Sublime, Contemplation & Repose Reawakening Nuttallburg from West Virginia’s Industrial Descent
May 2019 Ben Blake Bachelor of Science in Architecture University of Cincinnati Committee Chair Aarati Kanekar Committee Member Michael McInturf Committee Member Vincent Sansalone A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the Department of Architecture of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning
Abstract The region of New River Gorge near the New River Gorge Bridge and the abandoned coal mining town, Nuttallburg, will act as a prototypical catalyst for architectural exploration and implementation through the sublime.
Sublime causes transcendence beyond individual understanding, prompting a mental feeling of smallness as a response to the environment. Contemplation follows the emotion-based response of the sublime, testing preconceived perceptions and initiating internal reflection and external dialogue. Repose is the comforting resultant condition, the calm that allows the sublime encounter to develop into memory, charged with the influence of an emotive architecture and environment.
Park service efforts have re-stabilized the existing coal facility structures within Nuttallburg, however have not provided further incentive for visitation and fall short in contextual comprehension.
Sublime, contemplation and repose can be utilized as tools to formulate new respectful understandings of a site with The site possesses inherent sublime elements within the surrounding nature, historical structures, coal production hidden contextual opportunities. and hints of coal consumption. In proposing architectural interventions and expressions of site, aspects of the West Virginia has a rich industrial history which has existing sublime will be enhanced, in addition to the helped to shape America in past centuries. This history has largely become dilapidated and confined to closed and creation of new complimentary moments of sublime. The abandoned facilities which are inaccessible and forgotten. unity between new architecture and existing context seeks to improve the perceived image of West Virginia and its The benefits that these facilities held within the country’s vast contribution to nationwide industry. history is incomprehensibly great and West Virginia lacks the celebratory nature that the state deserves.
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01
02
Introduction
Sublime
1
3 3 4 4 4 5 5
01.1 Thesis Introduction
02.1 Sublime 02.2 The First Trace of the Sublime 02.3 The Strongest Emotion 02.4 Astonishment & Burke’s Conditional Terms 02.5 The Contrast of Beauty 02.6 Return to Sublime and the Beautiful 02.7 Stereotomic & Tectonic
05 Application & Architecture 47 05.1 Seven Architectural Expressions 51 05.2 Nuttallburg Sanctuary 05.2.1 Sanctuary Overview 05.2.2 The Expressive of Sublime 05.2.3 The Exhibition of Contemplation 05.2.4 The Retreat of Repose 57 05.3 Amtrak Stations 05.3.1 New River Gorge Entry Points 05.3.2 Existing Cardinal 05.3.3 Proposed Stations 63 05.4 Nuttallburg Bridge 05.4.1 The Historical Suspension Bridge 05.4.2 Bridge Revival
75 05.6 Nine Beacons 05.6.1 The Beacon Trail & Beacon Placements 05.6.2 Beacon Lighting & Way-finding 05.6.3 Vertical Connection 81 05.7 Soil Horizons 05.7.1 Unearthed Seam 05.7.2 Horizontal Depth 05.7.3 Vertical Depth 87 05.8 Steel Frame 05.8.1 Duplication & Repurposing 05.8.2 Object & Field 05.8.3 Scaffolding Platform
69 05.5 Gorge Trails 05.5.1 Current Trail Conditions 05.5.2 Defining Trail Hierarchy 05.5.3 Tier 1 - Concrete 05.5.4 Tier 2 - Crushed Limestone 05.5.5 Tier 3 - Natural Earth
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03
04
Sublime Catalogue
Site & Analysis
7 03.1 Terminology Introduction 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
03.1 Perception 03.2 Infinite 03.3 Difficulty 03.4 Unexpected 03.5 Foreboding 03.6 Terror 03.7 Obscurity 03.8 Revelation 03.9 Stasis
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
27 31 33 35 37 39
04.1 Site Introduction & Overview 04.2 West Virginia’s Coal Supply & America’s Demand 04.3 Founder & Owners of Nuttallburg 04.4 Local Conditions & Essential Structures 04.5 Expanding on Mining Operations 04.6 Bridge History 04.7 Object, Surface & Within 45 04.9 Employing the Sublime Catalogue 04.10 Memories of Site Sublime 04.11 A Hint of Beauty 04.12 Stereotomic & Tectonic Unity 04.13 On Tourism & Technology
03.10 Sanctuary 03.11 Beacon 03.12 Deterioration 03.13 Axis 03.14 Repetition 03.15 Matrix 03.16 Scale 03.17 Below 03.18 Object & Field
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07
Bibliography
Appendix
97 06.1 Bibliography
99 07.1 Appendix
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List of Illustrations p. 2 p. 8 p. 9 p. 10 p. 11 p. 12 p. 13 p. 14 p. 15 p. 16 p. 17 p. 18 p. 19 p. 20 p. 21 p. 22 p. 23 p. 24 p. 25 p. 26 p. 28 p. 29 p. 30 p. 32 p. 34 p. 36 p. 37 p. 38 p. 40 p. 41
p. 42 p. 46, 50, 92 p. 46, 54, 92 p. 46, 58, 92 p. 46, 62, 92 p. 46, 66, 92 p. 46, 70, 92 p. 46, 74, 92 p. 48 & 49 p. 52 p. 54 p. 55 p. 58 p. 60
Blake, Ben. 2018. Photo. Cropped Photo of Cloudy Sky Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Perception) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Infinite) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Uncanny) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Unexpected) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Foreboding) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Terror) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Obscurity) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Conceal) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Stasis) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Sanctuary) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Beacon) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Deterioration) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Axis) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Repetition) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Matrix) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Scale) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Below) Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Sublime Catalogue Series (Object & Field) Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Blake, Ben. 2019 (Data from 1978). Digital Map. Data compiled from Berge Exploration Inc Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graph. Data compiled from West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training National Park Service. Photo. John Nuttall Portrait Library of Congress. 1919. Photo. Henry Ford. Photo taken by Hartsook Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. Site Plan of Nuttallburg Blake, Ben. 2018. Digital Graphic. New River Gorge Soil Horizons (Non-Design Diagram) Blake, Ben. 2019 (Data from 1992). Digital Diagram. Diagram extracted from John Hriblan’s coal mining types diagram Blake, Ben. 2019 (Data from 1907). Digital Map. Map extracted from Paul Boxley’s mine drawing Blake, Ben. 2018. Photo. New River Gorge, WV A. E. Crane. Photo. New River Gorge, WV (unknown author). Photo. New River Gorge, WV Waters, Jerry. 1976. Photo. New River Gorge, WV (unknown author). Photo. New River Gorge, WV (unknown author). Photo. New River Gorge, WV Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Overall Site Plan of New River Gorge Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Nuttallburg Sanctuary Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Amtrak Stations Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Nuttallburg Bridge Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Gorge Trails Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Nine Beacons Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Soil Horizons Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Collage of Steel Frame Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Design Site Plan Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Nuttallburg Sanctuary Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nuttallburg Sanctuary (Nuttallburg Overlook) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nuttallburg Sanctuary (Lightwell Matrix) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Amtrak Stations Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Amtrak Stations (New River Gorge Cardinal Route)
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Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Amtrak Stations (New River Gorge Bridge Station Proximities) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Amtrak Stations (Nuttallburg Station Proximities) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Nuttallburg Bridge Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nuttallburg Bridge (Axis Expression) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nuttallburg Bridge (Component Section) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Gorge Trails Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Gorge Trails (Tier 1 - Concrete) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Gorge Trails (Tier 2 - Crushed Limestone) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Gorge Trails (Tier 3 - Natural Earth) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Nine Beacons Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nine Beacons (Campsite Placement Strategy) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nine Beacons (Beacon Trail Proximities) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nine Beacons (Time & Light) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Nine Beacons (Beacon Section) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Soil Horizons Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Soil Horizons (Soil Stabilization & Retention Strategy) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Soil Horizons (Horizontal Depth) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Soil Horizons (Vertical Depth) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Axon of Steel Frame Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Steel Frame (Scaffolding Vantage Platform) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Steel Frame (View Axis) Blake, Ben. 2019. Digital Graphic. Support Graphic of Steel Frame (Frame Foundation) Fattalah, David. 1985. Photo. Amtrak Cardinal near New River Gorge Bridge Hine, Lewis. 1908. Photo. Young Miner National Park Service. 1926. Photo. Nuttallburg Panorama Blake, Ben. Map produced by National Park Service. 2018. Photo. Photo of Present Day Nuttallburg Map National Park Service. Photo. Tipple National Park Service. 1935. Photo. Train Station National Park Service. Photo. Tipple & Conveyor (unknown author). Photo. Inside Head-house (unknown author). Photo. Ore Cart (unknown author). Photo. Conveyor National Park Service. Photo. Family at Taylor House National Park Service. Photo. Bridge & Town Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV Hardman, Richard. 2018. Drone Photo. New River Gorge, WV WV Railroads. 2005. Drawing. Nuttallburg Site Plan WV Railroads. 2005. Drawing. Nuttallburg Gorge Section WV Railroads. 2005. Drawing. Nuttallburg Tipple WV Railroads. 2005. Drawing. Nuttallburg Head-house United States Steel, Bridge Report. 1991. Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Construction Diagram (unknown author). Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Scale Reference Michael Baker Jr., Inc. 1991. Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Dimensions United States Steel, Bridge Report. 1991. Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Deck Expansion Bearing Detail United States Steel, Bridge Report. 1991. Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Column Detail United States Steel, Bridge Report. 1991. Drawing. New River Gorge Bridge Arch & Column Joint Detail Historic American Engineering Record. 1986. Drawing. Kaymoor Mine Processing Plant Elevations Historic American Engineering Record. 1986. Drawing. Kaymoor Mine Head-house Elevations
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01 Introduction Sublime, Contemplation and Repose is an exploratory study into the potential for emotive architecture to expand contextual understanding of a given site. Research into the sublime and related discourse provides a foundational understanding of the powerful potential for the physical environment to instill lasting impact on an individual. The objective for architectural expression lies in the enhancement of existing context and the uncovering of hidden elements within a site.
while the industrial coal context is partially excavated to reveal the subterranean conditions. New ways in which to traverse and explore site are developed through alternative entry opportunities, comprehensive trail pathing and elevation circumventing infrastructure. The document is chronologically organized as follows. The foundations of sublime are researched and compiled to give background context for further discourse. Terms inherent and related to the sublime are then defined within a sublime catalogue, providing a set of descriptive conditions to discuss and implement the sublime within the environment. The scope of the New River Gorge site is specified, acting as the prototype for architectural implementation of an emotive architecture to enhance and reawaken the region. Design intents are linked between sublime and site prior to the generation of seven new site-specific architectural expressions. These expressions are first presented as a set, then further detailed for their individual justifications and intent. Preliminary collage, axonometric drawing and informative diagrams provide visual explanation for each expression.
New River Gorge is chosen for site-specific investigation. The region hosts a multitude of contextual opportunities within notions of nature, history, industry and ruin. The New River Gorge Bridge sits at the western boundary of site, a massive bridge crossing the gorge which has become an icon for the state. Nuttallburg, an abandoned coal mining town, sits at the eastern boundary of site. The town has mining facilities which are still standing, having been re-stabilized by the park service on-site. In addition, multiple foundations of structures which once stood within the town may be found hidden within the landscape. Architectural interventions are established to support and enhance existing sublime within the gorge while providing otherwise absent emotive understanding of the context. The bridge is examined for its magnitude in relation to context and the potential for further enhancement of experiential understanding. The town as an entity is re-discovered through nearby architectural expressions, 1
02 Sublime Sublime describes a condition which has transcended the normal, to a point of greatness that effectively neutralizes human-scale understanding. The smallness which the individual feels during the presence of the sublime can be rather comforting in an overwhelming manner, a manner in which the individual reconsiders the breadth of their role and position within the environment. The emotion generated by the experience is powerful and capable of having lasting underlying impact. being that of great conceptions (noted as the highest in importance of sources), and of inspired passion come most directly from the creator. The presence of the sublime in the creator’s sources precede the sources of the creation. The follow-through of the creation sources reinforce the creator’s sources.
The First Trace of the Sublime Longinus, the pseudonym attributed to a first century Greek author (debate over the true author has never been settled), is the first on record to use and discuss the discourse of sublime. Longinus uses the term to describe certain spoken rhetoric as higher than ordinary, as powerful and as an ‘elevation of style.’1 The goals of On the Sublime, the text in which Longinus discusses the sublime, are to examine and suggest that the effects the sublimity in speech may have on an audience will assist in successful captivation of attention and interest. The moving nature of the sublime in speech causes a deeper reactionary effect than the mere logical content of the speech.
‘Sublimity is the echo of a great soul.’3 The responsive condition of experiencing the sublime, within rhetoric, reflects an underlying nature of being which holds value beyond merely understanding. Longinus presents the idea that to elevate the mind is to incidentally receive the sublime rather than seek acquisition of the condition. This concept, in physical world experience of the sublime, enforces the idea of happening upon the sublime in the environment by coincidence being favorable to actively seeking it.
The five sources of sublime, given within the framework of speech by Longinus are of great conceptions, inspired passion, the due formation of figures, noble diction and elevated composition.2 These sources are instilled partly by creator and partly by creation. The first two sources,
Longinus’s work on the sublime remained dormant in literary discourse until the seventeenth century. His work 3
would then inspire expanded theory on the subject in Enlightment Europe, starting with Edmund Burke.
and Taste, and finally Pain.7 Burke introduces each term by defining the word, or words, as to how they relate to notions of the sublime. The term is expanded upon in definition and expressed through example. The medium of classification and subdivision of terms is useful in the analysis of the physical environment and how the sublime may be manifested. In essence, Burke created a catalogue which may be referenced and utilized for design intent, one which inspires the production of a sublime catalogue within this thesis. The subsequent chapter will establish this catalogue and reference a few of Burke’s terms.
The Strongest Emotion Edmund Burke, an Enlightenment philosopher from Ireland and author of A Philosophical Inquiry A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, defines the sublime within the context of pain. Prior to mentioning the sublime, self-preservation is presented as a foundational concept necessary for the sublime to occur. Burke uses pain, danger and terror as incitements or sources of the sublime, with the strongest emotion ‘the mind is capable of feeling’4 as the resultant reaction. Occurrences which have characteristics of pain, danger or terror initiate self-preservation tendencies within the observer.
The Contrast of Beauty Burke distinguishes beauty as a contrasting element to sublime. One which embodies opposite qualities to sublime, while being within the same framework of passionate emotional responses. Burke defines beauty as a quality which causes ‘love, or some passion similar to it.’8 Associations with balance, delicacy, and softness are present within the occurrence of beauty.
Burke continues by clarifying that the source of sublime occurrence must be at a distance that provokes the strong emotional response without the immediate possibility of personal harm to the individual. The power in the occurrence is heightened with the awareness of the fragility of human existence, while keeping primal fight or flight responses subdued. Sublime, in Burke’s context, is found within this intermediate zone between danger and safety.
The emotional response to something beautiful is comforting and void of danger, perhaps reminiscent of pleasant experience, or nostalgic. Love and comfort in beauty is in contrast to the terror and astonishment of the sublime. Burke’s conditional requirements for the production of beauty are to be small (comparatively), smooth, contain a variety in parts, be non-angular, have delicacy, and finally be clean, soft or be diversified with other strong colors.9
Burke’s Astonishment & Conditional Terms ‘Astonishment is that state of the soul in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror.’5 Astonishment is defined by Burke with relation to the sublime found in nature, to its highest degree of effectiveness. Admiration, reverence, and respect are cited as secondary attributes given to an encounter with the sublime.6 The attention of the individual is entirely devoted to the source of the sublime during the time of occurrence, overwhelming, and overtaking any prior mental state. Actions are halted by the processing of emotion.
Return to Sublime and the Beautiful Immanuel Kant, a philosopher from Germany wrote Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime, seven years after Burke’s Philosophical Enquiry. Like Burke, Kant described the sublime in contrast, and with relation to, beauty. Both feelings are considered agreeable or desirable with different connotations. Kant terms sublime as ‘arousing satisfaction, but with dread,’10 while the beautiful has similar satisfactory sentiments, but with joy. The sublime is night while the beautiful is day11, opposite sides of the same aspect. The former touches, while the latter charms.12
The power of astonishment, and the subsequent secondary attributes, can be considered with regards to memory and architectural experience. Burke lays out conditional terms associated with the sublime that occur within the physical environment. Burke’s terms are as follows: Terror, Obscurity, Power, Privation, Vastness, Infinity, Succession and Uniformity, Magnitude in Building, Difficulty, Magnificence, Light, Light in Building, Color (specifically darker colors), Sound and Loudness, Suddenness, Intermitting, The Cries of Animals, Smell
Kant defines three distinctive sorts of the sublime, that of the terrifying, the noble and the magnificent. The terrifying is comparable to Burke’s association of the sublime to pain, danger and terror. Powerful conditions 4
of weather and other natural occurrences can be likened to the terrifying. The noble is comparable to Burke’s secondary attributes given to an encounter with sublime, that of admiration. The noble distinction could be considered more nuanced in magnitude than the terrifying, however no less grand of an emotional response. The magnificent brings beauty into the sublime, with a collection of beautiful elements within a sublime context presenting this distinction.13
The lightness and multiplicity of elements within tectonics is in contrast to the heaviness and mass within stereotomics. Magnitude and uniformity are characteristics associated with elements of the stereotomic and can be likened to Burke’s list of sources on the sublime. The tectonic’s complexity in individual member assemblage can be likened to Burke’s list of sources on beauty, with variety in parts and delicacy, particularly in the case of the architecture meeting the ground. Kant’s description of the magnificent, one in which a collection of beautiful elements culminates in the sublime, can be used to link tectonics to the sublime. The repetition and matrix nature of tectonics taken to their extremes can be used to incite this notion.
Contemporary Technological Sublime Information, contemporary technology and mass communications are useful to give context to sublime as a contemporary discourse, with Gilbert-Rolfe even going as far to say that this type of sublime is the only present day sublime. Laura Smith presents Gilbert-Rolfe’s notion as ‘the sublime can only inhabit, or be expressed by, technology - as technology is limitless and yet to be apprehended.’14 While not immediately applicable for architectural implementation, the understanding of such a phenomenon is important in the predictability of site success. Should a site be presented in the more traditional sublime manner, the likelihood that social media posts about the site will have an effect on visitation numbers, reflection on experience and initiated dialogue through these platforms is high.
The stereotomic and tectonic are mentioned to more directly relate architectural language to a medium for implementing ideas of the sublime. Sublime may not be applied directly to architectural design intent, however with notions of the stereotomic and tectonic correlating to sublime theory, this theoretical medium is considered. The subsequent sublime catalogue chapter will include stereotomic and tectonic language to describe architectural elements, while the sublime language will depict feeling and emotion attached to condition. Notes
The image has power in its ability to temporarily transpose the viewer with the image taker, enticing the viewer to consider the physical environment from which the image taker was present at the time the image was taken. In essence, an image posted to social media acts as free advertising for a particular location, provided the image is captivating.
1 Longinus, and William Rhys. ROBERTS. Longinus on the Sublime ... Edited ... with Introduction, Translation, Facsimiles and Appendices by W. Rhys Roberts ... Second Edition. (University Press: Cambridge, 1907), Section IV 2 3 4
Ibid. section VIII Ibid. section IX
Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 45
5 Ibid. 73 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 74-122 8 Ibid. 126 9 Ibid. 162-169 10 Kant, Immanuel, Patrick R. Frierson, and Paul Guyer. Observations on the
Stereotomic & Tectonic Kenneth Frampton is a British architect who wrote heavily about the stereotomic and tectonic within Studies in Tectonic Culture. The stereotomic and tectonic denote physical conditions of architecture as to how they relate to earth and to physical material assemblages. Stereotomic as a term comes from ‘stereos, solid, and tomia, to cut.’15 The stereotomic is found within mass of material, closely tied with the earth and typically manifested as foundation, masonry or infrastructural earthworks. Tectonic as a term comes from tekton, with relation to a carpenter or building. The carpenter is correlated with the poet, constructing with regards to aesthetics rather than mere necessity.16
Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime and Other Writings. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012), 14
11 12 13 14
Ibid. 16 Ibid. Ibid. 16-17
Smith, Laura. Beautiful, Sublime. http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/ beautifulsublime.htm
15 Frampton, K., and J. Cava. Studies in Tectonic Culture the Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture. (Chicago: Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, 1995), 5 16
5
Ibid. 3-4
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VII
XIII
Perception
Obscurity
Axis
II
VIII
XIV
Infinite
Revelation
Repetition
III
IX
XV
Difficulty
Stasis
Matrix
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X
XVI
Unexpected
Sanctuary
Scale
V
XI
XVII
Foreboding
Beacon
Below
VI
XII
XVIII
Terror
Deterioration
Object & Field
03 Sublime Catalogue To define the manner in which to design within the framework of sublime, a set of eighteen terms are specified and illustrated. Inspired by Edmund Burke’s physical sources of the sublime, the terminology within this catalogue stems from sensations and conditions in which the sublime may be experienced. The site is intended to have some inherent qualities found within the catalogue as well as be able to host and accept the implementation of further absent qualities. The catalogue provides preliminary reference to ultimately influence architectural manifestations. The terms are not intended to be limitations in which to restrain the scope of design and conversation but rather offer a catalyst in which to initiate development. The adjacent eighteen terms are expanded upon in the remainder of this section through definition, precedent and illustration.
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I Perception Perception is an interpretation of qualities in the environment as felt by the user. All of the other terms to follow are perceived, mostly through sight. The standard contemporary construction, particularly construction in which an architect is absent, produces spaces which are rigid and limiting in perceptual encounters. The sublime seeks an expansion of perception, challenging preconceived notions about everyday sensory experiences. This broadened field of view is a lens in which a wider range of stimuli are perceived. The following terms will be examined within this framework, encouraged by the abnormal perceivable landscape.
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II Infinite The infinite provides a limitless capacity for imagination. Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Casper David Friedrich embodies the idea of the infinite. The foregrounded human is portrayed as central within the frame yet minuscule within the backgrounded landscape. Perceiving the infinite initiates the sublime through an out of body experience in which the spectator is reconsidering their place within the environment. ‘Infinity has a tendency to fill the mind with that sort of delightful horror, which is the most genuine effect, and truest test of the sublime.’1
1 Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 99
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III Difficulty ‘When any work seems to have required immense force and labour to effect it, the idea is grand.’2 The hardships required to construct certain structures, be they massive, in difficult site contexts or of hefty material, can be immediately perceived and respected. The stereotomic is certainly more predisposed to possess observed difficulty than the tectonic, for the appreciative nature of the tectonic is more so in the complexity of assembly rather than in raw force. The Pyramids of Giza, famously debated for their method of construction, perhaps best portray this phenomenon. The movement of massive stone blocks to site and into place was certainly an immense feat of human construction. Regardless of debate about the subject of construction methodology, the difficulties inherent within the pyramids are respected.
2 Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 106
10
IV Unexpected The unexpected occurrence is out of the ordinary, specifically in regard to improbability within context. The merit of the unexpected is in its ability to become a catalyst for discussion and opinion. The unexpected invites consideration about the subject matter, inciting questions which challenge preconceived notions about known context. Morphosis’s 7132 Hotel tower proposal in Vals, Switzerland interjects the urban skyscraper typology into a small valley village. The proposal was considered controversial, confronting context rather than conforming to it and was ultimately selected for construction. The sight of the tower will present unexpected notions within the unknowing viewer, likely to continue controversial dialogue long after completion.
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V Foreboding Foreboding implies the potential for terror to occur, of exploration into the unknown. With Burke’s context of the sublime implying a dance between danger and safety, the individual experiencing the feeling of the foreboding is faced with choice, one to explore the source of the feeling or to withdrawal. The pull of human curiosity entices the individual to push further into the unknown while the call for self-preservation exudes fear. The interstitial moment between danger and safety, even if deceptively benign, creates a mental state which heightens environmental awareness and absorption.
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VI Terror The terrifying does not present positive reaction. Often developed out of events of catastrophe, terror creates heavy mental states which are not commonly dealt with on an everyday basis. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 caused incredible social devastation. From the devastation, the September 11 Memorial & Museum were conceived. The power of this establishment and lasting effects on the individual would not be as profound as they are without the emotional connotations associated with the event. For design, the inciting of terror is not desirable, however the context and historical basis inherited within the designation of a site can be of use to empower the individual’s recollection of past events and to recognize the vast potential for humans to recover from and remake what has been lost.
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VII Obscurity ‘When we know the full extent of any danger, when we can accustom our eyes to it, a great deal of the apprehension vanishes.’3 Burke sees obscurity as necessary for the incitement of sublime. To entirely perceive an environment dampens one’s capacity for imagination. To obscure is to allow for exploration, interpretation and contemplation. The Blur Building by DS+R consists of a simple steel frame construction above water. The obscurity is accomplished through fog mass which permeates throughout and around the structure. The obscured subject matter is not clear and may only be understood through close examination from within the fog.
3 Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 76
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VIII Revelation Revelation is found in knowledge gained from the uncovering of site context. In the exploration of site, one may discover new information through physical materials within an environment. Preconceived assumptions about site are tested and either refined or reformulated. In archaeological sites, the uncovering of history is sought after in order to further understand lost information. The amount of unknown information potentially buried and yet to be uncovered within a site with historical context is sublime in nature. The potential for activating portions of a site through excavation produce revelations through a lens into the unknown, while maintaining the sublime obscurity of additional lost context.
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IX Stasis Stasis is the state of being in which the subject is no longer in motion or transition. The Amalthea statue in the Chateau de Rambouillet in northern France is surrounded by stone debris within a corridor. The debris appears to have been caused by collapse within the corridor; implying a previous destructive event. The all white statue is centered within the debris and is viewed as emerging from the rubble. The viewer understands that the pathway is blocked, aware that there is no throughcirculation but is still enticed to come closer to examine the scene. This curiosity lends itself to indirect site exploration and discovery rather than direct goal-oriented pacing. Stasis initiates aspects of time and timelessness, with inherent connotations of history and yet appearing that the moment has stalled, immune to present day factors.
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X Sanctuary Sanctuary implies safety from the elements, from past experiences and comfort in the ability to pause. Many of the other terms defined within the catalogue have qualities of exploration and challenge while sanctuary provides the tranquil moments for contemplation and repose. Aspects of beauty, in contrast to the sublime, may be utilized as complementary elements in potential architectural implementation. Social interaction and programmed space are likely to be found within sanctuary, developing a familiar, humanistic environment to inhabit.
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XI Beacon The beacon provides a visible node of interest from a distance during darker hours of the day. Its human nature to associate light with a greater sense of safety, allowing for the beacon to provide comfort from afar. The beacon’s location can become a way-point in which to find one’s bearings and acts as an approachable destination. Burke’s comments on light in buildings provides context to the potential power of the beacon. The contrast of strong light within deep darkness is of higher value in the production of the sublime than in slight adjustment to light levels. The production of a beacon with qualities of the sublime in this context, would best be applied to a site with little to no artificially added light.
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XII Deterioration Deterioration can be understood in relation to stasis, it is the act in which the subject is still actively changing over time. As a material ages, different appearances and characteristics appear. Pieces of material may break, fall or crumble as time weathers a structure. A visual timeline is perceived, one which provides context of historical use, abandonment and neglect. Pripyat amusement park, located near Chernobyl, contains a ferris wheel which is actively deteriorating. Open for less than a day, the amusement park was abandoned upon the evacuation of the city due to the Chernobyl disaster. Wooden floorboards on the wheel’s deck have collapsed, steel structural members have rusted and the roof of one cabin has been detached. The ferris wheel as an object provides a catalyst for reflection on the Chernobyl disaster. Constructed with the intention for enjoyment, the structure is now merely a relic of the lost community and its ambitions.
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XIII Axis The axis provides a clear line in which to reference from. This could be utilized in pathing, the recognition of symmetry or asymmetry, or in the measuring of distance. Axis, when applied to the sublime, can offer a medium to compare the unknown with the familiar and to reference the human scale to the environment. Architectural elements may align with the axis, becoming subservient to the linear datum. The Bangladesh National Assembly by Louis Kahn exemplifies the resultant conditions arising from adhering to an axis. The on-axis entry path leads up to a symmetrically formed architecture. A vertical reveal between two masses of concrete emphasizes the entry portal, recessed to allow the axis to be further expressed.
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XIV Repetition “Succession and uniformity of parts, are what constitute the artificial infinite.”4 Repetition provides rhythm and order to the environment, presenting a uniform expanse of human-made elements. The artificial infinite is perceived best through repetition in which no end may be found in a series. Albert Speer’s Cathedral of Light utilizes repeated spotlights to create the illusion of space. The lights extend upward fading far into the night sky, blurring the extents of perceived boundaries. The light ‘walls’ of the cathedral are enclosed, maintaining the illusion of the infinite from all angles within the space.
4 Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 101
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XV Matrix The matrix draws from many of the aspects of repetition, with the exception that it manifests within a threedimensional framework. The interstitial space between objects becomes more perceptually dominant than in repetition. A multitude of visual axis may be perceived from within the matrix, altered by the position of the viewer. The standard tree farm strategy of planting trees on a grid presents a spatial matrix resultant. The vertical characteristics of the trees are exemplified and provide view portals through the clearings between them. The uniform swaying of trees within the wind decreases the reading of the single object and increases the reading of the network. Sun angles are also more clearly represented within the matrix, with each tree’s shadow replicating and projecting the matrix onto the ground.
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XVI Scale “To the sublime in building, greatness of dimension seems requisite; for on a few parts, and those small, the imagination cannot rise to any idea of infinity. No greatness in the manner can effectually compensate for the want of proper dimensions.”5 Burke is specific in suggesting that immense structures may not simply be immense to become effective in sublime generation. While the increase in magnitude of the overall scale of the architecture will present a higher likelihood of sublime conditions, proportions of elements within the whole must be carefully considered as to not overpower the perspective and lose architectural grandeur. The Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building in Berlin is one of many buildings within the parliament’s complex. A large concrete cube contains circular voids open to the glass facade beyond. The strength and success of the immense architectural element in producing the sublime is established through comparison to surrounding architecture. While large as a single element, the cube is not overpowering within its site-specific context. 5 Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 104
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XVII Below The view from below exaggerates the perceived subject matter’s scale and verticality. Tall and overhead structures, as well as steep topographical inclines, allow for this experience to occur. Another manner in which to think about below is to place the viewer above, looking down. The viewer’s position is then more apparent, for the possible danger of falling supersedes the grandieur of the environment. Foreboding and terror are potential conditional responses to the context. OMA’s CCTV Headquarters presents an unexpected form, one which plays on notions of below. The view looking up from beneath the tower highlights the massive cantilever and accentuates the structural influence. In occupying the cantilever, the view through the glass floor minimizes the context of the tower, emphasizing one’s distance from the ground plane.
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XVIII Object & Field Object & field have a symbiotic relationship, allowing the other to read as more powerful than either individually. Architecturally speaking, the field’s power must be maintained to make the object meaningful and responsive to its appropriate context. Architecture itself can manifest as field as well with the creation of object within space. The field of the floor, wall, ceiling or room can be identified to find oddities such as window, void, object and light source which act as attraction elements. The Storm King Art Center provides many objects within a field that act as both art within a landscape and way-finding nodes. The initiation of interest comes from viewing the pieces from a distance then allowing individual choice to influence the manner in which to engage. How a human looks next to an object in the distance is worth considering as it immediately provides contextual scale for the viewer. Thus, the object may appear sized significantly different than previously thought.
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Nuttallburg Tipple & Conveyor West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
04 Site & Analysis Site Introduction & Overview The search for site became motivated with considerations of sublime theory and the subsequent terminology developed within the sublime catalogue. Two adverse ways of going about choosing site based on the sublime were considered; finding a site with inherent pre-existing sublime characteristics, or finding a site which is entirely ordinary, a blank slate from which the sublime could be generated. The site chosen is peculiar in its inherent qualities of sublime as well as its opportunistic potential.
has yet to be fully discovered and appreciated. Current accommodations for viewing the bridge are limited to an elevated wood pathway, descending slightly into the gorge and ending at a single perspective viewpoint. Nuttallburg and New River Gorge Bridge will act as the primary contextual focal regions for site, with three miles of gorge between. Both regions, as well as a brief understanding of West Virginia’s coal, will be examined in greater detail throughout the remainder of the chapter to provide the contextual analysis necessary to initiate design.
New River Gorge has distinctive geological characteristics which lend themselves to producing the sublime. Hundreds of vertical feet can be measured from the top of the gorge to the river at bottom, producing both expansive views and topographical challenge. The obscurity of the forested terrain hides many artifacts of history, particularly those associated with coal industry.
1 National Park Service. “Nuttallburg.” Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www. nps.gov/neri/learn/historyculture/nuttallburg.htm 2
Around fifty coal mining towns emerged within the gorge in the late 1800’s during the country’s demand for coal.1 Nuttallburg is one such town, now abandoned, which hosts one of the most intact historical coal mining facilities in West Virginia.2 Nuttallburg is a few miles around a bend in the gorge from the New River Gorge Bridge. New River Gorge Bridge is an immense corten steel bridge which spans the width and depth of the gorge. The bridge is an engineering feat which, like Nuttallburg, 27
Ibid.
Nuttallburg Tipple & Conveyor West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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New River Gorge Site Region
United States Coal Resource Map 1978 Data compiled from Berge Exploration Inc
West Virginia Coal Mining Jobs & Productivity Data 1978 Data compiled from West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training
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Coal West Virginia’s Supply & America’s Demand In order to give proper introduction to the coal mining town of Nuttallburg, a historical background of West Virginia’s connection with coal must be understood. All but two of West Virginia’s fifty-five counties contain rich bituminous coal. Coal was first discovered in the region in 1742 by John Peter Salley and has been commercially mined in the state as early as 1810.3 Most of the coal in the state was originally mined for the intention of local use, for business and residential consumption. Transportation through the state in the early coal history was difficult and made exportation of the resource unfeasible for profitability. However, the New River and other large waterways allowed for coal next to the water to be exported. This is where New River Gorge played an important role in the state’s income.
advancements in technology improved coal mining methodology leading to less demand for manual labor and thus a decline in the small coal mining towns and settlements. The abandonment of coal-based town life led to a culture shift, the individual no longer sought out fortune underground. The blue-collar image of West Virginia suffered as a result. The industry of resource extraction became de-humanized with the trend of larger companies providing higher quantities of coal with only a minimum required workforce necessary to operate the machinery. The impact of West Virginia’s early industrial role in supplying America with a vast quantity of coal is of supporting interest to the topic of sublime. Numerical values of coal production are inadequate for giving full contextual understanding of the quality of services provided for by the material as fuel.
Major rail-lines in the state were completed in 1883 and became the catalyst for West Virginia’s coal mining success. Nearly three million tons of coal were produced and sold within the year.4 The success steadily continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries until the late 1990’s after which productivity fell due to a decreased interest in fossil fuels and increased regulation.
3 West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. “A Brief History of Coal and Health and Safety Enforcement in West Virginia.” Accessed January 4 2019. http://www.wvminesafety.org/History.htm 4
The Appalachian coal region can be seen in the map to the top left, along with the specific location of the New River Gorge site. Data in the bottom left displays the need for coal jobs rising throughout the late 19th century and well into the 20th century. Around the 50’s, 31
Ibid.
John Nuttall date unknown
Henry Ford 1919
National Park Service
Hartsook, photographer Library of Congress
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Nuttallburg Founder & Owners of Nuttallburg John Nuttall was born in 1817 in England. He worked in coal mines beginning at the age of eleven to help support his family as his father died when John was only three. In 1849 he left England to search for fortune in the mining industry with the aid of America’s railroads.5
Nuttallburg was founded in 1870 and continued to grow in population and profit. John Nuttall died in 1897 and the family continued to profit and thrive from the mine for three decades. The mine was sold in 1920 to Henry Ford. Under Ford’s ownership, developments in structures, equipment and methods for furthering mine production were implemented.7
The first mine John Nuttall founded was named Nuttallville in Pennsylvania. The mine proved successful however the frontier of mining profits was predictably found in West Virginia. C & O Railway created a line which ran through New River Gorge and had promise of untouched coal seams. John invested in property in the area after having seen the high-quality coal which could be mined in the gorge.6
The following sections will describe the physical conditions of Nuttallburg and surrounding elements within the gorge, both historical and surviving. 5 Nuttall Family LLC. “History” Accessed January 19, 2019. http:// nuttallfamilywv.com/history/ 6 Maddex, Lee R. and various contributors. Nuttallburg Mine Complex 1873. West Virginia University Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology, for the Historic American Engineering Record. 1991. PDF. 9 7
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Ibid. 10
Site Plan of Nuttallburg Present Day
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Local Conditions & Essential Structures Along with the necessary mining facilities to for coal extraction, living conditions had to be met. Transportation around and out of the gorge was and still is difficult, with steep wooded terrain making up the entirety of the region. This created the incentive to develop a town in close proximity to the mining facilities and by extension on the C & O Railway.
the necessary information to compile a site plan of how the town was arranged. Residential buildings made up the majority of buildings in the town, however additional supporting businesses included the blacksmith, carpenter, electrical shop, machine shop, tool and lamp houses, and foreman’s office.9 These structures were all constructed of wood and rotted after the town was abandoned in 1962.
The primary mining facility elements in Nuttallburg were the head-house, conveyor and tipple. The headhouse sat at the entrance of the mine which is located near the top of the gorge. This acted as the dumping location for coal which traveled down the gorge within the conveyor. The tipple receives the coal and hosts the processes for loading coal into rail-cars. These structures were originally constructed around 1873 or 1874 by John Nuttall, however three iterations of the structures would be constructed throughout the life of the mine. Roberts and Schaefer Company of Chicago created the final structures which are still surviving today.8 Restoration work including stabilization, re-cladding and the clearing of intrusive vegetation was done by the National Park Service in 2011 to allow the structures to survive as historic landmarks.
The site map to the left displays the surviving structures as well as major foundations which can still be seen today. This map also shows current efforts by the park service to maintain trails on-site. 8 Maddex, Lee R. and various contributors. Nuttallburg Mine Complex 1873. West Virginia University Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology, for the Historic American Engineering Record. 1991. PDF. 21-27 9
While the mining structures have managed to survive and be maintained in recent years, all other structures in the town have been lost to the elements. Foundations and historical records including text and photographs provide 35
Ibid. 58
New River Gorge Soil Horizons Uncovering the geology hidden within the gorge
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Shaft Mine
Slope Mine
Drift Mine
Expanding on Mining Operations New River Gorge’s smokeless coal can be found in a four-foot seam near the top of the gorge. With the railline having been built close to the river, there became a necessity for transporting the coal from the mine, to the surface and down the topography into the rail-cars. Shaft mines and slope mines, as seen in the diagram to the upper right, are able to contain all surface mining facilities in a central location while drift mining requires separate facilities. The coal within New River Gorge utilizes the drift mining technique for extraction. Soil horizons within the gorge can be seen in the diagram to the left. The coal layer is situated between layers of shale and limestone.
Common Types of Coal Mines 2019 Diagram extracted from John Hriblan’s 1992 drawing
The Nuttallburg mine, as seen in the bottom right drawing, uses room and pillar techniques to maintain the structure of the mine while extracting as much coal as possible. Mine carts circulate from the head-house main entry, into and throughout the mine then back to the head-house for coal dumping onto the conveyor. Ore is received and processed at the tipple on the rail-line.10 While the head-house, conveyor and tipple have survived to the present day, the mine has been closed to the public for safety reasons. The vastness of the mine and soil layer expression are prime for architectural enhancement.
Map of Nuttallburg Mine New River Gorge 2019 Map extracted from Paul Boxley’s 1907 drawing
10
Maddex, Lee R. and various contributors. Nuttallburg Mine Complex 1873. West Virginia University Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology, for the Historic American Engineering Record. 1991. PDF. 39-50
Note: The mine is larger than shown above. The diagram is limited to information contained within Boxley’s drawing, further mine layout is unknown.
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New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia 2018
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New River Gorge Bridge Bridge History October 22, 1977 is the date in which the longest steel spanning structure in the western hemisphere was completed.11 New River Gorge Bridge took a long and somewhat dangerous forty-minute drive around narrow mountain roads to cross the gorge into a straightforward less than a minute task. The bridge is heavily photographed and is an iconic image for the state, appearing on the West Virginia state quarter.
tall for example. Articulating expressions of this type of comparative epiphany will be considered architecturally.
Made from corten steel, the bridge was designed and engineered by Michael Baker Company. New River Gorge Bridge is just over three thousand feet long, eight hundred and seventy-six feet high and only sixty-nine feet wide.12 The challenge of constructing such a large steel span structure required intensive construction methodology. A trolley system was first implemented to allow for steel placement without the need of an enormous crane. Steel cross-braced columns, with assistance from a substantial space-frame arch, allow for the bridge to only touch ground at eleven points sectionally.
A two-foot-wide walkway runs inside the space frame twenty-five feet under the surface of the road, from which, the relative danger is heightened. The foreboding experience of traversing on the walkway presents an altered field of view, one that opens to, and entices, the presence of below. The usage of this space is formally intended for service. However, due to the intense feelings created within the space, it has generated enough interest to become accessible in a limited capacity, in the form of guided tours. This less than ideal limitation is initiated due to the potential of an individual falling off the walkway. Given that the space also has strong possibilities for desirable sublime responses, ways in which to mirror the experience, without being contrived, is considered architecturally in the design of a proposed architectural expression.
Perception of the bridge is limited when occupying the surface road it was built for. This linear, single plane of concrete is the only visible constructed element, while the view out from the bridge’s surface road makes the gorge appear infinite and scale-less due to the removal of a contextual middle-ground within field of view.
Object, Surface & Within The bridge as an object exudes conditions of the sublime and can be examined for its qualitative sources. A single steel member may appear incredibly thin in relation to the whole, however that same element out of context may be thirty feet long. A shorter cross-braced column near the top of the gorge is one hundred and forty-six feet
11 National Park Service. “New River Gorge Bridge.” Accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/nrgbridge.htm 12 Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. “The Design and Construction of the New River Gorge Bridge.” 1991. PDF. 140
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New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia Date unknown A. E. Crane
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New River Gorge Bridge Construction West Virginia Between 1974-1978
New River Gorge Bridge Construction West Virginia 1976
Photographer unknown
Jerry Waters
New River Gorge Bridge Construction West Virginia Between 1974-1978
New River Gorge Bridge Construction West Virginia Between 1974-1978
Photographer unknown
Photographer unknown
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Existing Site Plan West Virginia 2018
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Applied Theory Notions The application of theory to site is briefed below prior to introducing the architectural expressions which follow. The key concepts listed below will be expanded upon as they apply to individual expressions in the following chapter.
the sanctuary is important in utilizing a calm and relaxed environment to process multiple experiences with the site’s sublime. Elaboration on beauty’s contextual utility will be expressed in the sanctuary section. Stereotomic & Tectonic Unity The topography of New River Gorge lends itself to the architectural implementation of a language embedded within the notions of stereotomic and tectonic. Earth alteration will be necessary to varying degrees within each expression. The heaviness of the earth will assist in the production of sublime in certain cases while the lightness of tectonics will be utilized for minimal impact on the earth. Materials and their assemblages will be the physical manifestations expressing such notions and will be most visually embodied in section. Individual contrasting cases of stereotomic and tectonic treatments within architectural expressions are intended to enhance the effects by comparing one another as a set.
Employing the Sublime Catalogue The terms previously defined within the sublime catalogue will be called upon as elements within an architectural expression. Multiple terms are likely to correlate with any given element however only the strongest design driving terms will be explicitly stated within the expression’s text. Memories of Site Sublime The visitor is enticed to develop strong memories of site through the power in sublime as a supplement. Curated moments of sublime are designed in the manner in which their subject matter is reinforced. The appearance of history and exhibition as housed or highlighted by architectural expressions is enhanced through the sublime. Human experience is written and visualized within an expression’s section to exemplify the potential for developing such memories.
On Tourism & Technology With the potential effects of social media being stated previously in the chapter on Sublime, it is anticipated that the majority of site-specific spread of information will be through individual sharing. Tourism presents connotations of overcrowding, cheap thrills and curated experience. Thus, allowing individuals to explore site and share experiences as they see fit is seen as the primary way in which to increase site awareness without overt advertisement, maintaining integrity for the site.
A Hint of Beauty Beauty is provided as contrast to the sublime by Edmund Burke. While beauty is not a focal point for the thesis, the presence of beauty is lightly referenced within the first expression, Nuttallburg Sanctuary. Repose within 45
Nuttallburg Sanctuary
Amtrak Stations
Nuttallburg Bridge
Gorge Trails
Nine Beacons
Soil Horizons
Steel Frame
05 Application & Architecture Seven Architectural Expressions Seven architectural expressions are generated to strengthen, and add to, the sublime aspects within the context of New River Gorge. The first of seven expressions, Nuttallburg Sanctuary, is primary. The remaining six are secondary, considering specific context to respond to and reinforce the intentions of the first. The chapter begins with a complete site plan, showing surrounding context in relationship to placed architectural expressions. Each section begins with the intent for the element, where it is defined and visually conveyed through collage. Spatial conditions and formal arrangements follow with detailed axonometric drawing. Maps, sections, diagrams or other supporting illustrations are provided at the end of each section.
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Design Site Plan Seven Expressions & Context Integration
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Nuttallburg Sanctuary Sublime, Contemplation & Repose The town of Nuttallburg was focused on, and dependent on, coal. The collapse of New River Gorge’s coal industry went hand-in-hand with the fall of the town. Nuttallburg Sanctuary is introduced as the dominant element within the set of architectural proposals, designed as the new focal point for Nuttallburg’s resurrection.
Sublime causes transcendence of the regular and provides the mental feeling of smallness used to comprehend the combined vastness of the natural gorge, industrial history and human potential.
Contemplation follows the emotion-based response generated by the sublime, mentally testing how to properly perceive the environment, initiating both internal reflection and external dialogue.
Repose is the comforting resultant condition, the calm that allows for prior moments to develop into memories charged with the influence of an emotive, sublime architecture and environment.
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Sanctuary Overview Nuttallburg Sanctuary sits just above the abandoned town of Nuttallburg, aligning with the axis of the decommissioned rail-line which once serviced the town. The conveyor can be found just west of the sanctuary, running perpendicular to the rail-line, from head-house down to tipple. This rail-line axis is extended to provide a horizontal path along the gorge to New River Gorge Bridge. A cable lift east of the sanctuary provides vertical circulation to the head-house trail and New River trail. The various accommodations for site circulation present many options for accessing the sanctuary. An overlook, beacon, contextual exhibit, lounge and retreat are elements defined and housed within the sanctuary. These elements reflect on notions of the sublime, contemplation and repose.
The Exhibition of Contemplation The act of curation seeks to organize and re-present, to offer a controlled environment in which to contemplate. While exploration is crucial in site strategy as a means for emotive understanding, there is still a need for supplemental knowledge which elaborates upon what can only be seen. Artifacts from the town of Nuttallburg and its mining operations contain indications about historical use and meaning. Ore carts, pickaxes, oil lanterns, mine structural supports and coal are a few examples of such objects which may be found nearby. These artifacts are gathered and assembled into a collection found beneath a lightwell matrix deep within the sanctuary. The overlook is the start of an axis which descends north into the gorge’s topography and ends at the exhibit. The start of the axis presents the town in its regional entirety, while the end of the axis provides detailed analysis for contextual understanding of the whole. Additional information about the defined site, Nuttallburg to New River Gorge Bridge, can be found within the exhibit. The locations of the other six architectural expressions are also provided along with general descriptions about each expression. Specifics about the expressions are withheld in order to promote site exploration.
The Expressive of Sublime Nuttallburg holds much of the historical and industrial sublime context within the defined site region. Arrival and departure from the sanctuary signifies the beginning and ending of a site excursion. The primary incitement of the sublime comes from the site as a collection of experiences, rather than by any individual expression or moment within site. The sanctuary seeks to compliment other expressions, hosting some opportunities to generate the sublime while also creating an environment to accommodate contemplation and repose.
The Retreat of Repose Sublime and contemplation are both active in mental processing, through emotion and thought. To solidify the impact of the two conditions, an inactive state of repose is necessary. The lounge, located above the railline, is provided as a medium between contemplation and repose, a place in which conversation can continue from the adjacent exhibit, or from the larger site. Suggestions about spatial usage are not explicitly presented within the lounge, simultaneously allowing for relaxation without conversation, initiating internal reflection and repose.
The foundations of buildings and structures within the abandoned town can be found overtaken by nature and hidden from the unaware visitor. In precisely clearing vegetation obstructing the view to these foundations, one may grasp the physical layout of the historic town from the overlook. This viewpoint presents a lens for understanding site context which is otherwise obscured, reawakening a lost community fabric. The extensive network required to sustain coal mining operations during Nuttallburg’s prime is revealed.
The retreat contains rooms in which one can withdrawal from the surrounding context. Beauty, in contrast to the sublime is referred to for its potential to initiate repose. Diffuse light permeates through frosted glass and wooden louvers, setting an atmosphere of calm while soft fabric furnishing allows for comfortable engagement with the body. The view of small flowering plants, placed at the facade, replaces the grandiose view of the gorge. The tranquil beauty of the retreat space holds a small portion of site presence yet allows for a physical and mental pause from the external environment.
The beacon within the sanctuary is larger and more prominent than the other nine beacons on-site, acting as the terminus for the series. The unique beacon, following the succession of uniform beacons, signifies arrival at a destination, a destination which offers inward experience as complimentary to the site’s outward vastness. The tenth beacon is the first gesture to indicate a change in site treatment and a subsequent shift in mindset. The expressive intensity of site and the sublime are dampened as contemplation and repose are inspired. 53
Drawing Compilation Plans, Sections & Diagrams
54
Exterior from Overlook Rendering
Artifact Exhibition Rendering
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Amtrak Stations Prelude to Site Entry into New River Gorge, and to gain access to its historic and natural elements, currently requires descent into the gorge, by foot or by car. The Amtrak Cardinal actively runs along the New River and with the creation of new Amtrak Stations at both ends of the defined site, allows for an alternative entry opportunity, one which places the visitor at the bottom the gorge. The visitor is no longer confined to vehicular transit and is free to explore the site on foot.
57
Montgomery
New River Gorge Bridge Station Nuttallburg Station
Thurmond
New River Gorge Cardinal Route ~25 miles
New River Gorge Entry Points The New River within New River Gorge lies more than a thousand feet below nearby terrain. Current trail and road accommodations rely heavily on desirable weather conditions to maintain access to the bottom of the gorge. Roads leading into the gorge are closed during harsher months and render the site effectively useless at these times. Trails throughout the gorge, vary in difficulty and present convoluted circulation routes for descent into the gorge. These trails provide limitations on potential visitors, particularly the elderly and disabled. Providing the option for circumventing much of the gorge’s harsh terrain will broaden the scope of possibilities for the site.
(fifteen miles West from New River Gorge Bridge) and Thurmond, West Virginia (seven and a half miles South from New River Gorge Bridge). Proposed Stations The New River Gorge Bridge Station will be situated in close proximity to the Fayette Station Road Bridge on New River’s southern bank, in the shadow of the New River Gorge Bridge. This station will service the westbound Amtrak route coming from New York City. From point of arrival, a visitor may travel East along the South Bank Trail towards Kaymoor mine and Nuttallburg Bridge or cross the Fayette Station Road Bridge and take the West Lift to the Beacon Trail or Canyon Rim Visitor Center.
Existing Cardinal Historically, rail-lines were used as entry points for Nuttallburg residents, workers and visitors. The Nuttall Depot deposited passengers directly into Nuttallburg, eliminating the difficulties presented by the steeper terrain near the top of the gorge. The Amtrak Cardinal utilizes the CSX rail-line adjacent to the New River within the gorge and the addition of train platforms will allow direct access to the bottom of the gorge. The Cardinal runs year-round, only being halted by severe weather conditions, maximizing the potential operational days of the site. Currently, the Cardinal runs through the gorge three times a week which would allow for visitors by train to experience the site fully prior to departure. The closest existing stations to Nuttallburg and the New River Gorge Bridge are Montgomery, West Virginia
The Nuttallburg Station will be situated between the Nuttallburg Bridge and the East Lift. This station will service the eastbound Amtrak route coming from Chicago. Trails west of the East Lift which are level with the station circulate throughout the historic town remains of Nuttallburg. The East Lift provides access to the Nuttallburg Sanctuary and subsequently the beacon trail as well as the Soil Horizons, Nuttallburg mine and Headhouse Trail near the top of the gorge. Both stations allow for the train to pass by the entirety of the site prior to arrival, providing the visitor with a preliminary scan of the elements within the landscape, or prelude to site. 59
Drawing Compilation Plans, Sections & Diagrams
60
Amtrak Arrival Rendering
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Nuttallburg Bridge Converging Time Suspension bridge piers lie dormant on either side of the New River, remnants of a demolished bridge that once was. With the resurrection of Nuttallburg, the desire for cross-river connection at the town becomes once again a necessity. Design intentions for the new bridge are to provide tribute to the original bridge by utilizing a diagonal relationship to the historic axis and to establish a platform at the center of the river to allow for a full panoramic view of the gorge.
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The Historical Suspension Bridge A three hundred and forty foot suspension bridge once connected Nuttallburg to South Nuttall, an extension of the town. The bridge was constructed in 1899 by the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company of New York, the same company which constructed the Brooklyn Bridge. The one and a quarter inch cables which held a six-foot wide walkway were held in place by masonry towers at either side of the river. These large five-foot three inch square base towers still exist today and will act as a design catalyst for a new bridge at this location.
New River Gorge Station and the existing Fayette Station Road Bridge. Thus, Fayette Station Road Bridge and Nuttallburg Bridge act as anchors for the full scope of the proposed site. To pay homage to the historical axis from which a Roebling bridge once stood, structural timber piers for the new bridge are placed along this path. Beams extend outward from these piers to grasp the new diagonal walkway. Steel cable guardrails line the walkway, allowing the wooden planked walkway surface to read as dominant. The planks become aligned with the historical axis as the intersection of the two axis occurs and extend to create a viewing platform nested within the axis.
South Nuttall, across the New River, was just East of another coal facility by the name of Kaymoor. Although South Nuttall did not contain any mining facilities, the acquisition of additional relatively flat land (given the contextual topography) allowed for ease of expansion for the town. As the coal mining culture of New River Gorge declined throughout the middle of the twentieth century and the town was abandoned, the Nuttallburg Suspension Bridge was demolished in the late 1950’s.
The historic and new axis converge at the center of the river, allowing for the human to stand at a location that once was traversed in the past. This location aligns with the historic axis for equal viewing to either side of the river bank, as well as unobstructed views up either side of the gorge. If one were to look through the original masonry towers from one bank of the river, a passerby may be seen coming into the center of frame.
Bridge Revival Given that the Amtrak Cardinal’s current routes run along both North and South banks of the New River, access to both banks are a necessity to accommodate train arrival. In addition to rail-line access, the South bank contains historical South Nuttall ruins and Kaymoor mine ruins to the West. As the proposed South Bank Trail route passes Kaymoor mine, it concludes at the 65
Drawing Compilation Plans, Sections & Diagrams
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Morning Kayak Rendering
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Gorge Trails Traversing Site The journey from New River Gorge Bridge to Nuttallburg is approximately three miles. To suggest multiple new elements along the gorge while disregarding the circulation pathways between them would be shortsighted. Three different treatments are defined, varied by response to the contextual conditions of nearby structures and historical locations.
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Tier 1 - Concrete Distinguished Architectural Application
Tier 2 - Crushed Limestone The Lengthy Horizontal Standard
Current Trail Conditions Trail conditions within and around Nuttallburg vary in locale. Pathing near the tipple is most prominently distinct, leading circulation from the East parking lot to the structure. The pathing in this location is made of gravel disintegrating out into the abandoned town as the trails become overgrown. The Headhouse Trail, leading from a northern entry location at the top of the gorge to the headhouse is also delineated clearly as a mix of natural earth and crushed stone. As the Headhouse Trail stems into the steep trail down the gorge along the conveyor axis, the pathing becomes less prominent, narrower and more difficult to traverse.
Tier 3 - Natural Earth The Trail Less Traveled
elements. Aged, no longer used rail-lines will be nested and integrated within the concrete grid treatment, highlighting and revitalizing historic axis. Tier 2 - Crushed Limestone Crushed limestone, found locally within the soil layers, will act as the primary trail material for horizontal pathing through nature and as transitional material towards less important natural earth paths. This material makes the presence of the trail clear within the landscape, assisting in wayfinding within the forested site. Crushed limestone is capable of hosting bicycle traffic as well as foot traffic, making the site easier to traverse especially in the case of emergency by staff.
Defining Trail Hierarchy Current efforts to broaden and strengthen trail prominence within the landscape near structures of interest is something which correctly correlates pathing to usage, need and influence. In the further development of site, this hierarchical methodology will be kept, with existing trail hierarchies being strengthened and new trail hierarchies being established.
Tier 3 - Natural Earth Vertical switchbacks are inherently more difficult to traverse than horizontal pathing, particularly in regard to the steep topography of New River Gorge. Due to the nature of the site being three miles long, access to other paths at different elevations along the gorge will be necessary. Natural earth which has been cleared of vegetation and is at least three feet wide to allow people to pass one another will provide this vertical access. As lifts to the three primary elevations of the site are provided at New River Gorge Bridge and Nuttallburg, the expectation is that most vertical transitions will occur at these locations. Thus, walkable vertical transitions are tertiary in the hierarchy of trail allocation. Paths to minor Nuttallburg town foundations will also utilize natural earth cleared of vegetation.
Tier 1 - Concrete Nuttallburg’s headhouse, tipple and Sanctuary expression will be the focal points for the town and will make use of concrete pavers to further implement hardscape near the most important elements on site. Concrete will expand outwards along paths that lead to these structures to imply approach towards the elements. Trail adjustment leads to view of the elements and finally arrival at the 71
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Transition to Nature Rendering
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Nine Beacons Uniformity & Succession The three-mile expanse covered in the scope of the defined site suggests the need for small moments of rest within the landscape. Nine Beacons, identical in structural form, are defined as landmarks, incrementally spaced along the Beacon Trail. The beacons provide support for the trails through tent site opportunities, lighting at night, directional wayfinding, viewing platforms and incremental vertical circulation.
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Sanctuary
Ia
Ib
Ic
Id
West Lift
Ie
Steel Frame
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If
VIII I
I
II
III
VII
IV V
Campsite Placement Strategy Beacon I Layout
New River
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Beacon Trail Proximities Beacon Placement & Trail Route
The Beacon Trail & Beacon Placements The Beacon Trail is created as a means to horizontally traverse site at a mid-tier level on the gorge’s northern side. Beginning in the east, the trail continues the existing decommissioned rail-line path west and terminates at the West Lift, just before New River Gorge Bridge. At the midpoint of the trail the Steel Frame expression is positioned.
sun begins to rise, accommodating early morning activity. Once the sun has risen, the lanterns become inactive, allowing natural light to permeate through the gorge. The beacons activate or deactivate independently from one another and a slight time delay is placed between them, meaning that the beacon closest to the sun will activate or deactivate first, depending on sunrise or sunset, and the subsequent beacons will follow.
The beacons are spaced approximately a quartermile apart. Variations in this spacing are made to accommodate topography changes or to create a superior viewing axis. The first beacon begins west and follows the trail east to the ninth beacon, just before the sanctuary. As the trail nears a beacon, the path splits into two, allowing for a choice to descend beneath the beacon or to ascend to the viewing platform and campsites. Six campsites are located at each beacon, with the exception of the first and fifth beacons, which house vertical connections.
Vertical Connection The first, fifth and tenth beacons house vertical connections to the New River Trail. Elevators are placed within these beacons to provide a vertical circulation alternative to the lifts and switchback trails. The elevator cores of these beacons descend deep into the gorge’s topography, landing at a horizontal tunnel leading out towards the river. The first beacon provides access to the Fayette Station Road Bridge and viewing of the New River Gorge Bridge from below. The fifth beacon provides access to the Steel Frame and acts as a midpoint between the two paths. The tenth beacon, while not contained within the set of nine, replicates the method for vertical circulation to New River Trail, allowing for direct access to the sanctuary. This elevator is particularly notable for accommodating Nuttallburg Station arrivals and departures.
Beacon Lighting & Way-finding Each beacon’s steel structure acts as an armature for an illuminated lantern on top. The color temperature and dimness of the light vary by time of day. As the sun descends, the lanterns become active, brightest and deepest in color to accommodate visitors travelling to a destination before nightfall. The lanterns dim past sunset, minimizing light pollution and coming to their dimmest point in the middle of the night. The cycle reverses as the 77
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Dusk Lantern Rendering
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Soil Horizons Unearthed Seam Nuttallburg mine is enormous in scale and importance and like many mines of its kind, is now abandoned and closed due to safety concerns. The hidden nature of such a sublime space will be uncovered within the Soil Horizons intervention by revealing the geological soil layers of New River Gorge and provide new experiential readings of the natural intricacies not commonly understood. Portions of the mine intersecting Soil Horizons will be engaged and integrated as part of the spatial experience.
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Mesh Network
Tieback Anchors
Coal
New River Gorge Soil Horizons Geological Understanding
Soil Stabilization & Retention Strategy Minimal Obstruction of Geological Viewing
Unearthed Seam The four foot seam of coal near the top of New River Gorge is a single material nested between layers of topsoil, sandstone, limestone and shale. Nuttallburg mine’s, still standing, head-house structure is placed level with the coal layer at the original entrance to the mine. Given the historical context of this location and restablization of the head-house in recent years, the Soil Horizons expression is not placed here. Instead, the expression is placed east of the mine entrance, along the coal seam horizon and north of Nuttallburg Sanctuary. The Head-house Trail is extended east, passing various alternate entrances to the mine and arriving at Soil Horizons. The trail continues further, past the expression and terminating at the east cable lift.
intersects the grid of Nuttallburg mine, the mine is unearthed from within the gorge. Portions of this once closed off space are now accessible from a new entry point. The height of the tunnel ceiling is raised and the stability of the tunnel structure is reinforced. The space now accessible is merely a fraction of the mine’s overall extents. Hints of the inaccessible vastness can be viewed through the gated boundaries of the integrated section. Vertical Depth Vertical understanding is found in the comparison of the coal seam to other materials within the soil. Layers above and below the coal are exposed within the expression’s spatial void. The angle of the concrete increases the amount of soil which is unearthed and therefore perceivable. The first level of the expression, in-line with the coal seam, allows for the visitor to view the seam in close proximity, starting from within the entry tunnel. The resolution of the material is first perceived for its physical attributes at this scale, rather than in quantity as a resource. As the void is entered, vertical depth is increased to provide comparative analysis. The lower level, accessible by stair within the void, augments the vertical perception of the soil layers, more accurately representing the coal seam as a small portion of the overall soil horizon geology.
The spatial void of Soil Horizons is accessed through a tunnel perpendicular to the adjacent trail. Concrete is utilized as the primary material to retain soil and shape space. Horizontal reveals in the concrete are set in-line with layer transitions within the soil. The panels of concrete are finned, creating an interstitial space of revealed soil. Soil which is exposed is stabilized and retained through tieback anchors and a mesh network to minimally obstruct the geological viewing experience. Horizontal Depth Horizontal understanding is perceived through the depth of the coal seam, extending deep within the gorge, invisible to the unaware visitor. As Soil Horizons 83
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Below the Mine Rendering
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Steel Frame Incongruous Portal In taking a structural cross-braced column element from the New River Gorge Bridge and utilizing the element as a portal, one can see the bridge from an alternative angle as well as appreciate the single incongruous element in respect to its part of a whole. The out-of-place steel frame is situated at a bend in the gorge, halfway between New River Gorge Bridge and Nuttallburg, accessible from the Beacon Trail.
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New River Gorge Bridge
Steel Frame
View Axis Frame Orientation Placement
Duplication & Repurposing The action of duplication is utilized in order to provide contextual understanding of an element far in the distance. With the Steel Frame expression being identical to a one hundred and forty-six feet tall cross-braced column from the New River Gorge Bridge, details of construction and joinery can be perceived in close proximity to the viewer. The concrete foundations of the Steel Frame expression are ten feet tall, taller than any human, yet are imperceivable elements of the bridge one and a half miles away from the Steel Frame’s location.
the beacons, the frame is unrelated to its immediate contextual field. The strength of the beacons is in their legibility as a series and adjacency to one another, while the strength of the Steel Frame lies in its singularity as an object and direct comparison of its part as an element within the whole of New River Gorge Bridge. Scaffolding Platform A scaffolding platform is introduced around the southern column member to provide additional experiential benefits. Details of the Steel Frame above the concrete foundations are accessible for close examination at varying levels of the scaffolding platform. The view out from the frame’s location is expanded through raised elevation, reaching maximum field of view at the highest level. The scaffolding’s standard sized steel members read subordinate to the Steel Frame’s proportions. The structure needed to support a viewing platform can then be compared to the structure needed to support an over three thousand feet long bridge.
The frame is set on an axis aligned to the center of the bridge and expressed through the clearing of vegetation. The view to the bridge is unobstructed in the middle ground, with the foreground provision of the frame for a view portal. The aspects of the sublime produced by the bridge are enhanced with the understanding of comparative scale. Object & Field The Steel Frame may be perceived as an object within the field of site, just as the New River Gorge Bridge may be. Standing proud of natural surroundings, the frame is visible at varying distances, perceived first as form, then with material qualities and finally with detail. Like the Nine Beacons, the frame can be used as a wayfinding node within the site. The position of the frame at the midpoint of the Beacon Trail allows it to be seen from both east and west approaches. However, unlike 89
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Axis Rendering
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06 Bibliography Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: With an Introductory Discourse concerning Taste ; and Several Other Additions. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Frampton, K., and J. Cava. Studies in Tectonic Culture the Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture. Chicago: Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, 1995. Kant, Immanuel, and Werner S. Pluhar. Critique of Judgment. Indianapolis, Ind: Hackett, 2010. Kant, Immanuel, Patrick R. Frierson, and Paul Guyer. Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime and Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Longinus, and William Rhys. ROBERTS. Longinus on the Sublime ... Edited ... with Introduction, Translation, Facsimiles and Appendices by W. Rhys Roberts ... Second Edition. University Press: Cambridge, 1907. Maddex, Lee R. and various contributors. Nuttallburg Mine Complex 1873. West Virginia University Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology, for the Historic American Engineering Record. 1991. PDF. Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. “The Design and Construction of the New River Gorge Bridge.” 1991. PDF Morley, Simon. The Sublime. London: Whitechapel Gallery, 2010. National Park Service. “John Nuttall.” Accessed January 19, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/historyculture/john-nuttall.htm National Park Service. “New River Gorge Bridge.” Accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/nrgbridge.htm National Park Service. “Nuttallburg.” Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/historyculture/nuttallburg.htm Nuttall Family LLC. “History” Accessed January 19, 2019. http://nuttallfamilywv.com/history/ Semper, Gottfried, and Harry Francis. Mallgrave. The Four Elements of Architecture: And Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1989. Smith, Laura. “Beautiful, Sublime.” Accessed December 27, 2018. http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/beautifulsublime.htm West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. “A Brief History of Coal and Health and Safety Enforcement in West Virginia.” Accessed January 4 2019. http://www.wvminesafety.org/History.htm
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07 Appendix A portion of supporting site context was omitted from the main document due to the sheer quantity of visuals gathered within the three-mile boundary of the exploration. The following photos and drawings are provided for additional site reference and historical understanding. Photography (p. 100 - 103) Historical Photography within New River Gorge Written records about living conditions and accounts from within in the town of Nuttallburg are scarce, a selection of historical photography is provided to help assist in the understanding of this missing information.
(p. 104 - 105) Drone Photography within New River Gorge The vastness of New River Gorge is exemplified from angles impossible to perceive from the ground. Drone is used as a medium to grasp the overall context of the region and show the conditions of site present at time of site visitation.
Drawings (p. 106-109) Nuttallburg Mining Facilities The complexities within the head-house, conveyor and tipple are detailed within this drawing set. The set also includes functionality diagrams for coal processing, showcasing usage which is now extinct.
(p. 110-115) New River Gorge Bridge Scale, dimension, construction process and structural detail are provided within this drawing set. (p. 116-xxx) Kaymoor Mining Facilities Kaymoor mine, not included within the scope of this thesis, is however within the site boundaries. The Northern portion of the site is seen as primary in site development, with Nuttallburg acting as a better preserved context to respond to. Kaymoor mine lies Southwest of Nuttallburg, with ruins of the mining facility hidden within the forest. Trails to the facility are overgrown and difficult to access, more-so than Nuttallburg’s trails. Drawings of Kaymoor are provided for comparison to Nuttallburg’s facilities as well as hint at the possibilities of future integration upon the completion of Nuttallburg’s reawakening.
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Nuttallburg Panorama West Virginia 1926 National Park Service
Amtrak Cardinal near New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia 1985
Young Miner West Virginia 1908
Photographer David Fattalah; Provided by West Virginia State Archives
Lewis Hine
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Photo of Present Day Nuttallburg Map West Virginia 2018 Provided by National Park Service
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Tipple West Virginia Date unknown
Train Station West Virginia 1935
National Park Service
National Park Service
Tipple & Conveyor West Virginia Date unknown
Inside Head-house West Virginia Date unknown
National Park Service
Source unknown
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Ore Cart West Virginia Date unknown
Conveyor West Virginia Date unknown
Source unknown
Source unknown
Family at Taylor House West Virginia Date unknown
Bridge & Town West Virginia Date unknown
National Park Service
National Park Service
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New River Gorge Near Nuttallburg, West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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New River Gorge Nuttallburg, West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia 2018 Richard Hardman
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Nuttallburg Site Plan Drawing West Virginia 2005 WV Railroads
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Nuttallburg Gorge Section Drawing West Virginia 2005 WV Railroads
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Nuttallburg Tipple Drawing West Virginia 2005 WV Railroads
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Nuttallburg Head-house Drawing West Virginia 2005 WV Railroads
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New River Gorge Bridge Construction Diagram West Virginia 1991 United States Steel, Bridge Report
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New River Gorge Bridge Scale Reference Drawing West Virginia Date unknown Source unknown
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New River Gorge Bridge Dimension Drawing West Virginia 1991 Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
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New River Gorge Bridge Deck Expansion Bearing Detail Drawing West Virginia 1991 United States Steel, Bridge Report
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New River Gorge Bridge Column Detail Drawing West Virginia 1991 United States Steel, Bridge Report
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New River Gorge Bridge Arch & Column Joint Detail Drawing West Virginia 1991 United States Steel, Bridge Report
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Kaymoor Mine Processing Plant Elevations West Virginia 1986 Historic American Engineering Record
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Kaymoor Mine Head-house Elevations West Virginia 1986 Historic American Engineering Record
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