THE LOOKING GLASS - GABRIEL LIM

[GABRIEL, LIM]

THE LOOKING GLASS

THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

The term ‘through the looking glass’ is in reference to the fiction novel ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ the sequel to the novel ‘Alice In Wonderland’, in which the protaganist is transported to an alternate world in which things are contrary to the real world, and not as they should be.

The phrase describes the project through a literal interpretation as well as a metaphorical meaning.

‘Through the Looking Glass’ means literarily ‘where things are not as they should be’ and meaning ‘different to what was expected’.

This interpretation of the project sees the educational facility in an alternative means and format than that currently employed by mainstream education in such a way that the experiential qualities of the building would be different to expected norms.

The literal play on the phrase eludes to the materiality of spaces within the project and the transparency and visual porosity of programs through the designs.

This intent is for the programs to be visually porous, visible to those around, whether it is into a private or public space. The literal intent of the phrase ‘through the looking glass’ is to peer into what is usually unpercievable in the norm.

The premise for ‘Through the Looking Glass’ is the combinations of Experiment 004 and Experiment 005, and selected resultants of Experiment 003.

By combining Experiment 004 and Experiment 005 it creates the potential for a uniquely experiential spaces through the beams, which acts in a way to offset the ‘bleeding’ behaviour of the programs.

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Project Introduction

Since Experiment 004 is entirely programmatic, the ideas being that the interconnectedness of the programs and the spaces within one another creates a unique learning environment in which positioning and circumstance allows and enables an occupant to not only view the spaces around them but also to traverse between them freely, in which the walls begin to break down where they intersect.

This idea constitutes environmental learning, in which the unique time and place and surrounding occupants all have a role to play in the learning and development of each other. In which one could move from a threshold of a classroom to an open public area or to another classroom.

Experiment 005 focused on the ornament and the interactivity between an occupant and the ornament and the ways in which ornament constitute an experiential function to architecture. The resultant of the experiment has progressed to demonstrating the VERTICAL VISUAL POROSITY through various spaces and programs, acting as part of the landscape of the building and as a visual stimulant.

This constitutes a part of the learning environment which is necessary to an extent. The privacy of a learning space is maintained in a horizontal state, while vertically open, but not disruptive, which catches the attention of occupants, meaning that a small sense of privacy is maintained, in conjunction with an interactive ornament.

Experiment 003 resulted in a series of interesting components out of the whole G.O.D which produced hallways and circulatory pathways which led to nowhere, and didnt intersect with any areas.

Employing that idea into ‘Throught the Looking Glass’ to open some spaces to be a means of observing the surroundings while inside the building, yet at the same time not interactive with the building. Being a passive observer.

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AERIAL VIEW 001. The ‘Looking Glass’ is exemplified through the main entrance and the ideas of porosity are pushed in the undulating landscape entrances into the building and surrounding areas.

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EXTERIOR VIEW 001. The idea of peering through a magnifying glass is personified in the crevice, acting as a public openway. The view begins to interrogate the idea of integrated learning through observation, in a vertical plane through the uses of the glass pipes running through the space, and concurrent spaces throughout.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

AERIAL VIEW 002 - 003: EXTERIOR VIEW 002 - 003: The main entrance exists on the street side corner, with directional paths and directive pathways from other access points, such as carparks and the neighbouring Docklands Studios.

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Project Images

EXTERIOR VIEW 002 - 003: The pathways seek to add a level of familiarity with the site and to push the ideas of vertical porosity over horizontal porosity through the visual accessibility of the first floor room programs visible through the glass.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

AERIAL VIEW 004 (Top): The idea of density is pushed throughout the site and corners of the building, each seeking to provide an interactive atmosphere through the the beams and glass pipes.

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Project Images

EXTERIOR VIEW 002 (Bottom): The public interface to the east holds a primary design feature, containing a bulk of beams and glass pipes which seek to entice the public and promote visual curiosity.

INTERIOR VIEW 001A (Top): The glass pipes are skattered throughout the building providing glimpses from floor to floor, vertical interaction and an element to the room.

INTERIOR VIEW 001B (Bottom): The glass pipes also provide spaces for sunlight to enter as sun roofs, allowing light to travel between floors.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

INTERIOR VIEW 002 (Top): The pipes begin to enable toe passive viewing of the ongoings in between spaces, through the void, expressive regardless of program.

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Project Images

INTERIOR VIEW 003 (Bottom): The Atrium contains combines the ideas of porosity with the ideas of visual density through the steel beams, the main component of density, and the voided glass pipes.

INTERIOR VIEW 004 (Top): The Atrium contains no glass pipes running through, rather it has a series of steel beams taken from the process and manipulated into ornament and supporting structure.

INTERIOR VIEW 005 (Bottom): The atrium combines the glass pipes, the voided pipes and the beams as the culmination of high density porosity within the single space.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

INTERIOR VIEW 006 (Top): The spaces are divided through the changing floor heights which create a depth and sense of threshold and boundary without physically inhibiting the occupants.

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Project Images

INTERIOR VIEW 007 (Bottom): The facade and pipes work together through their frames to create a sense of internal privacy while not severely inhibiting the view and opservational potential of other users

INTERIOR VIEW 008 (Top): The pipes vary in heights for different levels of interaction, some being pillars which act as transparent skylights and others act as viewports for which to view others.

EXTERIOR VIEW 003 (Top): The Public interface is the most ‘glass pipe’ heavy external space, seeking to connect the public to the building without need to enter, enforcing ‘the Looking Glass’.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

INTERIOR VIEW 009: The balconey extends from the building as a viewpoint onto the street. The idea comes from Experiment 003 with un-used circulation, sowing the idea back into the design.

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Project Images

EXTERIOR VIEW 004: The main entrance emulates a gateway in its structure pushing into the atrium.

INTERIOR VIEW 010: The interior view of the atrium from top floor, observing the undulating landscape separate from the floor height differences, and the process based stair case.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

The processes used to create the initial ecology involved a series of splits and 3d rotations and resizing.

The resulting ecology showed promise in the intercrossed forms and spaces, which could be translated as programmatic. The combination involved were a series of high density beams from a bridge typology, used as ornament initially, and the library type which primarily lost its shape, however retaining the atrium feature.

The ideas behind evolved into several themes within the project including; high density experiential spaces, fluctiating floor heights, thresholds, and centralised public space.

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Axonometric Experiment Process, Experiment 004 and Experiment 005.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

The spaces are arranged per level focusing heavily on an aspect of public interaction with each level.

The first level is the a heavily public level, comprising of the S.T.E.A.M. Hub, the Maker Space, a variety of meeting spaces, made semi-public through the use of the varied floor heights, a series of public study spaces and an administrations space. The first floor also contains the Green Screen Room and TV and Film rooms which serve as a studio spaces for industry and for student use.

The second floor comprises of a semi-private set of programs, which are made to enable a private learning environment where necessary for conducive studies.

It consists of a series of study spaces dedicated to students, digital media rooms and a private classroom, convertable to a private E-Sports space for competitive gaming. The floor also contains a library for student use and a flexible collaborative space for media and digital design disciplines.

The third floor becomes public through its flexible exhibition spaces and study spaces, which allow for all spaces to be used all year round either as a public study space, workshop or exhibition space. These can also work together with an exhibition space and a walk through study space. The other end of the third floor is for student collaboration and design accessible from the flexible collaborative space below, the areas are used for digital collaboration.

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Exploded Axonometric, Level distribution

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Maker Space

Classrooms

UP

Public Study Space

Public Study Space

Classroom

Public Study Space

Meeting Space Meeting Space

Classrooms S.T.E.A.M. Hub

Quiet Stud Space Green Screen Studio

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Digital Editing Space Public Study Space

TV and Filming Studio

Office Meeting Space UP

Classrooms

Workshop Space

UP

UP

Convertible Atrium

Administration

Classrooms Public Study Space

Quiet Study Space

dy

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

Library

Public Study Space

Classrooms

Collaborativ Space

Classroom

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Workshop Space

Public Study Space Private E-Sport Space

Digital Media Space Public Study Space

Unisex Toilet

DOWN UP

Administration

DOWN

UP

Coffee Shop

Quiet Study Space

Flexible Collaborative Space

ve DOWN

ms

UP

Unisex Toilet

SCALE 1:250

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

Flexible Exhibition Space

Public Study Space Flexible Exhibition Space

Public Study Space

Private Studio Space

U

Public Study Space

Unisex Toilet

Private Studio Flexible Exhibition Space

Look Corn

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Game Production Space

Production Space Control Room

Collaborative Space

DOWN

UP

Game Production Space

Digital Media Space

DOWN

kout ner

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THE LOOKING GLASS

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GABRIEL, LIM

LONG SECTION AA

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THE LOOKING GLASS

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GABRIEL, LIM

SHORT SECTION BA

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GABRIEL, LIM

[THE LOOKING GLASS]

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

APPENDIX

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The ideas of the Appendix which follow through in the project ‘The Looking Glass’ includes; The idea of porosity, and the ways in which light and visibility influence the learning space and how it can be used to enhance the learning space.

The idea of threshold and the undulating landscape which can be made through process in order to dictate a perseption of moving between spaces.

The idea of central space and circulation which follows a dictated path. Through which the learning environment can be more fully traversed by a user.

The idea of high density and the role it plays in experience. Articulated through the learning environment how can a dense space be combined with porosity to create a space which allows for the user to learn multilingually.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

[TYPOLOGICAL PROCEDURAL EXPLORATIONS 001]

FORMAL DISPOSITION Experiment 001 observed the relationship between the cathedral, as the G.O.D. and its spatial form. Looking specifically at the undulating heights as well as the outward ornament associated with the program.

The experiment was to displace and resize in both axis displacing the formal qualities of the space. The results of Experiment 001 illustrate a rigidity to the form, an adherance to the G.O.D. a series of shifted surfaces both as an exterior and an interior.

The formal outcome of the program displaces the cathedral as well as its interior spaces, turning ornament and singular heights into a series of intertwined and displaced programs and spaces.

Experiment 001 contributes to the learning type as a means of viewing the ‘alternative classroom’ in a vertical manner, observing a variety of ceiling heights and what they contribute to the formal nature of space in a learning space, and the cultivation of their effects.

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Images The process drawings indicate the splicing points for each component of the cathedral.

The section indicates the varied ceiling and floor heights based off the re-sizing of the spliced components, and illustrates a formal retension of the cathedral’s form

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

[TYPOLOGICAL PROCEDURAL EXPLORATIONS 002]

SPATIAL DISASSEMBLY Experiment 002 illustrated the shopping centre as a G.O.D., seeking to observe the circulation and void within the spaces as programmatic.

Looking closely at the presence of different spatial qualities in the program and interrogating the uses of void in a learning space.

The experiment resizes, rotates and displaces the programs, centralising the void space.

The results of Experiment 002 illustrate a unique proposition for the learning space, through the displacement of the programs, resulting in some voidlike spaces, however it lacks a larger more definitive central void space.

Experiment 002 posits to the learning environment the unique adaptability that comes from non-standard void and spatial formations. This could be further explored to simulate a terrainesque environment by which learning becomes as traversing the void, whether the void is defined as circulation or lack of program

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Images The process diagrams illustrate the rotations, and various alterations to the form within the parameters of the experiment.

The isometric image indicates a central void as a descrepancy of the type.

The images show smaller, uninhabitable voids, which can be observed as void-like spaces.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

[TYPOLOGICAL PROCEDURAL EXPLORATIONS 003]

CIRCULATORY DISCLARITY Experiment 003 proposes that the primary entity of the museum is circulation, observing the exhibitions as temporary and in-consistant to the experience of the museum typology.

As a G.O.D. the museum circulation is the main component, resizing, rotating and displacing to achieve a sense of displacement to the circulation, opening new ways to traverse the space.

Experiment 003 resulted in a series of large spaces, some of which are programmatic.

When observing the spaces, some layers present interesting opportunities, like speculating a circulation path which goes no where, existing only to observe and experience the building.

This adapts to the learning environment, seeking a new way of adapting to the space, and the re-imagining of an interior landscape in which one could see but not access a path within a space or form, and vice versa.

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Images The Images and roof view elude to a traversible top terrain acting in part as circulation in its own.

The process diagram illustrates the splicing and other alterations to the G.O.D model The isometric image allows for the observation of more rectilinear perimeter-like components which can be described as misdirectional circulation, which leads to no programs, but allows for observation of the programs.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

[TYPOLOGICAL PROCEDURAL EXPLORATIONS 004]

PROGRAMMATIC ENTANGLEMENT Experiment 004, through a library type and G.O.D. seeks to observe the focal point being the large atrium and the surrounding programs as side stories.

Looking at the atrium and the surrounding programs, as well as the idea of traversal, with the potential of blurring boundaries of space.

The experiment splits, resizes and rotates the programs, meaning they retain their central position.

The resulting form demonstrates a basic bleeding of the spaces into one another, presenting opportunities for interaction between spaces.

Experiment 004 poses the potential for bleeding of public to private spaces within a learning environment context. It also demonstrates a unique precedent for a larger open space in the converted atrium, which begins to act as an interactive terrain with an undulating landscape, and further expresses the inaccessibility through balconeys.

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Images The images show the connectivity and intersections and overlapping behaviour between the spaces and programs.

It also shows the different variations in heights for both the flooring and the ceiling heights.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

[TYPOLOGICAL PROCEDURAL EXPLORATIONS 005]

ORNAMENTAL EXPERIENTIAL Experiment 005 focused on the ornamental perceptions of a bridge G.O.D. expounding on the structures consistancy as an ornament and functional, and the focus of the circulation as a program.

The experiment splits, resizes, rotates and displaces the components of the G.O.D. Posing in Experiment 005 that the structure would begin to exhibit a heavily experiential proposition in which the ornament would begin to separate spaces, that being its main function aside from aesthetics.

The results of Experiment 005 indicate a clustering of the bridge structure and a beginning to show the intersections of the space.

This applies to the learning environment with a potential for more visual porosity within a learning environment in which observation becomes a major part of education and experience. The unique landscape, the ornament and the experience create a new medium for educational learning.

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Images Process diagrams show the resizing and alterations to the G.O.D. to an extreme scale in order to fill the site.

Elevation eludes to a high density series of clustered beams from G.O.D structure.

The views illustrate a blurring between spaces and the beginnings of an interactive and clustered ornament from the G.O.D structure.

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THE LOOKING GLASS

GABRIEL, LIM

[TYPOLOGICAL ECOLOGIES 001]

Procedural Explorations. Appendix.

POROUS FORMALITY The typological ecology of Experiment 004 and Experiment 005 combines aspects from each experiment.

From Experiment 004 the programmatic intersections begin to collide, and can be used and interpreted as its own terrain and circulation, with each space ‘bleeding’ into the next.

Experiment 005 produced a series of clustered beams and railings which would serve primarily as ornament, and adds an experiential quality to the space, creating a high density within and partially obstructed views.

By combining Experiment 004 and Experiment 005 the programmatic space begins to open up, with a more porous interior series of spaces which can be moved through and observed from different points.

And the ornament from Experiment 005 begins to shape the interior and decorate the exterior, clustering and beginning to obstruct the view from the atrium.

To expant on this would be to create a higher density series of ornament to better find the balance to visual porosity and high density ornamental interaction.

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Images The views show various levels of interaction between Experiment 004 and Experiment 005, showing different terrains and densities between interior and exterior.

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Image. Description of project view describing the ideas and propositions being exhibited.

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