOUND HIDDEN AMONGST THE TREES, AND A SMALL ART GALLERY OPERATES FOR THE SUMMER SEASON. MY GOAL WAS TO DESIGN A PAVILION WHICH EXISTS IN HARMONY WITH THE EXISTING AESTHETIC OF THE ISLAND.

LIKE THREE SEPARATE ELEMENTS BUT A WHOLE WHICH RESPONDS TO EACH OF THESE. I WAS INSPIRED BY RUINS IN THE AESTHETIC OF MY DESIGN. I WANTED MY DESIGN TO WEATHER AND BECOME OVERGROWN, AS THE SENSE OF ABANDONMENT EVOKED BY RUINS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT MAKES IT FEEL TO VISITORS LIKE AN ADVENTURE, WALKING WHERE NOBODY HAS TREAD FOR MANY YEARS. I WAS ALSO INSPIRED BY VIDEO GAMES AND THE ASPECTS OF THESE WHICH MAKE THEM FUN EVEN IN ADULTHOOD.

SKETCH CONCEPTS

b a

APPROX. DIMENSIONS a. 8.5m b. 20.5m c. 34m d. 24m e. 20m f. 8m

c e

d

f

MY SITE 1:500

ARTWORKS OF HERRING ISLAND MASS EARLIER IN THE SEMESTER I DREW THIS SECTION AS AN EXPERIENTIAL CAVE STRUCTURE. IN THIS DESIGN THE USE OF CHALK PASTEL SHAPED MY DESIGN, AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN’T USE PASTEL TO DESIGN THIS I REMEMBERED THE STRENGTH OF MASS STRUCTURES AS EXPRESSED IN THIS MEDIUM.

I ALSO WAS CERTAIN TO CONSIDER THE SAME ISSUES OF TACTILITY, MATERIALITY AND LIGHT AND SHADE RAISED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT. THE IDEA OF “WATER AS MASS” AND A TRANSITIONAL JOURNEY WERE THE IDEAS WHICH MOST STRONGLY CARRY THROUGH.

EXPERIENCE

YOUTHFUL ADVENTURE THIS STRUCTURE IS, FROM THE BEGINNING, PLAYING WITH IDEAS OF SECRECY. FROM THE ISLAND, IT IS ALWAYS OVER THE HORIZON AND CAN ONLY BE SEEN IF THE SMALL AND APPARENTLY INSIGNIFICANT PATH IS FOLLOWED. EVEN WHEN THE EDGE OF THE PAVILION IS REACHED ON CANNOT SEE THE FULL SCALE OF THE PROJECT. ONLY ONCE IT IS OCCUPIED CAN THE USER APPRECIATE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROJECT AND BECOME IMMERSED IN A MYSTERIOUS AND FANTASTICAL HISTORY. I INTEND FOR THE USER TO WONDER WHY THE STRUCTURE WAS BUILT AND BY WHO, FOR THEM TO EXPLORE IN HOPES OF UNCOVERING ITS SECRETS.

UPON REACHING THE PAVILION’S FLOOR THE USER WILL EXPERIENCE A FRAMED VIEW OF THE RIVER OUT TO THE EAST, AND IF THE SITE IS VISITED IN THE MORNING THE SUN WILL SHINE ON THEIR FACE. IF THE VENTURE BEHIND THE STAIRCASE AND STAND ON A SMALL STONE “SWITCH” THE WATER FEATURE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY PART AND REVEAL A WINDOW INTO A SECRET ROOM CONTAINING AN ILLEGIBLE BOOK WRITTEN IN AN UNRECOGNISABLE SCRIPT. THE VIEWER WILL WONDER HOW THEY CAN ACCESS THE ROOM AND WHAT THE BOOK CONTAINS, BUT THESE ARE SECRETS THAT ARE NEVER UNCOVERED, LEAVING USERS QUESTIONING THEIR EXPERIENCE.

GIOBERTO NORO MATERIAL AND DECAY

THESE IMAGES BY ITALIAN ARTISTS SERGIO GIOBERTO AND MARILENA NORO EVOKE THE MOOD AND AESTHETIC I WANT IN MY DESIGN. I INTEND FOR THE STONE AND CONCRETE OF THE PAVILION TO WEATHER AND FOR MOSS AND PLANTS TO THRIVE THERE. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE DESIGN AS IT WILL HELP ESTABLISH THE SENSE OF

SECTION 1:50

EAST ELEVATION 1:100

PLAN 1:100

AGE AND RUIN, THEREFORE CONTRIBUTING TO THE IDEA OF ADVENTURE. THE WEATHERING AND AGING OF THE STRUCTURE CREATES QUESTIONS SUCH AS “WHO BUILT THIS AND WHY?”, ESPECIALLY IF THE STRUCTURE IS MONUMENTAL IN SCALE YET UNIDENTIFIABLE IN PURPOSE.