ADS:A Journal Week 03Carl Madsen 357577
ANALYSING THE BRIEF
THE GATEWAY
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Based on the outlining of the brief, we identified four key considerations to take into account when researching and developing our design ideas. They were the prominent location of the site at the entry to metropolitan Melbourne, the sculpture as an iconic feature of the area, the use of the lighting in the area to create observable patterns and the taking of an experiential approach to our structure. The site is located on the Princes Freeway at the edge of the Wyndham urban growth boundary west of metropolitan Melbourne, and the design is to act as a gateway from the undeveloped plains of the west, into the Wyndham municipality. Based on this prominent location that acts as a changing point between the relaxed landscape to the west and the faster-paced Wyndham and Melbourne areas, the sculpture should reflect this through a combination of the sharp and soft ideas that represent the contrast. To contribute to architectural discourse and to stand as an eye-catching visual instalment, the sculpture needs to be iconic. In the context of the brief, the iconic qualities of the structure should represent its location (as described above) as well as its surrounding environment. As the sculpture is to be situated within the area of the Princes Highway, the iconic features involved should match the features of the highway. We have determined two main characteristics of the highway as iconic: speed and direction. In line with our previous considerations, we have decided to go against our sculpture being objectcentred and static, opting to adopt a more experiential approach to our thinking. An experiential structure involves or is based on experience and/ or observation; our sculpture should involve the audience and not just be shown to them. As such, we have focused our process on the relation of the sculpture to its audience; how it can change relative to not only the viewer’s location, but also their personal interpretation. Again in relation to speed and direction, the low-lying ground enabled us to consider the effect light has as it passes through a non-filled structure; specifically, shadows that would lie across the road. Based on the structure, the shadows crossing the road could invoke certain feelings in the driver at certain times of the day, as well as having potentially dynamic qualities; that is, not only does the shadow move throughout the day, but changes as well.