The New Outlook Tower, Stage 3 Academic Portfolio, Newcastle Universtiy - Levente M Borenich

THE NEW OUTLOOK TOWER S TA G E 3 A C A D E M I C P O R T F O L I O

LEVENTE M BORENICH

1

ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO

THE NEW OUTLOOK TOWER

Newcastle University

Architecture, Planning and Landscape

BA Architecture

Stage 3

Studio

Building upon Building - The New Outlook Tower

Tutors

Josep-Maria Garcia-Fuentes, Andrew Ballantyne

Date 2017 / 2018 Student number 150379368

REM KOOL HA A S PA G E 7, 33-35, 63

S TA N A L L E N PA G E 13, 30 PET ER EISENMAN PAGE 7 , 3 3 - 3 5

C AR L O SCAR PA PA GE 7, 46-47

PAT RICK G EDDES PAGE 9 - 2 9 , 3 5 , 3 7 , 9 0 , 97

ROB ERT S OMOL PA G E 6-7, 33-34

JORG E OT E RO- PA I L OS PAGE 1 8 , 3 3 , 45

S ALV ADO R D AL Í PA GE 63, 97

G I L L ES D EL EU Z E PA G E 91

YONA FRIEDMAN PAGE 1 3 , 9 0

LIST OF CONTENTS AN AMBITION FOR DOING ARCHITECTURE PAGE 6 - 7 CRITICAL REFLECTION WHAT IS EXPERIMENTAL PRESERVATION? INTRODUCTION

PAGE 9

PRESERVING TYPOLOGY PAGE 11 - 21 PRIMER PRESERVING GEDDES’ SPIRIT PAGE 23 - 25 PRIMER & STAGING PRESERVING PHISICAL FORM PAGE 27 - 31 PRIMER & STAGING GENERATING FORM, PRODUCING THE COUNTER-FACTUAL PAGE 33 - 43 STAGING, REALISATION

CRITICAL & PROJECTIVE PAGE 34 - 40 STAGING, REALISATION

TOWARDS A MORE PERFORMATIVE ARCHITECTURE PAGE 41 - 43 STAGING, REALISATION

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE - PRECEDENT PAGE 46 - 47 CASE STUDY - CASTELVECCHIO

STEEL & CONCRETE TECTONIC STUDY PAGE 48 - 49 THINKING THROUGH MODEL MAKING

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE - STRATEGY PAGE 50 - 51 TECTONIC INTEGRATION PART I

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE - ARRANGEMENTS PAGE 52 - 61 TECTONIC INTEGRATION PART II

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE PAGE 45 - 61 TECTONIC INTEGRATION & REALISATION

THE CONQUEST OF THE IRRATIONAL PAGE 63 - 79 REALISATION & REFINEMENT

WALK THROUGH PAGE 64 - 73 REALISATION & REFINEMENT + TECTONIC INTEGRATION PART II

EXPANDING THE THRESHOLD BETWEEN EXPERIENCING & CREATING CHARRETTE

PAGE 74 - 79

A GIFT FOR EDINBURGH PAGE 81 - 87 REALISATION & REFINEMENT FICTIONAL APPENDIX PAGE 89 - 93 REALISATION & REFINEMENT CRITICAL CONTEXT PAGE 95 - 97 LEARNING JOURNAL PAGE 99 BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE 101 IMAGE CREDIT PAGE 103

Poli-Fi

Downloaded by [Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture] at 12:10 13 October 2017

R.E. SOMOL University of Illinois at Chicago

Criticism may well be the last resort for the generalist in architecture today, which is to say that it promises to become the final genre of architecture today. Architecture as a discipline demands argument and debate, but the serial specialization that architecture has experienced in recent years has, at best, resulted in a field of difference without disagreement, a practice inoculated against polemic.

In this situation, criticism exists potentially as the ultimate disagreeable practice in architecture, and therefore the remaining chance for any claims to a cultural discipline.

The contemporary high point in architecture’s disciplinary debates corresponds to the rise of the ‘‘architect-critics’’ beginning in the 1960s. Instigators of exhibitions, groups, magazines, books, debates, institutions, competitions, and schools, these idea activists for architecture promiscuously and easily mixed the roles of historian or theorist with designer or practitioner, activities that had been held apart under the previous regime of modernist medium specificity. Over the past fifteen years, however, this experiment in role jumbling—often liberating if sometimes juvenile—has been increasingly foreclosed as new forms of institutional specialization (or ‘‘expert practices’’) have become codified. Within the world of academic architecture, this historic compromise has witnessed the parallel rise of digital technicians and doctoral scholars, those too busy to write and those too reserved to design, both sides flirting with a marriage of convenience between the wordless and the visionless, the dumb and the blind.

Meanwhile, within the professional arena, the dual forces of specialization (those for whom ‘‘archi-

33

tecture is too much’’) and delegation (those for whom ‘‘architecture is not enough’’) have resigned themselves to a new religion of business efficiency known as ‘‘integrated practice’’ with its high sacrament of BIM software. In both these academic and professional domains, specialization—and the reduction of architecture variously to science, technology, or truth—has diminished the disciplinary possibilities of architecture. Consequently, a potentially projective discipline of architecture might alternately be advanced by a criticism that aligns itself with the collective and virtual possibilities offered by a new genre of political fiction (or poli-fi).

Not to be confused with the small truths of professional or popular journalism (reporting the facts) or the big truths of academic theory (ideological critique), criticism, like architecture traditionally if decreasingly, has nothing to do with truth and everything to do with choice. Criticism is not objective, it is motivated. In this regard, it does not thrive within the institutional protocols and discursive averaging of the double-blind peerreviewed process. Indeed, at its best, criticism does not assume or cater to any existing constituency (whether subscribers, members, or ‘‘peers’’) but conjures an audience from its surprising yet plausible assertions. Not only is it not objective, but criticism in this sense also has no real object. It is a prospective solicitation for novel practices and not a retrospective calling out of existing ones. As a performance, criticism fabricates both new forms of work and reception. In this guise, it is at once political and fictional, concerned with fashioning plastic collectives and artificial communities.

SOMOL

6

Choice today—and with it the opportunities for argument, propositional alternatives, and disciplinarity—relies on criticism and politics for its survival.

Of course, politics, when aligned with science rather than fiction, tends toward a fundamentalism that one witnesses in several design tendencies today (e.g., take the alternative sensibilities of the green and the parametric). One task of criticism, then, is to disrupt the consensus that supports all forms of humorless earnestness and mawkish sanctimony, as these tendencies endeavor to put design (or choice) beyond dispute, beyond argument, and therefore mark the end of a plastic or political discipline of architecture.

Not long ago, architects would bemoan their powerlessness by citing that they were involved with only 5% of buildings constructed, while today, they would assume responsibility for the greenhouse effects of the remaining 95%. This can only be understood as an act of professional suicide or self-hatred, one that identifies itself as at once powerless and responsible. This, as anyone would tell you, is a sucker’s bet. Instead, as the dark side of the discipline, criticism might project a practice as once powerful and irresponsible. Such a powerful irresponsibility may well constitute one form of political fiction in practice. In this scenario, architecture might again denature the stuff of the world, liberate cultural possibility from material fact, stage the fundamental antinomies of solidarity and autonomy, and serve not as barren solution but as vital attractor to orchestrate our repressed disagreements and unrecognized pleasures.

AN AMBITION FOR DOING ARCHITECTURE CRITICAL REFL ECTIO N

Stage 3 was a very fruitful period for me as an architecture student. With the research for my dissertation I managed to collect knowledge about the critical and projective architectural theory of the past 50 years. Therefore, now I have a relatively good critical overview of contemporary architecture debates that are interesting to me. Furthermore, I have found my ambition for doing architecture, which is the production of the counter-factual. As described

by Robert Somol in his essay, when politics is aligned with fiction architecture becomes a cultural discursive discipline again.

“In this scenario, architecture might again denature the stuff of the world, liberate cultural possibility from material fact, stage fundamental antinomies of solidarity and autonomy, and serve not as barren solution but as vital attractor to orchestrate our repressed disagreements and unrecognized pleasures.” R. E. Somol (2009) Poli-Fi With the diverse course provided by Newcastle University I also had the opportunity to challenge myself in some other creative fields, apart from architecture. During Primer I created a montage-movie for the presentation of our studio’s research work. As part of Staging, our studio made a grand tour to Italy, where we could closely investigate the countless layers of architectural history. We saw numerous contemporary efforts of reinterpreting and reframing culturally significant buildings. Scarpa’s details for example were very influential for developing the atmospheric qualities of my project. I am pleased that my graduation project concerns an existing building, which has so much cultural and historical value. The brief of the project allowed me to do more research on the use of diagram in the practice of architecture and to understand more about architectural history and preservation techniques. I believe the proposed experimental preservation technique of the Outlook Tower presents my critical skills that I developed in the past years. In addition, I hope that my design for the New Outlook Tower have inherited some characteristics of Peter Eisenman’s and Rem Koolhaas’ architecture, that I greatly admire. With this portfolio I tried to represent the project creatively, as smoothly as possible, developing a critical and discursive narrative for the supplementation of the architectural materials.

7

8

WHAT IS EXPERIMENTAL PRESERVATION? INTRO DU CTIO N

In our studio we were interested in developing different preservation techniques. When one thinks about architectural heritage, and how it could be preserved, restoration work is probably the first approach that comes to mind. But, there are other less traditional ways of preserving architecture and culture. Rather than only concerned with the recreation of physical form, with my project I developed three different techniques for the preservation of the Outlook Tower.

1 TYPOLOGY - Preserving the Educational Platform that Patrick Geddes invented and used the building for 2 SPIRIT - Rehabilitate Edinburgh’s landmark by reinterpreting Geddes’ concepts in the light of twenty-first century issues 3 FORM - Preserving the Medieval geometries of the city and the buildings by a new approach

9

10

PRESERVING TYPLOGY PRIMER During Primer I created an animation film based on the research of our studio. It aims to reconstruct Geddes’ narrative, which later informed my design decisions.

11

12

Eisenstein’s montage films inspire me to build with images. The way one can construct narratives and bring life to drawings by movement time I find extremely powerful. Montage films are not concerned with the depth of the image, but produce it by intervals in-between the images.

It is the viewer’s perception that brings the information together in the film. As Stan Allen describes (2009, p. 28) : “The early modern metropolis produced a new subject: the montage eye capable of constructing a new reality out of the barrage of fragmentary, contradictory, and obsolete information that characterises the modern city.” In my case, I used this technique to create an animated montage film to recall the narrative of Patrick Geddes, presenting his theories. As there is few evidence of how the interior of the Outlook Tower looked like, with this stop motion technique, the viewer’s subjectivity contributes to the construction of the movie’s artifice. In addition, I also draw manuals, a technique also used by Yona Friedman.

(ARC_3015)

13

Views from the Outlook tower

Meterology Urban planning

Culture

History

Botanics Philosophy

Geography

14

PATRICK GEDDES

Geddes used the extraordinary panorama of the tower for educational purposes. He first brought people up to the roof to then point to specific view points and explain complex historical, geographical and philosophical ideas. The first component of the tower was therefore visual for Geddes. He believed that a complete view of the natural and social world is perfect for understanding relationships between whole and parts. After this experience, Geddes guided people through his exhibition, where the previously saw issues were unpinned in more detail. At the end of the tour people had the chance to add materials and knowledge to the ever expanding exhibition.

These findings directly informed my design decisions. Therefore the visitors will first go up to have this experience, to only later go through the exhibition, where they can learn more in detail about the city, and more generally the world. In addition, the new component of the exhibition will concentrate on the threshold between experiencing and creating. The visitors will have the opportunity to create something after being simulated with the exhibition.

first up

groups

15

contributing

The camera obscura is the only remain of the once intellectual exhibition. Geddes used this photographic apparatus to re-educate unseeing eyes. In my design this feature will have an important part as well.

camera obscura - snapshot from the film

16

In the exhibition spaces Geddes exhibited his own work. One of his obsession was the valley section, by which he explained complex social and natural relationships.

valley section - snapshot from the film

17

As written by Otero-Pailos (2014) interpeting films are one of the toolkits that preservationists use to meditate the buildings’ experience and to adapt the exhibition to changing cultural attitudes.

The animation of the valley section could be displayed in the new exhibtion space.

18

Geddes was interested in philosophy and attempted to express his ideas with the use of symbols. He exhibited his own drawings. The new component of the exhibition will consist of creative rooms, where visitors can draw something independently, or try and design together with their friends or family.

Philosopher’s Stone according to Geddes and Geddesian Tree of Life - snapshot from the film

19

Geddes used his creativity to make the exhibition as entertaining as possible. In the New Outlook Tower, experience will also play a huge part. Therefore, rather than exhibiting only Geddes’ work, visitors will have the opportunity to understand more detail about what they experienced on the roof. Animated films, group exercises, and interactive tools will be in the exhibition to enhance the experience of the display.

Chart of Life - snapshot from the film

20

Montage based on Geddes’ diagram

21

22

PRESERVING GEDDES’ SPIRIT PRIMER, STAGING

Geddes proposed the concept of Garden Cities, re-designing the courtyardspaces of Edinburgh.

He believed that by introducing more vegetation, the courtyards could yet again function as vibrant scenes of the old town. For him, these spaces should have been the centre of intellectual activity.

Garden City - snapshot from the film

23

Impact of industrialisation on the city

Life of Chart

Garden City Proposition by Geddes

Geddes developed the Chart of Life, which contains many of his concepts. He invented these thinking machines for planning purposes. With this diagram he was investigating the relationship between village and city.

He also used this diagram to identify what causes the decline of a city. In the case of Edinburgh he was concerned with the impact of industrialisation on the social and environmental health of the city.

In the twentyfirst century I identified a more present-day problem of Edinburgh, that contributes to the decay of the city...

Simplified version of Chart of Life

Geddes using the thinking machine

24

Geddes identifying the decay of the city

Funpark in the middle of the city

...Tourism, which has a huge impact on the city. Therefore, the design of the New Outlook Tower will function as an educational condensator for its guests. Geddes’ diagram inspires the four components of the proposed building, preserving Geddes’ instructive attitude towards the society.

The building as a whole will act as a condensator.

At the entrance a shop and café will be attracting tourists. The Outlook Tower will accommodate an exhibition based on experience. The adjacent building will become a space for creative workshops, where people can contribute to the exhibition, while the courtyard will be a new gathering space for the visitors.

TOURISTY CITY

New interpretation of Life of Chart

Exploring the diagram in a built form

Attracting and educating tourists

25

Four components of the building

26

PRESERVING FORM PRIMER & STAGING

Experimental preservation technique, inspired by the Cordoba Mosque

27

Geddes introduced the concept of conservative surgery to urban planning, which he take over from the field of biology.

Conservative Surgery - snapshot from the film

28

With the proposal for the New Outlook Tower my effort was to implement Geddes’ conservative surgery, and increase the size of the courtyard by removing some buildings. By taking something away the health of the urban fabric can be increased. At the same time, I was aiming to preserve the valuable buildings around the tower.

The tower is a main tourist attraction in the city, but the interior of the building have lost its meaning and spatial qualities over the last decades. Exterior walls will remain, also preserving most of the floors, interior walls to be re-rendered.

Building lacks connection to the rest of the site. To be demolished. This will be the new entrance to the exhibition.

Have potential, good exterior qualities - geometrical connections to Outlook Tower. Exterior walls will remain. Interior spaces will be reconfigured.

This building does not allow the courtyard to function to its full potential.

29

Cordoba Mosque Cathedral

Inverted Mosque Cathedral technique, placing a grid on the medieval geometries

My project was inspired by the Cordoba Mosque Cathedral, where a Cathedral was inserted into the grid of the Mosque. At the time, architecture was demanded, but the architect left the structure of the Mosque intact, therefore preserving it. In the twentyfirst century preservation seems culturally more relevant, therefore with my project I want to preserve the tower, but also say something new about architecture.

Stan Allen distinguishes between two kinds of combination in architecture.

One where geometrical proportions dictate the extension (classical architecture), and another which is based on algebraic combination (typology of the mosque) and can multiply in any direction.

Geometrical Combination - Classical Architecture, Saint Peter’s Basilica

Algebraic Combination - Arabic architecture, Cordoba Mosque

30

OMA, whitney-museum-extension

Marcel Duchamp, Bicycle Wheel

Tracing existing gemetries

In this case, the original object-object relationship of preservation is changed to a field-field relation. The geometries of the medieval buildings remain intact, but the new steel intervention can reframe the experience of the building, by means of new circulation, and new building components. The new intervention will be exposed to the Royal Mile, creating a new entrance to the building. In the tower it will create new circulation to reframe the exhibition spaces, while it will go into the interior of the adjacent building to offer a more efficient structure for the creative rooms. Lastly, it will reinterpret the courtyards of Edinburgh by establishing a gathering void space.

Steel Intervention in the Outlook Tower

31

32

GENERATING FORM, PRODUCING THE COUNTER-FACTUAL STAGING & REAL ISATIO N

In my project preservation is in the focus, but I believe that there is always something new to tell the world. Therefore, I looked at the genealogy of the critical (Eisenman) and projective (Koolhaas) project to refine my experimental preservation technique, and to generate the form of the new building. ...“Otero-Pailos (2014) goes on and states that the production of form is no longer relevant, it is a mediation between the viewer and the building that has to be applied. This is a preservation technique I appreciate, but from my point of view if one was only concerned with the production of these interpretive frames, it would be to stop producing the counter-factual. (ARC_3015)

Robert Somol (2004), 12 Reasons to Get Back into shape 33

CRITICAL & PROJECTIVE STAG I NG & R EA L I S AT I O N

“The secret of architecture: Copy, copy, copy!

Copy, but copy in the right way!” (Nicolau Maria Rubio i Tuduri)

Max Reinhardt Haus, Peter Eisenman Architects, 1992

PHYSIQUE FLASH ism as style

FORM FUNCTION (IDEOLOGY)

ism as slogan

MORALE-WORLD

ROWE - HEJDUK MATHEMATICS

ROSSI

EISENMAN

TYPE

"Regulating lines"

"Lessons of Rome"

"Engineer’s Aesthetic"

"Eyes which do not see"

CYBERNETICS

SIGN

BANHAM - PRICE

INDEX "Objects to be read" "Worlds to be seen" PLOT

KOOLHAAS

VSB

Peter Eisenman (form vs form) and Rem Koolhaas (program vs program) constitute the two edge of critical architecture. Their oeuvre has a huge influence on my design.

“With my project I was always trying to think about my building, how this two figure would have thought about.

Koolhaas imagining a collective experience, or Eisenman thinking about the experience of an individual visitor. Trying to plot the program and institution of the building by a diagram to grasp the picture of networks of the activities with the building form, or tracing existing geometries and craft a building as sculpture.“ (ARC_3015) In their work diagram became a tool for generating form, rather than being a representational tool for something.

CCTV Media Park, OMA, 2002

34

CONTROL

form vs form

Organisation (Frampton)

HDM program (ideology) vs program (ideology)

matter vs matter

AZP Iconography (Jencks)

POWER

Eisenman’s notational work is about tracing existing geometries. This kind of work is about process and abstraction. They are not an end product in themselves, but a series of drawings showing the design development.

Eisenmans’ notational work, Casa Guardiola

Rem Koolhaas on the other hand is plotting the program of the building by a different kind of diagram. His architecture is a critique of conventional institutional forms.

With the Seatle Library project OMA had the endeavor of reinventing the typlogy of the library. With my buiding, I attempt the same: rethinking the traditional form of the museum, with the aid of Geddes’ diagram.

OMA, using the diagram for projective ends, Seatle Library 35

Notational work, tracing the existing to find the right proportions of the grid.

Articulation of the grid - open spaces

Weak form - tracing existing

Inverted mosque - golden ratio

6m X 6m (3m X 3m) (truncated)

2 m X 2 m (6 m X 6 m) (truncated)

Rotated grid

Inverted mosque - tracing existing shapes

Inverted mosque - tracing existing shapes (truncated) FINAL DESIGN

36

Chart of Life, by Patrick Geddes

Exploring the diagram in a built form

The narrative of the building

Programming the building, early drawing, slight changes have been made

Using the diagram for projective ends. Plotting the program of the building, by Geddes’ diagram.

37

Modelling the spaces, concept phase

Modelling the spaces, concept phase

38

The primary steel structure creating the new circulation of the building and also adding new components to the existing buildings.

39

“It is important to emphasise that after the indexical work and the use of the diagram, my design work was concentrating on the close reading of the existing buildings in more detail, and establishing the speculative spatial qualities, viewpoints, circulations in plan and section.

After the matter and form of the building was realised by means of diagrams and orthographic projection, I started to manifest my ideas by physical model making. It does not limit my freedom of articulating details and forms. In addition, it assures that my structure has good technical performance. It is measurable, and also represents complex spatial effects.� (ARC 3015)

40

TOWARDS A MORE PERFORMATIVE ARCHITECTURE STAGING & REAL ISATIO N

Alajendro Aravena - Social Housing, before alteration

Alajendro Aravena - Social Housing, after inhabitation

My project can be understood as a statement about the future of architecture. I believe that social sustainability is not much of a concern for many architectural firms. The green movement in architecture is the beneficiary of the government, purchasing new, more “sustainable� materials, while demolishing rather than preserving existing structures. From my point of view, if people like a building, they will take care of it and it will live a long life. In addition, it is also important that new buildings are capable of adapting to changing cultural attitudes. Therefore, my proposed intervention has to be adaptable to the future.

The building consist of steel modules - floors, walls and the roof can be altered depending on program and weather.

41

1:100 physical model of primary steel structure

1:20 detail model, module creating interior spaces in existing building

42

Prime Art - Awarded Student Work

OMA - Fondation Galeries Lafayette

My precedents are also utilising the adaptibility of a lightweight steel system, trying to expand the threshold between experiencing and creating. These precedents also preserving existing buildings and give a good sense of what atmosphere the contrast of the new and the old will generate.

HIC Arquitectura - Barcelona

43

44

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE TECTO NIC INTEGRATIO N & REAL ISATIO N

In the following pages an insight will be given into the process - how the artistic vision was manifested through the integration of technology.

45

RE FRAMING EXPERIENCE - PRECEDENT C AS E S TUDY - C A S T ELVEC C H I O

Preserved window, exterior facade

New window, interior facade

Window proportions, traced by Scarpa

Scarpa’s intervention - reconfiguration of the facade

Detail drawings of the window extension by Scarpa

46

Contrast provided by modern materials Experimental preservtion, preserving the moment of explosion

Using modern materials, such as copper, steel and concrete Scarpa creates a contrast between old and new, but at the same time he traces the proportions of the existing architectural elements. The green colors of the copper roof complements the orange shades of the brick and the tiles. As a result, the intervention creates a new atmosphere with the existing stucture.

Contrast, modern materials with Japanese influence

Separation between existing and new

47

Floating stairs in the circulation space

STEEL & CONCRETE TECTONIC STUDY THIN KI NG T H R O U G H M O D EL M A KING

48

49

RE FRAMING EXPERIENCE - STRATEGY TE C TONI C I N T EG R AT I O N PA R T I

- Postmodern office building in Chille - Giving new meaning to a building - Only the exterior walls remain

- Reframing the exhibition in such a way that it is adaptible to changing cultural attitudes - Tracing the proportions of the buildings with the new grid

- Identifying colour and athmospherical options - Steel beams matching colour of weathered local stone - Expose pipeworks, rather then covering them

- Steel and concrete construction suitable for grid exploration - Lightweight steel construction allows adaptibility and modular design

50

First, the Outlook Tower will be restored - most of the floors will be preserved, walls undergo treatment, the camera obscura will be refurbished etc. Later, the steel intervention will create new circulation. A new staircase and elevator will be inserted, as well as steel beams will lead the visitors into the spaces.

At the same time the steel grid system will inhabit the space of demolished building - creating a new entrance to the building, reinterpreting the courtyard, and also creating new interiors for the creative rooms located in the adjacent building to the Outlook Tower.

concept drawing - key moments of the building

51

REFRAMING EXPERIENCE - ARRANGEMENTS TEC T ONI C I NT EG R AT I O N PA R T I I & REALISAT ION

2 - New staircase in the tower

3 - New interiors for the adjacent building

1 - New Entrance to the building

4 - Void space in the courtyard, with rooftop event space

52

1 NEW ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING

At the entrance the steel grid becomes a building, and is exposed to the Royal Mile to attract tourists.

The walls of the building are glazed, so it is transparent and visitors can see the courtyard. But, first they have to go through the exhibition to arrive at the gathering space.

53

1:20 Detail 1:20 DETAIL 54

2 NEW STAIRCASE IN THE TOWER

Walls rendered white, floors polished concrete, simple design of exhibition spaces in the tower.

Steel beams leading the circulation in the tower

Gap between existing and new creating a void at the circulation - reframing the old materials of the tower.

Staircase atmosphere

55

3 NEW INTERIORS FOR THE ADJACENT BUILDING

The timber ceiling beams of the Outlook tower will be preserved, therefore the new interiors of the adjacent building will have similar floors, but with modern materials.

Here, the module of the grid will create spaces for workshops and seminars

General module of the building

56

5 cm Mineral wool sound insulation 10 cm In-situ concrete 5 cm Fluted sheet metals Steel ceiling beams 203 x 457 mm “I” Steel beams

203 x 203 mm “H” Steel columns

5 cm Screed polished to the level of the steel beams

1:20 detail model - new, more adaptible structure for the adjacent building

57

Outdoor space for cafe, groundfloor

Individual study

Exhibition space

Creative space, room can be seperated into smaller spaces - for film screenings, seminars, workshops - by movable partition walls

58

4 VOID SPACE IN THE COURTYARD, WITH ROOFTOP EVENT SPACE

Early concept montage

The traces of the demolished buildings remain, steel beams and columns reinterpreting the courtyard, creating an outdoor space for the cafĂŠ / library.

Handrails

Gathering space under the structure Metal mesh floor

Void space in the courtyard

Transferable rooftop event space

59

SEC TI ON AA

Exhibition spaces

Outdoor couryard space for café

Ticket office & café Arriving to the roof top event space

Inserted circulation

Levelling out, grid and existing connection

60

SECTIO N BB Camera Obscura

Multifunctional Creative rooms

From Exhibition space to the creative rooms

Winter-garden roof terrace

New staircase leading to eventspace

61

62

THE CONQUEST OF THE IRRATIONAL REAL ISATIO N & REFINEMENT

Architecture is inevitably a form of Paranoid Critical activity.

(Koolhaas, 1994) Architects impose their imagined fantasies on the world by designing buildings. W ith my project, I aim to speculate about possible inhabitations of the world. By developing new concepts for experimental preservation and the typology of the museum I wish to enter critical discurse, underpinning the intangable repressions of our society.

63

WALK THROUGH REALISATION & REFINEMENT + TE C TONIC INTEGRATION PART II

64

Attracting tourists

65

Reframing experience

66

Exhibition based on experience

67

New spaces for creation

68

Preserving moment of inlook tower

69

Sharing knowledge in gathering space

70

71

SEC TI ON C C

Wintergarden for contemplation

Transferable creative space - double/ single height

Elevator shaft with terraces

CafĂŠ & reading room

Little library in the basement

72

Three connection points with existing: - inside the building, new steel modules go untill the existing walls using the most space possible - between existing walls and new staircases there is a gap, walls are not rendered, reframing the experience of the old building.

Rooftop eventspace for film screenings

- In the outdoor space steel beams stopping 10-20 cm before adjacent building, generating excitement and a floating atmosphere

Sculptural void space

Here I presented one moment of the building’s live. The sculptural void space can become an eventspace - accessed from the terraces, depending on current the program.

CafĂŠ / gathering space in the courtyard

73

EX PANDING THE THRESHOLD BETWEEN EXPERIENCING & CREATING C HARRE TT E WEEK

Charrette week is a perfect example of an activity that has educational purposes, based on gaining klowedge and deeper understanding of a topic, but also advocates creativity and challanges students to try and imagine something. This is exactly how I imagine expanding the threshold between experiencing and creating within my building. After being stimulated by the exhibition, people can sign up for workshops, seminars, etc. where they can imagine something. I does not have to be a built form, it can be a novel, a drawing, or anything.

74

With our Charrette project we studied the characteristics of walls in general and later each sub-group imagined a 1 meter wide wall. Our interpretation focused on the negative side of a wall, and how politicians use it to feed existing oppositions in our society.

75

Concept montage

76

x4

VARV VÄGG Whatever screws are available (varying sizes required)

70 x 42 x 2000

x4 70 x 42 x 530

x4 70 x 42 x 320

x2

Plywood 2000 x 610

Plywood 2000 x 400

x 48

3

x2

1

5

4 5

6

5

Manual of the wall

77

2

78

We investigated how one could alter the perception of people with propaganda, and other means. Therefore we created warped tubes inside the wall to create two different experience on the two sides of the wall. And we designed uncomfortable interior for these look throughs.

79

80

A GIFT FOR EDINBURGH REAL ISATIO N & REFINEMENT

In the following pages I want to summarise my project with more traditional explanations (arc_3014) and simple plans, “keeping common sense at bay” (Ballantyne, 2007).

81

Our proposal is concerned with the regeneration of the Outlook Tower – a historically important building of Edinburgh - and its surrounding neighbourhood. The site is located in Edinburgh, at the top of the Royal Mile, close to the castle. The brief of the project was about preserving the tower, not only in its traditional sense, but also with means of experimental preservation. Therefore, our proposal is not only concerned with the physical qualities of the building, but also with the ideas of Patrick Geddes – who was using the tower for educational purposes prior to the current Illusion-world exhibition inhabiting the building. Consequently, other than only restoration work taking place, our team propose an intervention – a steel grid system – connecting and going inside existing buildings, as well as forming new inhabitable spaces to create a comprehensive new exhibition for the city.

This exhibition will provide a renewed courtyard space (outside 335 m2), a new café (250 m2), a shop (70 m2), an outdoor event space (105 m2), an intellectually stimulating educational exhibition (450 m2), as well as spaces for organising workshops, and other activities (360 m2). Other spaces include a new office (200 m2) for the crew of the exhibition, a plant room for the building (90 m2), and circulation (150 m2), so the total inhabitable floor area of the building complex adds up to 440 m2 outside space and 1570 m2 indoor space. As a result of the new intervention, and the careful design of the complex programme, we believe that the building would expand the threshold between tourists and local communities. In addition, it will also provide an opportunity for people to imagine and create, after being stimulated by an exhibition. One of the most important design decision of the project is to place the new entrance facing the Royal Mile, in order to attracting more tourists – therefore the accessibility of the building is increased.

The new building will have the capacity to accommodate the new exhibition of the Outlook Tower, but the client of the project – The University of Edinburgh - would also be using the event space and the workshops in various times.

As a result, the New Outlook Tower will become the new cultural centre of the city, where students and intellectual people can pass knowledge to the wider society – local communities and tourists. Furthermore, the exhibition and the shop will also create new jobs for the city. (ARC 3014)

82

83

GROUND F LOOR P LAN

84

85

INT ERMED IAT E F LOOR PLAN

86

ROOF P LAN

87

88

FICTIONAL APPENDIX REAL ISATIO N & REFINEMENT

I imagine a second and third phase for my project. The experimental preservation technique can expand to other courtyards in Edinburgh. And later, networks of flying corridors above the old town could connect these intellectual gathering spaces, reframing the experience of the city and taking over the touristy city of Edinburgh

89

Plug in city, a new approach to urbanism, by Archigram

Temple of geography, by Patrick Geddes

With this utopia I mixed Yona Friedmans’ theoretical ideas with the hypothetical fantasy city of Archigram.

90

This network is also inspired by concepts of Gilles Deleuze.

By lifting the street level above the city, the perception of the world changes. In this case, one have visual overview of the city. This experience is what Geddes found so attractive in the Outlook Tower.

91

FR ONT E L E VAT I O N

92

93

94

CRITICAL CONTEXT

I have decided to explore the atmospheric experience of the building with photo-montages. Among other inspirations, Divisare’s collection, titled New Architects - 1 (including five young architecture firms’ work: false mirror office, gosplan, LINEARAMA, pia and UNO8A) was a great reference for my work.

95

Science City Competition, Giza & The False Mirror, Trondheim, by False Mirror Office

96

Using Dalí’s Paranoid Critical Method, I tried to tell a story about the possible future inhabitation of the spaces. With the emotions of the montages I aimed to exaggerate and express the intangible values and desires of my project. For instance, when constructing my imagined spaces I used antique pictures to recall the dear memories of the past. In these drawings, intertextuality also plays an important role. Sometimes they create a supplementary narrative to Geddes’ work. For example, Geddes uses symbols such as the 9 muses in his “Life of Chart” diagram. The names of the muses imply that a “city indeed” has to be intellectual. Therefore, I used the 9 muses from Simon Vouet’s painting to express that the last component of my building, the gathering space has similar qualities as Geddes’ “City indeed”. In this way, montage drawings tell more about my design, than a photo-realistic render. These drawings try to grasp the essence of the different building components, by fabricating pictures from my imagination, rather than describing true conditions.

97

98

LEARNING JOURNAL

99

100

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, S., Kipnis, J. (2009). Practice: Architecture, Technique + Representation. Abingdon: Routledge.

Allen, S., Somol, R. E., Hays, K. M. (2012). Points + lines : Diagrams and Projects for the City. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Ballantyne, A. (2007) Deleuze & Guattari for Architects. New York. Routledge Boardman, P. (1978). The Worlds Of Patrick Geddes - Biologist, Town planner, Re-educator, Peace-warrior. London: Henley and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Dalí, S. & Chevalier, H., (1973). The secret life of Salvador Dali 4th ed., London: Vision.

Eisenman, P. (1999). Diagram diaries. New York. Universe Publishing Friedman, Y. (2007). Pro Domo. Barcelona: Actar.

Koolhaas, R., McGetrick, B., Brown, S., Link, J. and Somol, R. (2004). Content. Köln: Taschen.

Koolhaas, R. (1994.). Delirious New York. New York, The Monacelli Press.

Koolhaas, R., Otero-Pailos, J. and Carver, J. (2016). Preservation is overtaking us. New York: ColumbiaBooks on Architecture and The City.

Somol, R. (1999). Dummy text, or The Diagrammatic Basis of Contemporary Architecture. introduction in Eisenman, P. (1999). Diagram diaries. New York. Universe Publishing Somol R., (2009). Poli-Fi, Journal of Architectural Education, 62:3, 32-33.

Somol, R., (2015). UCLA A.UD Lecture Series [lecture online]. 13 April 2015. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5K_9wFHtAA Somol, R., Mitášová, M. (2014). Interview with Robert Somol in Oxymoron and pleonasm - Conversations on American Critical and Projective Theory of Architecture. Praha: Zlatý řez.

Steele, B., Eisenman, P., Koolhaas, R., Somol, R., Kipnis, J. and Cousins, M. (2010). Supercritical. London: Architectural Association.

Some of the titles were inspired by terms of Dalí, Somol and Koolhaas.

Improved & new work:

101

102

IMAGE CREDIT

page 18 Valley Sedtion http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OWWD7YOMIsc/UR-lZVEN12I/AAAAAAAAAPw/PppJH_k9TgY/s1600/Valley+Sec tion+image.jpg page 24 Industrialisation http://blogue-ton-ecole.ac-dijon.fr/what-if/2016/12/15/premier-chapitre-lindustrialisation/ page 24 Garden City https://i.pinimg.com/736x/03/6c/3b/036c3bfe14646688553c246b364abaa2--university-of-strathclyde-edin burgh.jpg page 30

Cordoba Mosque extension

https://archnet.org/sites/2715/publications/1237

page 30 Cordoba Mosque Catedral http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S5jfxPC5nfU/TdQFHrdntnI/AAAAAAAABHs/1ZPsK3T4k3c/s1600/002-mezquitacor doba-catedral-renacentista-plantacubiertas.jpg page 30 St Peter’s Basilica https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/ea/98/27ea9889b1aa7110dfcfab113b6b96b4.jpg page 31 Marcel Duchamp, bicycle Wheel https://www.moma.org/wp/moma_learning/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Duchamp.-Bicy cle-Wheel-395x395.jpg

page 31 Whitney Museum extension, by OMA http://oma.eu/projects/whitney-museum-extension page 34

Max Reinhardt Haus, Peter Eisenman

http://www.eisenmanarchitects.com/max-reinhardt.html

page 34

CCTV Media Park, OMA, 2002

http://oma.eu/projects/cctv-media-park

page 35

Peter Eisenman’s indexical work

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/e8/a1/e5e8a1b1713b7c2d81e16429e98e6bf4.jpg

page 35 OMA’s diagrams of Seatle Library https://www.archdaily.com/11651/seattle-central-library-oma-lmn/572196a2e58ece408a000006-seattle-cen tral-library-oma-lmn-photo page 41

Social Housing, Alejandro Aravena

http://proexpansion.com/uploads/article/image/1110/larger_un.jpg

page 43

Prime Art https://www.behance.net/gallery/54432845/PRIMEART-Architecture-MArch-Design-Thesis-Project

page 43

OMA - Fondation Galeries Lafayette

http://oma.eu/projects/fondation-entreprise-galeries-lafayette

page 43

HIC Architectura, Barcelona

http://hicarquitectura.com/2018/02/h-arquitectes-lleieltat-santseca/

page 47

Scarpa details drawings

Amos, Cheng (group work)

page 48

TTMM exhibition

Liam, Davi

page 55 Exhibition space https://divisare.com/projects/379310-jorge-teixeira-dias-daniel-malhao-besphoto-2013-alba no-da-silva-pereira page 81

Group Model photo

Liam, Davi

page 90

Yona Friedman - City above city

http://www.ideelart.com/img/cms/yona-friedman-original-drawing-from-ville-spatiale-1959.jpg

page 90 Plug in city, by Archigram https://relationalthought.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/peter-cook-archizoom-maimum-pressure-area-plug-in- city-1962-64-section.jpg page 90 Temple of geography, by Patrick Geddes http://ds.cc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/~okutsu/GeddesHomepage/P_G_photo&fig(web)/biopolis/biopolis/photo& fig%20/fig7-6-l.jpg

103