Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521
Avishek Subba University of Kent Stage 3 2009/10 BA(Hons)Architecture 1
Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 Brief Interdisciplinary AR521 was our option module. We had the opportunity to research on wide range of subjects relating to art and architecture. The main idea of brief was to produce a work of art from our research about a particular topic. My Interdisciplinary project has undergone a lot of changes and development. I started my project with the intention to create a model of a yacht inspired from movie and music. My original idea was to interpret various emotions through my design. It was intriguing to research about the relation between film, music and architecture. Interdisciplinary module was more useful and creative for understanding the design aspects in Architecture. I had a lot of ideas for this project. I wanted to show the relation between nature and technology. Finally, after a lot of brainstorming with my tutor and suggestions from our intercrit, I have developed my precise idea and theme for my project. My final artefact will be a shelter that will incorporate my design idea and main theme. Research Film Studies Architecture is such a broad subject that I think it speaks universally. It influences art and vice versa. We do capture the image of the building that we love through cameras. I think really successful buildings are the ones that have influenced art and culture of the period. Architecture can be seen as the documentation of real events and the past culture and traditions. Similarly, video art is the capturing of real events at the same time. The progress in technology has made our lives so much easier and changed our lifestyle. Various electronics equipment has made it possible to convey art in more precise manner. Video art combines sound and visual medium. Since, the development of cameras, photography has helped in the way in which we interpret art. The still pictures taken from photographs offer a lot of realistic and factual information. Chris Meigh Andrews wrote that, “The artists are indispensable in the shaping and analysis and understanding of the life of forms, and structures created by electric technology.” 1Films have such a mass influence in the world today. They play a major role in promoting socio-culture and traditions. The architecture of the set and the buildings in a movie are equally important to the film. Technology has evolved tremendously helping artists to go ahead of their time. The artists have important role in shaping the social and cultural values of a place. Michael Rush wrote that, “Video as art seeks to explore perceptual thresholds, to expand and in part to decide the conditioned expectations of those narrow conventions understood as television.”2 Television is also a medium to convey art. It has made easier for government to inform the public about government policy at the same time it has made possible to know news from around the world. Video Art works in relation to the technical and critical context. Rush also wrote that, “Video Art emerged when the boundaries separating traditional art practices like sculpture, painting and dance were becoming blurred. Painting, performance, dance, film, music, writing, sculpture and architecture could be combined in single works of art”.3 Today, video is used with combination of film, computer art, graphics, animation, virtual reality and various digital applications. It is the pure medium of work of art and communication. It is a mixture of art and information where sound and
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C. M. Andrews, (2006)A History of Video Art, The Development of Form and Function ,p.105 Rush M., (2003)Video Art, Thames & Hudson p.7 Rush M.,(2003) Video Art, Thames & Hudson,p.11
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 visual aesthetics are merged to convey a specific message. Video Artists today still borrow themes from classical art and literature. The combination of classical art in the film helps in conveying past. It can help in exploring personal and cultural identity. It is an all embracing art form. The movies of the past and the movies about history teach us how people used to live. Video art or films can inform about the history in an art form. It has been transformed into commercial art to promote any product or anything. Video art is a medium to convey thoughts and stories with the merging of sounds and visuals. Initial Ideas My initial idea was to design something that was related to seaside and visually pleasing. I thought of designing a model of yacht inspired from the words of a song. I have always taken inspiration from films, music and paintings for my design. This was the reason behind my concept.
Fig-Initial Sketch of the model of Yacht
Fig- Initial design Sketches
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 Precedents Wind Shelter Black Pool
Fig 1- The Wind Shelter in Blackpool
Wind shelter in Blackpool was designed by McChesney Architects in 2002. It was designed in order to provide shelter from prevailing wind in seaside area. The shelter has a really dynamic form that rotates. The structure is made out of stainless steel. The oak of seating has been varnished in order to deal with the problems of graffiti. The dynamic shape of structure was developed from a bit of paper. The structure stands with a central spine and cantilevered structure extending from the base plate support the bench. Architecture of Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava is a Spanish Architect who brings a sense of spirituality to the design. His designs show visual interpretations of movement and flight. The key features of his design are the integration of technology to create forms that show movement and wider spans. The energy of the human spirit is expressed in his designs. His works are the combination of sculptural form and dynamic structure that captivate the imagination. His works elevates the human spirit combining light and air for structural elegance with strength.
Fig 2- Milwaukee Art Museum by Santiago Calatrava in Milwaukee, USA
The Milwaukee Art Museum by Calatrava is an impressive example of technological method construction that uplifts the spirit of people visually and the building itself exhibits as a work of art. The building has two wings made out of steel plates which are controlled by a computerized system in order to control the structure during heavy wind. The use of steel plates and cables bring a sense of yacht construction. I considered the spirituality aspect and technological innovation of designs from Calatrava’s work which are expressive and universal.
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521
Design Themes and inspirations
Fig 3-The classical country house and the chair from the movie ‘The Notebook’
The design theme of my project is based around a chair in the movie ‘The Notebook’ based on novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. It was directed by Nick Cassavetes and released in 2004.4 I found the design of the chair really special. It looks almost like a white lily flower but at the same time design exhibits technical feature. I also noticed how the classical country house of the lead actor shows the same design feature of the chair. Finally, I came up with the idea to make the chair in the movie in order to learn the construction technique of the chair and get some ideas to further my project.
Fig 4- Development process of the Red and Blue Chair from painting and The Reitveld Schroder House
The construction of the chair was based on Dutch Neo-plasticism5. The chair shows the construction sequence present in The Red and Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld6 in 1917. It was the physical representation of the De Stijl art movement. The primary element of plastic form in Neo-plasticism was to reduce three dimensional volumes to plan.7 I was completely unaware of the design of chair before I started to construct the chair. As I was studying through ‘The Evolution of Twentieth Century Architecture’ by Kenneth Frampton, I came across Dutch Neoplasticism, which gave me information about the Reitveld Schroder House by Gerrit Reitveld. I learnt that the house was actually designed from the Red and Blue chair by the same architect. The chair was designed from a 4
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www.newline.com 25/03/2010 Dutch Neoplasticism was the art movement founded in the Netherlands in 1917
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Rietveld, Gerrit (1888-1964), Dutch furniture designer and architect th (1963)Dictionary of 20 Century Architecture, Thames and Hudson, P.237
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 painting that was based on De Stijl art movement. I liked the idea of the relationship between the painting, the chair and the house and how there was a connection between them. The chair was a work of art as it represented the painting and the house also becomes a work of art in that respect. Construction of the chair
Fig- Development process of the chair
I used chipboard wood as material for the design. It was my first construction on real scale. Various parts of the chair was cut first and then assembled together using screw nails. I learnt about the working of structures and the process of making them rigid and stable while constructing the chair. First, I made the triangulated legs of the chair and screwed them together to make a cube base. I laid the seating on the legs where they are supported by horizontal beams. Afterwards, I fitted the back support of the chair, which creates a curve with the help of curved strip of wood. Finally, the hand rail of the chair was fitted. The complication of the construction process was the softness of chipboard wood which I overcame with the help of drilling machine and screw nails.
Fig- Final fittings of the chair
After the completion of the chair and the suggestion from tutors to develop a real scale space, I came up with the idea to make a shelter for the chair. I wanted to follow three major aspects of my design, which were the relationship between film, music and architecture. Visual appeal of the artefact The white color of the chair related to the color of yacht sails. The shelter will be made in the original color of the wood in order to maintain the natural tone and to bring exotic feeling of being around seaside. I want to achieve simplicity and harmony in the organization of the shelter. The shelter will
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 be made out of wooden sticks that will create rhythm and pattern for the movement. The main purpose of the artefact will be to elevate the human spirit and emotion. Design I chose to design a shelter based on the design of yacht because I felt that the form and shape of the yacht with sails was spiritually uplifting. The design of main structure is based on seaside theme. The structure will act as a shelter for the chair. It will be made out of wooden sticks and strings in order to create rhythm and movement. The wood will also help to bring warm natural undertones. It will be an expressive form of music combined with organic visual aesthetic. The structure is supposed to bring the essence of being around seaside. Paul Cezanne said that “Art is harmony parallel to nature.”8 I wanted my design to be harmonious with the site. I also wanted to convey various emotions through my design. Yacht Construction Methods Yachts have been constructed since the early seventieth century. It has been built mainly for recreational activities. Sailing on the ocean for recreational activities led to the development of yachts. Before the development of yachts run by engine fuel system, sails were used to propel the yacht. Yachts were traditionally made out of woods in earlier times. Today, they are made out of either steel or aluminium with various materials like fibre glass and plywood. Yacht construction technique will be applied to create the structure. I want to make the wooden structure free standing with strings attached for rigging to create movement. Architecture as the film in stillness I wanted to show distinct relation between films, music and architecture. Film is the result of motion of multiple images. Architecture or a building is the representation of images and vision of the architect. It is the concepts, thought process and feelings represented in a solid form. It is like the composite image of a film. The precedents for my design show that architecture is moving from the stillness into motion. The Wind Shelter in Blackpool as well as the Milwaukee Art Museum shows movement. Movies convey emotions through story, sounds and visuals whereas architecture conveys emotions through materials, form and structure. I believe architecture is the art of playing with materials, texture and space. Johanne Wolfgang Von Goethe9 stated that “Architecture is frozen music.”10 I do believe that architecture can create visual flow on our mind like the musical notes. Words, rhythm, base, composition and voice make up a song which can be studied for the development of architecture. The design of my shelter will have a rhythm and pattern showing echoes of a musical note.
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Elger D., (2008) Abstract Art, Taschen, Germany Johanne Wolfgang Von Goethe, a German writer 10 The sounds of architecture, A daily dose of architecture, June 10 2005 9
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 Narratives Narratives play a major role in video art since it can be seen as a medium of story-telling. Movies play a major role in the world of performing art. The public are nurtured on abstraction and other forms of art practices like Minimalism and Conceptualism through video art. The narrative for my design will be the visual representation of the famous poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ by William Wordsworth11. The poem is about a traveler who hears singing by a young woman with beautiful voice. The writer is mesmerized by the melancholy voice of the singer. He doesn’t get the actual meaning and emotion of the song. The poem ends with the writer moving along with the fading echoes of the beautiful voice. The writer confesses that the music will always remain in his heart even if it was just for a moment. The poem actually forces us to visualize a beautiful mountainous landscape and the young woman reaping and singing in a very far distance. I want my design to actually capture that exact moment and the emotion of the writer and the thrill of hearing something really beautiful in a natural landscape. Although the poem takes place in a mountainous place and my design is set with a seaside theme, the relation will be about the music and its influence in my design.
Fig-Final design theme sketches for the shelter with natural warm tone of wood
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Fig- Conceptual design of the shelter taken from the 2 year project Adapt & Extend
Conclusion The final artifact that I have designed will be the work of art achieved through technological convention. It will be an art form to convey emotion and show the relation between architecture and films. The development of architecture through paintings and the relation of art in architecture will be the major expression of my design. The presence of art in music and films make them universal and the same could be achieved in architecture with the help of art. The artistic aspect of architecture is always present. 11
William Wordsworth(1770-1850), major English romantic poet
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Architecture as the film in stillness Interdisciplinary AR521 Bibliography Borden, Ian and Ruedi, Katarina, (2000) The Dissertation: An Architectural Student’s Handbook,London:Architectural Press, London, UK Andrews C. M., (2006)A History of Video Art, The Development of Form and Function, Berg, Oxford Rush M., (2003) Video Art, Thames & Hudson, London, UK Nelmes J., (2003) An Introduction to Film Studies, Routledge, London, UK (1963)Dictionary of 20th Century Architecture, Thames and Hudson Elger D., (2008) Abstract Art, Taschen, Germany Jodidio P., (2007)Santiago Calatrava, Taschen, Germany Comer S., (2009) Film and Video Art, Tate Publishing, London,UK Websites http://www.corusbouw.com 25/03/2010
www.newline.com 25/03/2010
Image References Fig- Front Cover- Concept Model of 2nd Year Project Adapt and Extend Fig –1 www.reblackpool.com 20/03/2010 www.bdonline.co.uk 20/03/2010 www.mcchesney.co.uk 20/03/2010 www.corusbouw.com 25/03/2010 Fig-2 www.milwaukee.about.com 25/03/2010 www.straitstime.com 25/03/2010 www.milwaukee.about.com 25/03/2010 Fig-3 www.hookedonhouses.net 21/03/2010 Fig –4 De Stijl Movement- www.arthistoryguide.com 23/03/2010 The Red and Blue Chair- www.blog.cleveland.com 23/03/2010 The Reitveld Schroder House- www.essential-architecture.com 23/03/2010
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